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Caitlyn Hinnerschitz

Title: Area, Area, Let’s Multiply Some Fractions!

Topic Addressed: Multiplying Fractions Using Area Model Arrays

SC Standard and Objective:

Standard 5.NSF.4: Extend the concept of multiplication to multiply a fraction or whole

number by a fraction.

Objective: Students will be able to illustrate the product of at least four fractional
multiplication problems using an area model.

Materials Needed:

 Computer with internet access

 A personal learning device for each student

 Sheets of copy paper for each student to complete the folding activity

 Pencils and colored markers

 Grid paper for students who need extra support

 Access to PBS Learning Media to use “Area Models for Multiplication of Fractions”

interactive activity

o https://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/mgbh.math.nf.fracmultmodel/area-

models-for-multiplication-of-fractions/

 Let’s Eat Some Cake early finishers activity sheet

Time: 7:40-9:35 A.M.

Introduction: (5-10 minutes)

“Good morning students, I am so very excited to teach you all this morning about one of

my favorite math concepts: fractions! I know that you all have been learning about adding and

subtracting fractions and finding equivalent fractions with Mr. Brown over the past few weeks.
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What is a fraction? (Students will answer a numerical quantity that is not a whole number.) Very

good, now let’s review what we have already learned! We are going to think pair and share with

our shoulder partner everything we can remember about fractions. You will have one minute to

think to yourself, one minute to team up and talk to your partner about what you remember, and

then we will come back together as a whole class to discuss what we remember about fractions.”

(Students will then perform think-pair-share Kagan strategy to elicit prior knowledge about

fractions) “Wow, you all have some great memories. All of your knowledge about fractions is

going to be used today because we will be learning how to multiply fractions using area models.

It is important that we learn how to multiply fractions using an area model because it allows us to

see the actual fraction and it develops our fraction sense. Before we get started let’s review how

we get the area of a rectangle. Can anyone tell me what we are finding when we find the area of

an object?” (Student will answer we are finding the amount of space an object takes up by

multiplying the length times the width of the object) “Very good, now that we have reviewed and

brought our prior knowledge our let’s get started!”

During: (40 minutes)

*The content in this section of the lesson will be displayed via PowerPoint. The PowerPoint is

attached after this section. ELL students and learning-disabled students will receive a copy of

the presentation with key sections, words, and concepts highlighted, and a translation card. *

1. The teacher will first start by reviewing the following terminology: area model, horizontal,

vertical, factor, product, and dimension.

2. To introduce the content to the students, the teacher will have them take one blank sheets of

copy paper that has been distributed to them before the lesson. The teacher will tell them that

they are going to make their own visualization of a fraction. The teacher will have them fold
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the paper horizontally twice to make four columns and then open the paper back up. The

teacher will then ask students “What fractions can now be represented by the grid created on

the paper?” The students will respond (1/4), (2/4), (3/4), and (4/4). Then students will fold

the paper twice vertically. The students should end up with a total of sixteen small boxes.

The teacher will ask the students how many boxes are represented now. They will respond by

stating “16!” The students will label the bottom the length and the left side the width. The

teacher will instruct the students how to place tick marks along the bottom of the area model

and explain how we are working with units less than one. The students will place the tick

marks ¼, 2/4, ¾ 4/4 along both the bottom and the top where the indents are in the paper

from folding. Students will then shade in ¼ vertically in one column and ¼ horizontally in

another column. The teacher will then ask students what portion of the diagram has been

shaded twice. Students will answer “(1/16).”

3. The teacher will ask students what fraction multiplication problem is being represented by

the model. The students will answer “(1/4) times (1/4)” The students will then write the

equation in the middle of the area model. The teacher will ask the students how this relates to

the area formula of a rectangle. Students will answer “We multiplied the length of (1/4) by

the width of (1/4), which is the area formula of a rectangle A=L*W. After shading in and

multiplying the two fractions, we found the area of (1/16).” The teacher will then ask

students “How did you know what section of the grid represented the area?” The students

will respond “I knew that the portion of the grid where both of the fractions met or the

portion that was shaded twice was the area. So, the area of this problem was (1/16).” The

teacher will also remind students that when multiplying fractions, one does not need a
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common denominator. The teacher will also remind the students that they must multiply

across both the numerator and the denominator.

4. After introducing the topic, the students will go to the website entitled PBS Learning Media

and complete the interactive activity called “Area Models for Multiplication of Fractions.”

Once students have reached the website and the specified interactive activity, they hit the

launch button and then hit the start button. The teacher will walk the students through the

first problem modeling their thinking and reasoning to students. The students will complete

the second and third problems in pairs with their shoulder partners.

Problem 1:

The teacher will then instruct students to find the product of (1/2) times (1/2) using an area

model. The students will hit the down arrow on the home screen to make the fraction (1/2)

*(1/2), then students will hit the multiply button in the middle to view the answer of (1/4). Upon

hitting the button, it will bring students to the screen shown above. Before hitting the multiply

button, students will have to complete the area model in their math notebook.

Problem 2:
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The teacher will then instruct students to find the product of (1/3) times (3/5) using an area

model. The students will hit the down arrow on the home screen to make the fraction (1/3) and

the upward and downward arrows to change the second fraction to (3/5). The students will then

hit the multiply button in the middle to view the answer of (3/15), which students will simplify to

(1/5). Upon hitting the button, it will bring students to the screen shown above. Before hitting the

multiply button, students will have to complete the area model in their math notebook.

Problem 3:

The teacher will then instruct students to find the product of (7/9) times (3/4) using an area

model. The students will hit the upward and downward arrows on the home screen to make the

fraction (7/9) and the upward and downward arrows to change the second fraction to (3/4). The

students will then hit the multiply button in the middle to view the answer of (21/36), which

students will simplify to (7/12). Upon hitting the button, it will bring students to the screen
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shown above. Before hitting the multiply button, students will have to complete the area model

in their math notebook.

Link: https://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/mgbh_int_fracmultmodel/

5. The teacher will then instruct students to turn off their personal devices and introduce

students to the activity entitled Quilting Pieces. This task requires students to be able to read

a word problem and create an area model problem to produce the solution. After creating the

area model, the students will also be required to write the equation for it. The students will

work in their table groups of four to complete this task. It is important to note that students

have already been assigned seats representing their academic abilities and social needs;

therefore, this will lead to the differentiation of flexible grouping during this activity. The

teacher will spend the majority of their time working with the four ELL students. The ELL

students will also receive a prompt that uses different verbiage; this would be considered

tiered-instruction. The teacher will explain the Quilting Pieces task and will give each group

member a copy of the task. Each group will receive a piece of anchor paper in which they

will illustrate and solve their problem. Once they have illustrated the task via an area model

and have written the equation represented on the group anchor chart, they will provide a

written justification of how they solved it and what they did. Once students have finished the

first part of the task, they will take a picture of their group’s work and post it digitally to

Seesaw. They will also repeat this process upon completing part two of the task. Before

letting students get to work, the teacher will ask the students the following questions to assess

whether they understand the expectations and the directions clearly:

a. “Is this an independent or a collaborative activity?”

b. “How many parts are there? What must you complete before moving to part two?”
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While students are completing this activity, the teacher will help students make the

connection that (1/4) the length multiplied by (1/2) the width = (1/8) the area. The activity is

attached at the end of the lesson plan.

6. Early finishers will complete the activity entitled “Let’s Eat Some Cake.” The activity is

attached at the end of the lesson plan.

After: (15-20 minutes)

1. Students will come back together as a whole group. The teacher will pull up the seesaw

application and display the video on the smartboard. The teacher will go through each

group’s responses. The class will discuss each group’s answer, and the students will be

responsible for reasoning and justifying their answers. The teacher will ask the following

questions while discussing each group’s answer:

a. “What was your answer and why do you believe it is the solution?”

b. “How did you get your answer?”

c. “What was your problem-solving strategy?”

2. After discussing the responses, the teacher will ask the following question to pull the lesson

together: “What is an area model and how can we use it for multiplying fractions?”

3. The teacher will then discuss that the students will use the information learned in their

following math lesson tomorrow to help them understand common algorithms used when

multiplying fractions. By knowing how to visual the multiplication of fractions, it will help

the students gain a deeper understanding of what happens when fractions are multiplied.

4. Students will complete a five-question assessment on Go Formative. The students will have

to draw and label a grid, represent the fraction multiplication equation using the area model,
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and find the product of the equation given. If students answer at least four questions

correctly, they will have understood my learning goals.

Problem 1: (1/4) * (3/4)

Explanation

The answer to the problem is (3/16). Students would label a grid and divide it both

horizontally and vertically by fourths. The students would label the tick marks on the

corresponding lines, like the one shown above. The students would then shade in the

corresponding amounts of (1/4) and (3/4). The students would have 3 out of the 16 squares

shaded in twice; therefore, the product or area of the equation would be (3/16).

Problem 2: (2/3) * (4/5)

Explanation

The answer to the problem is (8/15). Students would label a grid and divide it horizontally by

thirds and vertically by fifths. The students would label the tick marks on the corresponding

lines, like the one shown above. The students would then shade in the corresponding amounts of
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(2/3) and (4/5). The students would have 8 out of the 15 squares shaded in twice; therefore, the

product or area of the equation would be (8/15).

Problem 3: (2/2) * (1/6)

Explanation

The answer to the problem is (2/12). Students would label a grid and divide it horizontally by

halves and vertically by sixths. The students would label the tick marks on the corresponding

lines, like the one shown above. The students would then shade in the corresponding amounts of

(2/2) and (1/6). The students would have 2 out of the 12 squares shaded in twice; therefore, the

product or area of the equation would be (2/12). Students could also reduce the fraction of (2/12)

to (1/6) by dividing by the whole of (2/2).

Problem 4: (5/7) * (1/3)

Explanation

The answer to the problem is (5/21). Students would label a grid and divide it horizontally by

sevenths and vertically by thirds. The students would label the tick marks on the corresponding

lines, like the one shown above. The students would then shade in the corresponding amounts of
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(5/7) and (1/3). The students would have 5 out of the 21 squares shaded in twice; therefore, the

product or area of the equation would be (5/21).

Problem 5: (6/8) * (3/4)

Explanation

The answer to the problem is (18/32). Students would label a grid and divide it horizontally

by eighths and vertically by fourths. The students would label the tick marks on the

corresponding lines, like the one shown above. The students would then shade in the

corresponding amounts of (6/8) and (3/4). The students would have 18 out of the 32 squares

shaded in twice; therefore, the product or area of the equation would be (18/32). Students could

also reduce the fraction of (18/32) to (9/16) by dividing by the whole of (2/2).
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PowerPoint Presentation:
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Translation Card for ELL:

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Quilting Pieces Activity Worksheet

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Quilting Pieces Activity Worksheet with Accommodations

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Quilting Pieces Activity Worksheet: Answer Explanations Part One of Quilting Pieces:
Problem Presented:
“Sally and her friends need your help with quilting a blanket for their teacher, Mrs. Smith. They

want the quilt to be 8 feet by 6 feet. The students have decided to divide into groups to prepare

the pictures needed for the quilt. Each group will prepare a picture that is 2 feet by 3 feet for the

quilt. What fraction of the quilt will each group provide?”

Explanation of Part One:

The students will draw a rectangle like the one shown above and will label the width as 6 feet

and the length as 8 feet. The students will then shade in 3 feet of the width, and then they will

shade in 2 feet of the length. To shade this in properly the students will have to divide the width

into two parts to equal 3 feet and the length into four parts to get 2 feet. The total fraction of the

quilt that each group will provide is (1/8) because one box out of the eight has double shading.

(1/8) would represent the product/area of (1/4) times (1/2).

Part Two of Quilting Pieces:

Problem Presented:

“Sally and her friends have decided to make another quilt for their teacher that has the same

dimensions. They have again divided the work to make the quilt. Each group has been asked to

prepare a section of the quilt that is (1/4) of the length and (1/2) of the width. Your job is to help

them sketch the quilt and the portion that each group will prepare. Please draw an area

model/quilt to show your work.”

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Explanation of Part Two:

The students will draw the area model shown above. The students will place tick marks to

label the portions of the length and width as shown above. Then students will shade in (1/2) of

the width and (1/4) of the length. The students will have the product of (1/4) times (1/2) shaded

in twice. The portion shaded in twice is (1/8); therefore, each group will prepare (1/8) of the

quilt. The equation for the problem is (1/4) times (1/2) which equals (1/8).

*Accommodation for ELL students (tiered lesson):

Part One of Quilting Pieces:

“I want to make a blanket that is 8 long feet by 6 wide feet. I have decided to have groups create

pictures. Each group will make a picture that is 2 feet by 3 feet for the quilt. What fraction of the

quilt will each group provide?”

Part Two of Quilting Pieces:

“I want to make another quilt that is 8 feet by 6 feet. Each group has been asked to make a part

of the quilt that is (1/4) of the length and (1/2) of the width. Your job is to help them sketch the

quilt and the portion that each group will prepare. Please draw an area model/quilt to show your

work.”

*It is important to note that this activity is from the following source:

Adapted from Tsankova, J.K., & Pjanic, K. (2009/2010). The area model of multiplication of

fractions. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 15(5), 281-285.

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Early Finishers: Cake Task Worksheet

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Early Finishers: Cake Task Answer Sheet