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FOURTH GRADE FREAKY FRACTIONS portFOLIO!                           Mrs. Rieger

 

Students, for this project you will demonstrate mastery of multiple levels of understanding about fractions!  You will create a booklet with a MINIMUM of eight pages!    Your front cover needs to show creativity in some way, and must use FRACTIONS either in pictures or word forms.

 

For this ‘thoughtful’ project, you will move from BASIC UNDERSTANDING of the word FRACTION, to the highest levels of thinking!  This activity is pulled from Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking.

 

Page 1: KNOWLEDGEUsing your own words, write a complete and thorough definition of a fraction.  (Pretend that I am an alien from another planet who understands English and our words, but knows nothing of our math system or numbers. Use pictures and/or words to help explain ‘fractions’ so that I can understand.)  

 

Page 2: COMPREHENSION: Write the following fractions as numerals, each accompanied by a sketch or illustration. (Again, I am still the alien! I understand words, and pictures, so help me understand by explaining the following:)

  ….. a) two and five-twelfths .. b) sixteen and one-third..  c) one piece of pie from a pie that is divided into eight parts…… d) five whole apples plus two parts of another apple that is divided into thirds. You may use the back of the page if you need it!

 

Page 3: APPLICATION: Give SPECIFIC examples of at least three times you have used fractions in your daily life within the last week. Draw pictures to help explain these specific examples.  Think about time, money, food, and any other ‘thing’ that you may use fractions to solve problems in your everyday life. **Make me ‘see it.’

 

Page 4: ANALYSIS:  Determine what makes fractions easier or harder for students to learn when compared with other math topics such as geometry, decimals and whole numbers.

…. You may use examples from word problems, examples from your own life, you may illustrate your thoughts, draw graphs, tables…. anything to CONVINCE ME that fractions are either EASIER or HARDER to learn!  (There is no right or wrong answer…only YOUR answer…. but it must be supported well!)

 

 

 

 

Page 5 and 6: SYNTHESISCreate a study guide for this portFOLIO to help with your continued study of fractions. Include all of the tips, shortcuts, procedures, and references that you can think of to help someone STUDY Fractions to understand them better.  (You may use any information sources you wish, including information from websites, textbooks, and other materials.)  USE PICTURES or ILLUSTRATIONS to clarify.

 

Page 7:  EVALUATIONSurvey twenty people to determine which of the following is the most popular spectator sport: football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, golf or swimming.

Make a bar graph to show the results of your study. Give the fraction of the twenty people that chose each sport

 **What surprised you the most? Did you agree with your survey? Did you have trouble creating the graph, or converting the information into fractions? How can conversions such as these be helpful?

 

Page 8: REFLECTION:

Answer the following questions on Page 8.

a)    How did this exploration help you understand fractions better?

b)   What do you think is the most challenging thing about fractions?

c)    What misconceptions about fractions did you have that you have a clearer understanding of after completing this portfolio?

d)   How will you use your new knowledge to help others learn fractions better?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grading Rubric for Fourth Grade Freaky Fractions Port FOLIO:

4: Expert, a WOW moment: All requirements are met in such a creative and/ or skillful way that they exceed my high expectations. Students will demonstrate an advanced and sophisticated approach, show creativity, be neat and  well organized, and show a complete understanding of the topic.

3: Master, or WELL DONE, met my expectations! All requirements are met, demonstrates an understanding of the topic, is neat and well organized, some creative and unexpected approaches, and communicates ideas clearly.

2: Apprentice, or Okay: MOST of the requirements are met, but with little advanced thought. No true insight is noted, and some gaps in understanding were found. This product needs improvement in more than one area.

1: Novice, or WELL below my expectations: This product met FEW of my requirements, and large portions of this product were left out! May be disorganized, incorrect, or incomplete.

 

Organization:     All eight pages were completed according to directions

  1  2  3   4         Has cover with title, name, and some creative approach

                          Each illustration is clearly labeled

                          Each answer is clearly identifiably linked to the question

Content:             Demonstrates understanding of fractions

 1  2  3  4            Explains CLEARLY the answers to all of the questions

                          Uses illustrations to help clarify answers

                          Answers demonstrate clear understanding of how fractions work

                          Reflection page shows student’s honest reflection on prior knowledge compared to new learning

                          Answers to all mathematical problems are solved correctly, and explained clearly

Visual Appeal:     Use of illustrations, pictures, graphics, etc. are clearly appropriate and helpful

1  2  3  4              Cover of portfolio has all items NEATLY completed, with CREATIVITY in approach

                           Neat, organized, labeled clearly, ATTRACTIVE work throughout

Mechanics:          Correct punctuation, spelling and capitalization

1  2  3  4              Handwriting or printing is legible!