Lesson Plan – Unit Fractions in Ancient Egypt
Curriculum Expectations
Grade 9
B3. Number Sense and Operations
B3.2 apply an understanding of unit fractions and their relationship to other fractional amounts, in various contexts, including the use of measuring tools
Grade 8
B2. Operations
B2.5 add and subtract fractions, using appropriate strategies, in various contexts
Learning Goals of the Lesson
Students will
- Learn what unit fractions are
- Learn to decompose common fractions into sums of unit fractions
- Solve problems using unit fractions
Getting Started
- Open Chapter 4 – Fractions and project it on the big screen.
- Tell students that today they will learn what Egyptian unit fractions are and solve some 4 thousand year old Egyptian problems
- Find and show Egypt on the Map and Timeline
- Let students listen to Egypt. Eye of Horus
- Read and solve 4.8 with the class in a class discussion format. Leave the solution on the board
Working on It
- Assign 4.1. Let students work in pairs or groups. If your students are familiar to the Thinking Classroom format let them work on vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS)
- When students are done let them write their answers on the boards or chart paper or VNPS
Consolidating and Connecting (After)
- Discuss which solution makes larger pieces when loaves are cut (1/2+1/3+1/15). This is an example of practical use of unit fractions.
- Ask students to come up with examples when unit fractions might be useful in real world
- Assign 4.2 and 4.4 either individually or in pairs. Students have to check their solutions with the teacher or they work in the Thinking Classroom format on the VNPS
Extension:
Problems 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7 can be assigned for those who finish earlier
Assessment tools
Observation: Students check their answers with a teacher or they work on VNPS
Materials https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oersamplechapter/chapter/greece/
Note: Bar modeling method might be a greater tool to solve the above problems especially in Grade 8.