In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to prove that when comparing fractions, the larger the denominator the larger the piece.  Also, when pieces are the same size (the denominator), the numerator denotes how many pieces of that size we have.

In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to prove that when comparing fractions, the larger the denominator the larger the piece.  Also, when pieces are the same size (the denominator), the numerator denotes how many pieces of that size.  Students will be able to sort fractions quickly by adding the fraction by itself to determine if it is smaller, equal, or larger than ½. 

Comparing Fractions.  Mathematics Instructional Plans (MIPs) help teachers align instruction with the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) by providing examples of how the knowledge, skills and processes found in the SOL and curriculum framework can be presented to students in the classroom.

This Desmos activity has students partiiton a fraction into fourths, model a fraction, and then determine if the fraction is more than, less than, or equal to 1/2 by looking at the denominator.

This resource encourages literacy across the curriculum and the use of hands-on manipulatives to support and facilitate student understanding of the content. The illustrative mathematics incorporated a book and the suggested modifications will supplement the lesson allowing students to make relationship with the content and the real world. The suggested modification will allow students to have a mathematical discourse and use the language of mathematics.