Exploring Decimal Fractions Louise Addison Pip Arnold TEAM Solutions
Dec 30, 2015
Purpose of this session
Have a look at decimal fractions from a SNP viewpoint.
Share a possible framework for you to use with the teachers in your department on other topics / workshops.
Twofold:
Structure of workshop…
PART ONE Why is this not easy? – A look at
misconceptions. What are the key ideas?
PART TWO How can these key ideas be taught?
PART THREE Who is ready to learn this? When should it be taught? Where is it going?
Decimal Diagnostic Test
Analyse the answers to the decimals diagnostic test…
What are some of the common issues / misconceptions that students have with decimal fractions?
Your student results Total for your group the number of students
who got each question incorrect. Make a column and record this on your table.
Correct answer No.incorrect
Totalforgroup
1 Zero pointthree nine
2a Tenths
2b Tenths
2c Thousandths
3a 6.8
3b 3.74
Find and list the five most common incorrect questions. What were the five most common correct questions?
Deeper Analysis
Use the actual student responses to do a deeper analysis for questions: 3d, 6a, 9 and 15.
ANALYSIS OF MISTAKES
10 Freq0.02 110.002 52 5
List the particular responses that students give and tally up how many gave that response across your group.
For each question pick the most common incorrect response. Discuss in your group what the misconception is that the students might have.
What?
What are the key ideas / concepts to be introduced?
What do they need to know? What do they need to understand? What do they need to be able to do?
What number knowledge do they need?
Brainstorm – decimal fractions
What do they need to know? What do they need to understand? What do they need to be able to do?
A look back to 1948…
Key idea:
Information – can be ‘told’Concept – needs to be taught
Look at this video and explore what is information and what are concepts…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iv8OTmBBaM
Question One:
Use the unifix materials to solve this problem…
6 56 bars of chocolate shared amongst 5 peoplewrite your answer as:
wholes and tenths
Imaging
Solve the following problem by imaging - clearly explain how you could have used the materials…
4.2 3 Decode / Recode
Who?
Who is ready to learn this? What diagnostic question
could I ask to assess what they already know / understand?
Place Value knowledge
Look at numeracy framework – what stage are decimal fractions introduced?
What about 2 decimal places?
Progression…
In what order does this work suggest the following should be taught in?
Decimals Fractions Percentages
What about 2 decimal places?
5 4
Record as: whole + tenths + _______
What are these called and why?
Use of decimats
Where else do decimal fractions appear?
Discuss where in your current Junior programmes decimal fractions appear…
Rounding – Book 8 Measurement Estimating – number, statistics Probability
Further explorations
Purple Books … Book 4 p4, 5, 8-9, 13, 19, 21, 28-30 Book 5 p46-50 Book 6 p60-62 Book 7 p22-29, 36-37 Book 8 p19-22, 24-25, 31, 37-38