1. Connecting Academics & Parents
Academic seminars to sharpen skills and build understanding in
Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Critical Point: Welcome Parents and share that this session is about how to help their child have a better understanding of how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
Step By Step Directions:
Welcome Parents and Guardians to the training.
Share that this training is about how they can help their child better understand adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
Explain that they will be engaged in some activities that will help them to support their child with adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
The training will also include some purposeful practice tasks that they can do at home.
Only spend about 2 minutes on this slide.
Disclaimer: Prior to training, pre-cut the fraction cards-one set per family
Materials List: Fraction Tiles, Grid paper, fraction cards, pencil, copy paper
Copies in Packet: Powerpoint Slides (2 per page), Centimeter Grid Paper, Handouts from games

2. Mathematics Florida Standards Focus
Grade 5
MAFS.5.NF.1.1
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators
(including mixed numbers.)
Critical Point: Grade 5 Students are required to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators
Step By Step Directions:
Read the slide to the parents.
Share with parents that grade 5 students are required to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
Share with parents that the standard on the slide is a summary of the standard that we will be addressing in this parent training and if they would like to learn more about the standard they can go to
Spend about 1 minute on this slide.
For more information about this standard visit

3. Learning Progression:
Adding and Subtraction Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Critical Point: Show how learning about adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators progresses from earlier grades to future grades.
Step by Step Directions:
Share learning progression for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
Provide parents/guardians with a generalized overview of the progression for adding and
subtracting fractions such as:
It begins in first and second grade by developing a students’ understanding of equal shares by partitioning rectangles and circles,
In grade 3 formal instruction of fractions begin
Grade 4 embeds adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators
Grade 5 embeds adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators
In grade 7 they apply their understanding of addition and subtraction to rational numbers
3. Explain to parents that rational numbers are any number that can be expressed as a fraction.
Share with parents that if they want to learn more about the standards go to
www. flstandards.org
5. Spend about 2 minutes about the slide.
Copyright 2009

4. What is this student’s misconception?
Common Misconception with Adding and Subtracting Fractions with unlike denominators
Scott ate of a pizza. Darrell ate of a pizza. How much did they eat combined?
Many students might answer this by saying the total combined pizza is
What is this student’s misconception?
Critical Point: Many grade 5 students in HCPS add the numerators and denominators with unlike denominators thinking of the top and bottom values as whole numbers.
Step By Step Directions:
Click once to reveal how some students might answer this question.
Click a second time to reveal the question about what is this student’s misconception.
Engage your parents in a discussion about what these students are not understanding in regards to adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, possible answers could include: (not understanding that a fraction is a ratio of parts to whole, not understanding that the denominator represents how many parts to make a whole, student sees the denominator as a whole number)
Share with parents that you will be engaging them in a task that will support their child in clarifying this misconception.
Spend about 3 minutes on this slide.
Copyright 2009

5. Counting with Fractional Parts
1 whole
Find the piece that
represents the whole.
Take out two fourths.
Let’s count them out to know we have two pieces:
One fourth, two fourths
If we added two more fourths…how much do we
have now?
Which number is counting?
Which number tells what is being counted?
1 fourth
2 fourths
3 fourths
4 fourths
2 4
2 4
4 4 = +
Critical Point: Understanding what the numerator and denominator represent and how they relate to each other.
Step by Step Directions:
Facilitate this slide by clicking through the animations.
Facilitate discussion with the last two questions, these questions address the critical point of this slide.
Which Number is Counting? (It is the top number, it is the idea that I’m counting two things that are fourths)
Which Number tells what is being counted? (It is the bottom number, I’m only counting fourths)
This slide should take about 5 minutes.

6. Counting with Fractional Parts
Let’s try this again
Find the piece that represents a whole cut into eight equal parts.
What do we call this piece?
What is the sum of ? What is the difference?
Which number is counting?
Which number tells what is being
counted?
Critical Point: Applying their understanding of what the numerator and denominator represents when adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.
Disclaimer: When preparing the bags of fraction tiles for this training make sure you have two sets of eighths or 16 eighths so that your parents can make fractions greater than one.
Step by Step Directions:
Facilitate the slide by clicking through the animations.
Debrief the last two questions on the slide.
Facilitate a quick discussion about What number is counting? (I’m counting one eighth, two eighths, three eighths, etc. If I ate twelve eighths brownies, this means I ate 12 – one eighth size brownie pieces)
Facilitate a quick discussion about Which number is being counted? (Only counted eighths, you can think of this as the unit that was counted)
This slide should take about 3 minutes.

7. The Dangerous Rush to Rules
If students have a good foundation with fraction concepts, they should be able to add or subtract like fractions immediately. Students that are not confident solving problems such as + almost certainly do not have good fraction concepts and will be lost in any further development. The idea that the top number counts and the bottom number tells what is counted makes addition and subtraction of like fractions the same as adding and subtracting whole numbers. John A. Van de Walle
Critical Point: Teachers need to verify that their students have a conceptual understanding of fractions prior to teaching addition and subtraction of fractions. Otherwise, they will be lost in any further development of fraction concepts. Skipping or rushing through the conceptual development of addition/subtraction of fractions will set students up for difficult challenges with further learning.
Step by Step Directions:
Share and discuss the quote by Van de Walle.
The last portion of the quote comparing addition and subtraction of fractions to addition of whole numbers, is saying for example that if I have 2 apples + 3 apples= 5 apples, the 5 is what is counting and the apples are what is being counted as well as adding 3 fourths + 2 fourths = 5 fourths, the 5 is what is counting and the fourths are what is being counted.
Spend about 2 minutes on this slide.

8. Class Garden
The class is creating a garden. They are trying to decide what portions should be used for flowers and vegetables. Darrell wants to use one third of the garden for tomatoes. Shanna’s plan uses four twelfths of the garden for sunflowers. Scott’s would like two sixths of the area sectioned off for carrots. Their teacher Mrs. Fritz explained that they were all using equal portions of the garden.
Critical Point: Develop understanding of determining equivalent fractions and to solve fraction problems with unlike denominators
Step by Step Directions:
Engage parents in solving the problem on the slide.
Click once to remind parents to use the materials that they have to solve the problem.
Remind parents to use their materials at their tables, fraction tiles and grid paper (in the packet).
As you are walking around the classroom, ask parents questions such as:
How do the fraction tiles relate to the problem? (The whole represents the garden,
the thirds are Darrell’s, etc.)
How does their model on the grid paper relate to the problem? (I have a garden labeled showing the amount of tomatoes, sunflowers and carrots in each section of the garden.)
Select a parent that solved the problem using fraction tiles to prove that Mrs. Fritz is correct that each person used equal portions of the garden. (A parent that used the fraction tiles showing the equivalency of the fractions)
Select a parent that solved the problem using an area model to prove that Mrs. Fritz is correct that each person used equal portions of the garden. ( A parent that counted the squares for each section and determined that each section was the same area.)
Click a second time to reveal the question at the bottom of the slide.
Ask parents to solve the problem.
As you are walking around, look for parents that are able to see that the fractions are all equivalent (all equivalent to 1 third) based on the previous sharing and were able to add the two sections mentally and get 2 thirds.
Ask a parent to share that was able to solve the problem mentally, why did they not have to find the LCM (Least Common Multiple) to solve. Answer such as: I knew all the areas were equal based on the grid paper and the fraction tiles so I knew all three fractions were 1 third of the garden, therefore they used 2 thirds total of the garden.
This slide should take about 10 minutes.
Use your materials to either prove or disprove what
Mrs. Fritz said.
What fraction of the garden are Darrell and Scott using combined?

9. In order to make sixths out of the thirds, we cut each piece in 2.
They do not have a common sized piece, or common unit.
This made the 1 third we had 2 pieces, and
Darrell’s Section
1 3
2 6 X2 x2 =
What other equal sized pieces could I split Darrell’s third into?
The 3 thirds became 6 total pieces.
3rd’s ,
6th’s ,
9th’s ,
12th’s
What other equal sized pieces could I split Scott’s sixth into?
So now we can easily add our common sized units.
𝟐 𝟔 𝟐 𝟔 = 𝟒 𝟔
Of the Garden
6th’s,
12th’s,
18th’s,
24th’s,
Scott’s Section
Critical Point: How to conceptually determine the Least Common Denominator using the area model from the previous slide’s problem.
Step by Step Directions:
1. Explain to the parent’s that the 2 models represent Scott and Darrell’s respective sections of the same garden from the previous slide.
2. Click once and explain to the parents that there isn’t a common unit to add in this problem.
3. Click a second time to highlight the different sized units. We have thirds and sixths, it would be like adding centimeters and inches, we need to find a common unit in order to add them..
4. The fourth Click reveals the first question. Explain that we need to have a common unit, or common sized piece in order to precisely add these two values. Ask the parents:
how we could split the thirds into smaller equal sized pieces?
What would these new units be?
(If they have trouble seeing a way Click once more to show that if we cut each of the thirds into 2 equal pieces we now have sixths.)
5. After the parents have been allowed to share different units that can be cut from the thirds, Click 3 more times to show how you could create 6ths, 9ths, and 12ths from the thirds.(remind the parents that we are splitting the third each time.)
6. Click again, to reveal the question about Scott’s model. Ask the parents how they could split each of the sixths in Scott’s model into smaller equal sized units.
7. Click 3 more times to reveal that we could create 12ths, 18ths, and 24ths, etc.
8. After sharing the possible equivalent units for the sixths, Click to reveal a question for the participants to reflect on. Ask the parents to look at the list of different equal sized equivalent units in red that we discovered for both the thirds and sixths. You want to help the parents to see that they are skip counting, or listing multiples of 3 and 6.
9. Click next to display the question “Is there now common unit, that can be created from both thirds and sixths, that we can use to add them?”
Parents should be able to look at the list of multiples that we created and identify common multiples. (ie. 6ths, 12ths, and some parents may realize that you could make 18ths or 24ths from each.)
10. Explain that the least of the common multiple or Least Common Denominator is 6ths. Click once more to reveal this.
11. Click to activate the pop up explaining how to use the Least Common Denominator to create the common unit of sixths from thirds.
Click on the pop to reveal how to first convert the numerator or number of pieces.
Click again on the pop up to show how the denominator or type of piece is converted.
12. The final click will Display a pop up to summarize the slide. Parents should now be able to see that once we have a common sized unit, 6ths, we can add 2 sixths and 2 sixths to get 4 sixths, which could be simplified to 2 thirds.
13. Spend about 10 minutes on this slide.
What do you notice about all of the 3rd’s?
The 6th ‘s ?
Which is equal to
Is there a common sized piece or unit that you can use to add theses fractions with unlike denominators?

10. Going for a Walk…
Morgan walked miles on Monday and mile on Tuesday. What is the combined distance that Morgan walked both days?
How much further did Morgan walk on Tuesday?
Critical Point: Participants apply their understanding of connecting area models to finding a least common multiple to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
Step By Step Directions:
Engage your parents in solving the problem.
Remind them to solve the problem using two different strategies, for example using an area model and the standard algorithm, which means finding the least common multiple to find the least common denominator.
As parents are solving the problem, ask probing questions such as:
How does the area model relate to the problem? (Probe parents to label the pictures)
How does your area model connect to finding the least common multiple to make common denominators?
Select two parents, one to share their area model and one to share finding the least common multiple to
make the least common denominator.
Ask, how does the area model relate to the standard algorithm? (finding the least common multiple to make
the least common denominator)
Click to reveal an example of an area model strategy and finding the least common multiple strategy.
Ask your parents how are the two strategies related? (This can be a summary of earlier discussion.)
This slide should take about 7 minutes.
Solve the problem using two different strategies.

11. Take it Home and Try It! DO TRY THIS AT HOME!
Warning: Implementing this engaging activity will result in an increase in motivation and long-lasting learning.
Task 1: Work with your child at home to solve
real world situations.
Suppose that you are cooking and wanted to create 2 dishes that each called for a fractional amount of the same ingredient. Have your child do the math to determine how much of that ingredient you would need.
Task 2: Fraction Action! card game.
Add fraction cards to score more points than your opponent.
Critical Point: Parents leave the training with two activities that support their fifth grader in adding
and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
Step by Step Directions:
Click to share that parents are going to be receiving two activities to support their child’s understanding of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
Click to reveal three recipes that you can use to model task 1.
For example, you could ask your child how much total flour would it take to make all 3 recipes? (for addition of fractions with unlike denominators), or If I start with cups of flour set out, how much will be left after making all three recipes? ( for subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators)
Continue clicking through all the animations.
Share with parents that they are going to play the fraction card game on the next slide.
This slide should take about 2 minutes.
Copyright 2009

12. Fraction Action! Shuffle the Fraction Cards.
5 8
1 2
1 4
2 5
2 3
1 8
3 4
1 8
Game Directions:
Shuffle the Fraction Cards.
Deal 6 cards to each player, and give them a sheet of paper and a pencil for calculations.
The rest of the cards will be placed face down in a ‘Draw From’ pile between the two players. Flip the top card on the ‘Draw From’ pile face up to create a Discard pile next to it.
Each Turn the player takes 2 cards from either the Draw from Pile, Discard pile, or one from each.
The player then tries to make a set, or group of cards that adds up to one whole. For example: = 1
If they cannot make a set, they have to discard one card into the discard pile, face up.
Once a Set is made or a card is place on the Discard Pile the players turn is over.
Any sets that they make can be put to the side, face-up, for 1 point each set. They player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
5 6
Draw From
Pile
Discard
Pile
Critical Point: This slide will give the parents an opportunity to play and understand the game, Fraction Action, that we are providing them with to practice with their child.
Step by Step Directions:
Hand out a pre-cut set of cards from the packet to each parent and explain that a copy of the cards for this game is in their packet.
Click through the directions and animation to explain how to play the game to the parents.
Allow the parents an opportunity to play the game with those around them.
Answer any questions that may arise about the game and how it supports adding fractions with unlike denominators.
5. Spend about 7 minutes on this slide.

13. Things to remember about Adding and Subtracting Fractions with unlike Denominators:
How did this session help you in supporting your child’s understanding of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators?
Why do you think it’s important for your child to NOT rush to memorizing procedures for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators without understanding?
Conceptual understanding of what a fraction is must occur before teaching operations with fractions.
Teaching students how to find common denominators using models is critical before moving to procedures.
Your children may progress at different rates of mastery with fractions, please allow them to use models to build their understanding.
Critical Point: Building content knowledge for parents on Adding and Subtracting Fractions with
unlike Denominators.
Step By Step Directions:
Click through each of the three bullets and read the information on the slide. Answer any
questions that your parents may have.
Click a fourth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the question. (Answers should include: students need to make sense of why you need to find common denominators (such as finding a common size piece) and relate concrete strategies such as using area models to find the least common multiple to procedures such as multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number.
Click a fifth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the questions. Answers will vary.
4. This slide should take about 5 minutes.
Copyright 2009