Lots of fun was had during my Benchmark Fractions mini-unit, which included a number line modelling activity, a digital sort, a think-pair-share whiteboard activity, flashcards, and a game–all intended to prepare students for the more advanced and challenging fraction work ahead.
Students were introduced to, and worked toward mastery of, estimating and comparing fractions using benchmarks (a known size or amount that helps us understand a different size or amount). The “Benchmark Strategy” is extremely useful for estimating and comparing fractions that have different numerators and denominators because it eliminates the need to find a common denominator and multiply (which can be challenging for learners at this age and stage of learning).
Here, students were encouraged to use models and visual aids (area models, fraction strips, or a number line) to estimate & compare fractions using benchmarks (zero, half, and a whole).
If you are interested in borrowing this mini-unit, feel free to check it out here:
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