Decimals and Percentages - Decimals as Fractions (1) - Planning

In a Year 5 mathematics lesson centred around the concept of 'Decimals as Fractions', students are encouraged to delve into the interconnection between decimals and their equivalent fractional forms. The lesson starts with a review of prior learning and swiftly progresses to hands-on activities where students utilise visual aids such as grids and bead strings to better understand how decimals can be expressed as fractions. The initial activity requires students to examine a visual representation and discuss the decimal depicted, which they learn to write as a fraction by identifying the numerator and denominator based on the place value of the decimal. For example, three hundredths is written as 0.03 in decimal form and as 3/100 in fractional form.

Further activities involve group work, where students engage with teaching slides to apply reasoning in converting between decimals and fractions. They are also provided with differentiated worksheets to practice fluency and problem-solving independently. Key questions prompt students to think about the relationship between the whole grid and its parts, the conversion process from fractions to decimals, and the significance of the decimal point. The lesson aims to clear up common misconceptions, reinforcing the understanding that ten tenths make a whole and ten hundredths make one tenth. A reflective 'Give me five' session concludes the lesson, where students affirm their learning, identify the skills they used and the challenges they faced, and make a commitment to remember the equivalence between decimals and fractions. Differentiated learning outcomes are outlined for students working towards, at, and at greater depth, each with tailored activities to consolidate their understanding of the relationship between fractions and decimals.