Teacher guide reSolve: Lamingtons

TLF ID M025815

This sequence of three lessons explores the mathematical idea that fractions represent division. In the first lesson, students are invited to solve a problem involving fair sharing of different plates of lamingtons. Students explore how the denominator represents how many shares and the numerator represents the number being shared. In subsequent lessons, students use unit fractions to compare quantities and further extend the sharing of different numbers of lamingtons across different sized groups. Each lesson is outlined in detail including curriculum links, vocabulary, materials needed, sample answers, discussion points and student resources. This sequence is part of the reSolve: Maths by Inquiry program.





Educational details

Educational value
  • This resource is extremely valuable for the year 5 mathematics content description about comparing and ordering unit fractions. In particular, the first lesson invites students to investigate the Egyptian method of solving fraction problems using only unit fractions.
  • This resource is also extremely valuable for the year 5 mathematics content description about investigating strategies to solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator. Students are engaged in devising their own strategies to share their lamingtons fairly among different sized groups, which involves deciding on useful denominators, and addition and subtraction of fractions.
  • The resource is also valuable for supporting the Numeracy general capability. The lesson provides multiple opportunities for students interpret and apply proportional reasoning in a problem solving context.
  • This resource is also of pedagogical value as it supports teachers in building an inquiry-focused learning environment with authentic application of mathematical skills and understandings. The unit aims to develop content knowledge as well as assisting students to understand the process of inquiry.
Year level

5

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: Australian Government Department of Education and Training
  • Organization: Australian Government Department of Education and Training
  • Publisher
  • Name: Australian Academy of Science
  • Organization: Australian Academy of Science
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: https://www.science.org.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Unknown
Learning Resource Type
  • Online
Rights
  • © Australian Government Department of Education and Training 2017. Unless otherwise indicated, this material may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.