Fractions Made Fun

Lesson Overview

Duration: 40 minutes
Year Level: Year 7
Subject: Mathematics
Australian Curriculum Reference:
Number and Algebra – ACMNA153: Connect fractions, decimals and percentages and carry out simple conversions.
Number and Algebra – ACMNA155: Add and subtract fractions with related denominators.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators
• Understand how these apply in everyday contexts

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Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

✅ Convert simple and recurring fractions to decimals and percentages
✅ Add and subtract fractions with the same and different denominators
✅ Explain how each representation can be used in daily life situations (e.g. shopping, sports, cooking)

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Vocabulary (Dyslexia-Friendly)

Words are presented in bold and with spacing between letters to support learners with dyslexia.

• F r a c t i o n
• D e c i m a l
• P e r c e n t a g e
• D e n o m i n a t o r
• N u m e r a t o r
• E q u i v a l e n t

Tip: Use coloured overlays or cream paper for worksheets, and limit visual clutter.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Visual fraction tiles or fraction wall (printed or digital)
• Fraction dice or spinner
• Individual mini-whiteboard or paper for student
• Fractions to Decimals Flipcards
• Percentage conversion chart
• Optional: access to a calculator (for checking conversions)

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Lesson Breakdown

Warm-up – Fraction Action (5 mins)

A physical maths energiser to get thinking started.

• Teacher calls out a common fraction (e.g. ½, ¼, ¾)
• Student shows the corresponding decimal and percentage using whiteboard or cards
• Quick pace to build fluency
• Can be turned into a ‘flash card’ relay at the desk

🎯 Differentiation: Use colour-coded cards instead of writing for EAL/D or dyslexic learners.

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Explicit Teaching (10 mins)

1. Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages

• Use visual aids to show:
  • ½ = 0.5 = 50%
  • ¼ = 0.25 = 25%
  • Real-life context: 25% off a $10 item is the same as $2.50
• Demonstrate step-by-step how to divide numerator by denominator for decimals
• Multiply decimal by 100 to get percentage

2. Adding and Subtracting Fractions

• Start with like denominators (e.g. ⅙ + ⅚)
• Progress to unlike denominators (e.g. ⅓ + ¼):
  • Find equivalent fractions (common denominator)
  • Add/subtract numerators
  • Simplify when needed
• Use fraction wall and equivalent fraction charts as visual support

🎯 Differentiation:

• Use colour-coded fraction tiles for students who need concrete examples
• Pair verbal explanation with written and pictorial version
• Provide vocabulary anchor chart to refer to frequently

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Guided Practice – Real-Life Fractions (10 mins)

Scenario-Based Questions using visuals:

1. A pizza is cut into 8 slices. You eat 3. What fraction did you eat? What is that as a decimal? As a percentage?
2. Your water bottle is ¾ full. If you drink 1/4 of it, how much is left? (Subtracting fractions)

✔ Use whiteboards for fast engagement
✔ Encourage estimation before solving
✔ Use think-aloud strategy to model each step

🎯 Extension: Challenge advanced students to convert 2/7 into a recurring decimal and round to 2 decimal places.

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Independent Activity – 'Fraction Café' Menu (10 mins)

Task:
Student receives a themed menu with fractional quantities of ingredients used in meals (e.g. ⅓ cup of milk + ⅙ cup of sugar).
Tasks:

1. Add quantities together
2. Convert the total to decimal
3. Express the result as a percentage of 1 cup

👩‍🍳 Example:
Milkshake recipe – ⅓ cup berries + ⅙ cup yoghurt = ? total (fraction, decimal, percentage of 1 cup)

🎯 Differentiation:

• Provide scaffolded worksheet with prompts and visual templates
• Allow calculator support for decimal conversion if needed

🎯 Extension:

• Ask student to create their own recipe using at least 3 fractional ingredients and present results

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Plenary Reflection – Maths Mirror (5 mins)

Student writes or records answers to:

• "Today, I became better at..."
• "One new thing I learnt was..."
• "I can now use fractions to..."

✔ Oral option if writing is a challenge
✔ Encourage use of target vocabulary

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Assessment for Learning

• Observational assessment during guided and independent task
• Checklist to monitor:
  • Conversion accuracy
  • Use of appropriate strategies
  • Verbal explanations of thinking

✔ Use thumbs-up/side/down check-in mid-task to gauge understanding

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Extension Activities (Homework or Free Choice)

• Create a "Fractions in My World" photo collage where student finds real-life objects showing fractions (e.g. half-eaten sandwich) and labels it with fraction, decimal and percentage
• Digital scavenger hunt: Match real-world scenarios with correct conversions
• Problem-solving worksheet with open-ended questions e.g. “Design a fruit salad where at least 40% is strawberries”

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Cross-Curricular Links

Health & PE – nutritional labels and percentages of daily intake
Technology – interpreting data in fractional form
Arts – fractions in rhythm and musical notation

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Final Notes for Teachers

• Make learning tangible. Use food, art, and physical movement when teaching maths.
• Encourage exploratory talk – framing maths as a language supports literacy learners.
• Always provide success-based feedback – highlight each student's progress in fluency and reasoning.

⭐ Revisit this topic in future lessons using sport statistics (e.g. shooting accuracy in basketball) to reinforce percent and fraction use.

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Keep Maths Visual. Keep Maths Real.