options: Operations & Algebra: students learn to solve problems using algebraic thinking and operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They may learn to identify and explain arithmetic patterns, evaluate or manipulate numerical expressions, and reason with equations and inequalities.

Geometry: students learn to classify geometric figures by their properties, and understand and compare the relationships between them. Students develop and use formulas to compute lengths, areas, and volumes, and they use transformations to generate new shapes and compare existing ones. Geometry can be studied with and without coordinates.

Number Systems and Quantity: students learn to understand the complex number system and reason quantitatively.

Ratios & Proportional Relationships: students learn to recognize, describe, represent, and reason with ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and percent.

Statistics & Probability: students learn to analyze and produce data distributions, and build understanding of univariate and bivariate data. They learn to interpret data, make statistical inferences, justify conclusions, understand rules of probability, and use probability to make decisions.

Functions: students learn to define, use, and evaluate functions to model relationships between quantities.

Number & Operations - Fractions: students learn to understand fractions as numbers and may work with them using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Measurement & Data: students learn to work with data and measure attributes such as time, money, length, area, and volume. They may learn to compare measurements to operations and convert between different units of measure.

Counting & Cardinality: students learn to know number names and the count sequence, count to tell the number of objects, and compare numbers.

Number & Operations in Base Ten: students learn to work with the base-ten system and build place value understanding.

Modeling: students learn to choose and use appropriate mathematics and statistics to analyze real-world empirical situations, improve decisions, and report on their conclusions and the reasoning behind them.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this activity is for students to measure lengths using a ruler that is marked with half inches and quarter inches. Building on their understanding of equivalent fractions, students recognize that lengths that line up with a half-inch mark can be read as one-half of an inch or two-fourths of an inch. They also recognize that lengths that are whole numbers of inches can be expressed as fractions.
MLR8 Discussion Supports.
Synthesis: Provide students with the opportunity to rehearse what they will say with a partner before they share with the whole class.
Advances: Speaking
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Materials from a previous activity
Rulers (inches)
Required Preparation
Each student needs a ruler marked with half inches and quarter inches from the warm-up.
Launch
Groups of 2
Display the problem.
“Think about how Kiran and Jada record the length of the worm. Use the ruler to explain how both of their measurements make sense.”
1 minute: quiet think time
2–3 minutes: partner discussion
Monitor for students that say they both make sense because
\(4\frac{1}{2}\)
is equivalent to
\(4\frac{2}{4}\)
and select them to share their responses.
Make sure each student has a ruler marked with half inches and quarter inches from the previous activity.
Activity
“Now, work with your partner to measure the length of some worms. Some lengths can be recorded in more than one way. Be ready to explain how you recorded each length.”
3–5 minutes: partner work time
Student Facing
Kiran and Jada are discussing the length of a worm.
[IMG]
[IMG]
Kiran says that the worm is
\(4\frac{2}{4}\)
inches long.
Jada says that the worm is
\(4\frac{1}{2}\)
inches long.
Use the ruler to explain how both of their measurements are correct.
Measure the length of the following worms.
A
[IMG]
B
[IMG]
C
[IMG]
D
[IMG]
Student Response
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Advancing Student Thinking
If students start measuring from the edge of their ruler instead of from 0, consider asking:
“In the image for the first problem, how is the ruler lined up to the worm?”
“Why does it make sense to not line up the left end of the ruler with the left end of the worm?”
Activity Synthesis
Invite students to share how they recorded their measurements and why they chose to record them in the way they did.
“Let’s think more about the first worm you measured. What are all the ways that we could record its length?” (4 inches.
\(\frac{8}{2}\)
inches.
\(\frac{16}{4}\)
inches.)
“What are all the ways that we could record the length of the last worm?” (
\(3\frac{1}{2}\)
inches.
\(3\frac{2}{4}\)
inches.
\(\frac{7}{2}\)
inches.
\(\frac{14}{4}\)
inches.)
“We can use different numbers to describe the same length because the numbers are equivalent.”


correct_option_index: 6

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