Explore math themes and concepts with your students through the process of movement!

Embodying Math Concepts Fractions Parts of a Whole

Moving with Fractions

GRADE 4 Curriculum Guide Notes/Reflections:

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Curriculum guides provide differentiated ideas and activities aligned to a sampling of standards. The guides do not necessarily imply mastery of standards, but are intended to inspire and equip educators.

Idea Contributed by Whitney Jones

The students will use movement phrases to model common fractions and decimal fractions with like denominators. Students will compare the fraction of locomotor and non-locomotor movements in a movement phrase. Students will then create their own movement phrase and use fractions and decimals to describe their performance. Students will recognize that fractions are used in many aspects of our world including the arts. Essential Questions: What is a decimal fraction? How can I use movement to represent fractions? How can I convert fractions into decimals? How can I compare fractions and decimals using movement phrases? How can I use movement to represent addition of fractions and decimals? Process Use PowerPoint Moving with Fractions. Display a rectangle divided into tenths. The tenths are shaded red, white, and blue. The red tenths equal non-locomotor movement. The blue tenths equal locomotor movement. The white tenths equal holds in the movement phrase. Show examples and have students perform the examples with simple locomotor and non-locomotor movements. Ask the students for suggestions and use their suggested movements to perform the movement phrase. Discuss the fraction of non-locomotor movements and locomotor movements. Discuss the level and shape of the movements. Ask students to add the number of non-locomotor movements and locomotor movements to get the fraction of total movements during the phrase. Convert the fractions to decimals and add the two decimals. Compare the fractions of locomotor and non-locomotor movements using greater than, less than, and equal signs. Divide students in to groups. Use Moving with Fractions worksheet. The students will work with their group or partner to create and perform a simple movement phrase. All movement sequences will include 10 steps. Students will write the fractions and decimals that describe their movement phrase. The students will perform their movement phrase. Teach students how to keep a steady beat. Students can practice keeping a steady beat while each group performs. Additionally, the students watching will determine the fraction of locomotor and non-locomotor movements in the phrase. They will also describe the shapes and levels evident in the movement phrase. Assessment Students should accurately represent the fractions of movement in the

movement phrase they created. Students should accurately describe the movement phrases they see with

correct fractions. Students should accurately add the fraction of locomotor movement and

non-locomotor movement. Students should correctly compare the fraction of locomotor movement to

the fraction of non-locomotor movement.

Materials - PowerPoint- Moving with Fractions - Create a Fraction worksheet - xylophones or other instruments (optional) Vocabulary Movement phrase a series of movements linked together to make a distinctive pattern Non-locomotor This refers to a movement that does not travel through space. Locomotor This refers to a movement that travels through space. Steady beat An unchanging, continuous pulse Space An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway Level This is one of the aspects of the movement element space. In dance, there are 3 basic levels: high, middle, and low. Choreography The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers Choreographer A person who creates dances Shape This refers to an interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dance; the visual makeup or molding of the body parts of a single dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers. Fraction A numerical quantity that is not a whole number

Moving with Fractions

GRADE 4 Curriculum Guide

National Standards DANCE Standard 1: Identifying and demonstrating movement ele-ments and skills in performing dance Standard 2: Understanding choreographic principles, pro-cesses and structures Standard 4: Applying and demonstrating critical and crea-tive thinking skills in dance

Common Core Georgia Performance Standards MATHEMATICS GRADE 4 MCC4.NF.3: Understand a fraction a/b with a > 1 as a sum of fractions 1/b. a. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same whole. MCC4.NF.6: Use decimal notation for fractions with de-nominators

Georgia Performance Standards DANCE GRADE 4 D4FD.1: Technique - Identifies and demonstrates movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance D4FD.2: Understands and models dance etiquette as a classroom participant, performer, and observer D4CR.1: Demonstrates an understanding of creative and choreographic principles, processes, and structures