Decimals lesson plan

Grade/Class/Year: Grade 6 Date: 23rd March 2017

Curriculum Area/s: Strand/ Sub Strand:

Mathematics Fractions and Decimals

Where are they now?

Curriculum descriptor/s:

Add and subtract decimals, with and without digital technologies, and use estimation and rounding to check the
reasonableness of answers (VCMNA214)

Prior Knowledge/ Learning:

Useful skills for this topic:

An understanding of the base-10 system of hundreds, tens and ones

An understanding of decimal numbers including tenths, hundredths and thousandths
Knowledge of fractions being part of a whole
Using number lines to represent numbers including fractions and mixed numbers

Where to next?
Learning Intentions/ Outcomes:
Throughout this lesson the students will gain a deeper understanding of adding and subtracting decimal
numbers, as well as developing their ability to work with other students in the classroom. The students will be
learning how to relate decimals to time, in particular to seconds.

Success Criteria/ Indicators:

The students will be able to add and subtract decimals, with and without digital technologies, and use
estimation and rounding to check the reasonableness of answers
Students will be able to work cooperatively in teams
Students will be able to point out the fastest and the slowest times

Key Vocabulary/ Metalanguage: add, subtract, time, decimal, tenths, hundredths, whole numbers.

Group Structure: Whole class: group discussion and explanation. Pairs: 10-second dash activity. Group work:
students who need extra assistance will work in a group with the teacher. Individual: students will work on the
questions individually.

Notes for inclusive practice: In terms of differentiating the learning for the students in the class who need a
little more assistance, I would place those students in a group together and we would complete the activity as a
small group. During this time, I would make sure to focus on areas in which the students do not understand, in
order to assist them to further develop their understanding. For the students who are quick to finish the task,
they will be set a further task to further enhance their learning and understanding. These tasks may include
ordering the decimal numbers or even creating a short story using the decimal numbers as times in the story.
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For example: at 8.05am in the morning, I woke up and got ready to go to school. It took me 7.89 seconds to
make my breakfast, 10.86 seconds to lace my shoes up and I then drove 8.97km to get to school.

How? Lesson Sequence

Warm-Up/ Engage:

Jen will begin the lesson with a whole class introduction to decimals.

The students will then be split into 4 groups in correspondence with the 4 year levels that we are focusing on
(grade 3,4,5 and 6). Each member of the group will teach a different group of students as if they are either
grade 3,4,5 or 6 students.

Time Allocation: 2 minutes

Whole Class Experience/ Explain:

Once the students have been separated into grade levels, I will begin treating the students as if they are grade
6 students.

I will begin by explaining that the students in this group are more developed in their knowledge of decimals and
that today they are focusing on addition and subtraction of decimals, as well as ordering decimal numbers.

Explain the activity:

Today we are going to work with decimal numbers in relation to time seconds.
In order to get some times to work with, we will be participating in an activity that I have called the 10-second
dash. The aim of the activity is to try and reach one point of the classroom to the other in what you think is
exactly 10 seconds. It is not a race. You should aim to get there in exactly 10 seconds. I want you to time your
partner and then round it up to the nearest thousandth of a second. We will then use these times to order the
decimal numbers, as well as:
Add you and your partners times together.
Subtract the quickest time from the slowest time.
Make a short sentence using the decimal times for example at 8.05am in the morning, I woke up and
got ready to go to school. It took me 7.89 seconds to make my breakfast, 10.86 seconds to lace my
shoes up and I then drove 8.97km to get to school.

I will ask the students to find a partner to work with during this activity.
1 student will time and the other will walk, they will then switch.
The students will work with their partner to time and record their 10-second dash.
Once all of the students have completed the dash, they should return to the group to discuss the results.
The teacher will ask questions such as:
Who was the closest to 10 seconds?
Who was the furthest from 10 seconds?
What strategies did you use to get that close?
What would you have done next time?
How many tenths of a second did you get?
How many hundredths of a second?
Get the students to record their time on a piece of paper.
Ask the students to hold their piece of paper in front of them and to work as a group to order themselves from
quickest to slowest time.
Ask the students to answer the following questions on a piece of paper in their books individually.

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 Time Allocation: 8 minutes

Independent activity: For the students who are Teacher Group: I would place those students in a group
quick to finish the task, they will be set a further together and we would complete the activity as a small
task to further enhance their learning and group. During this time, I would make sure to focus on
understanding. These tasks may include ordering areas in which the students do not understand, in order
the decimal numbers or even creating a short story to assist them to further develop their understanding.
using the decimal numbers as times in the story.
For example: at 8.05am in the morning, I woke up
and got ready to go to school. It took me 7.89
seconds to make my breakfast, 10.86 seconds to
lace my shoes up and I then drove 8.97km to get to
school.

Reflection/ Evaluate/ Elaborate:

Group feedback at the end of the presentation:

Time Allocation: 10 minutes

Other Resources
Materials, Resources and Equipment:

Device for timing phones, stop watch etc.

Pens
Pencils
Paper

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