Fifth Grade Unit 5 Mathematics

Dear Parents,
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), also known in Georgia as the Common Core
Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS), present a balanced approach to mathematics that
stresses understanding, fluency, and real world application equally. Know that your child is not
learning math the way many of us did in school, so hopefully being more informed about this
curriculum will assist you when you help your child at home.
Below you will find the standards from Unit Five in bold print and underlined. Following each
standard is an explanation with student examples. Please contact your childs teacher if you have
any questions.
NF.1 Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by
replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an
equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators.
This standard builds on the work in 4th grade where students add and subtract fractions with like
denominators. In 5th grade, students will work with adding and subtracting fractions with unlike
denominators. For 1/3 + 1/6, a common denominator is 18, which is the product of 3 and 6.
Although this is not the least common denominator, 5th graders learn that multiplying the
denominators given will always give a common denominator. This process should be introduced
using visual fraction models (area models, number lines, etc.) to build understanding before
moving into the standard algorithm.
Students should apply their understanding of equivalent fractions and their ability to rewrite
fractions in an equivalent form to find the sum or difference with unlike denominators. They
should be reminded that multiplying the denominators will always give a common denominator
but may not result in the smallest common denominator.
Example:

2 3 16 15 31

5 8 40 40 40
NF.2 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the
same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or
equations to represent the problem. Use benchmark fractions and number sense of
fractions to estimate mentally and assess the reasonableness of answers
This standard refers to number sense, which means students understanding of fractions as
numbers that lie between whole numbers on a number line. Number sense in fractions also
includes moving between decimals and fractions to find equivalents. Students should also be
able to use reasoning when comparing fractions (i.e., 7/8 is greater than 3/4 because 7/8 is missing
only 1/8 of a whole and 3/4 is missing of a whole, so 7/8 is closer to a whole and therefore
greater). Also, students should use benchmark fractions to estimate and examine the
reasonableness of their answers. An example of using a benchmark fraction is illustrated with
comparing 5/8 and 6/10. Students should recognize that 5/8 is 1/8 larger than 1/2 (since 1/2 = 4/8) and
6
/10 is 1/10 larger than 1/2 (since 1/2 = 5/10).

Example:
Your teacher gave you 1/7 of a bag of candy. She also gave your friend 1/3 of the same bag
of candy. If you and your friend combined your candy, what fraction of the bag would
you have? Estimate your answer and then calculate. How reasonable was your estimate?
Student 1
1

/7 is really close to 0. 1/3 is larger than 1/7 but still less than 1/2. If we put them together we
might get close to 1/2.
1

/7 + 1/3 = 3/21 + 7/21 = 10/21

The fraction 10/21 does not simplify, but I know that 10 is half of 20, so 10/21 is a little less
than 1/2.

Student 2
1
1

/7 is close to 1/6 but less than 1/6. 1/3 is equivalent to 2/6. So 1/7 + 1/3 is a little less than 3/6 or
/2.
Example:
Jerry was making two different types of cookies. One recipe needed 3/4 cup of sugar
and the other needed 2/3 cup of sugar. How much sugar did he need to make both
recipes?
Mental estimation: A student may say that Jerry needs more than 1 cup of sugar but less
than 2 cups. An explanation may be to compare both fractions to 1/2 and state that both
are larger than 1/2 so the total must be more than 1. In addition, both fractions are
slightly less than 1 so the sum cannot be more than 2.
Area model

Linear model

Solution:

3 2 8
9 17
5

1
4 3 12 12 12
12
Estimation skills include identifying when an estimation is appropriate, determining the
level of accuracy needed, selecting the appropriate method of estimation, and verifying
solutions or determining the reasonableness of situations using various estimation
strategies. Estimation strategies for calculations with fractions extend from students
work with whole number operations and can be supported through the use of physical
models.
Example:
Elli drank 3/5 quart of milk and Javier drank 1/10 of a quart less than Ellie. How
much milk did they drink all together?
Solution:
Elli:

3
5

Javier:

3 1
6 1
5

5 10 10 10 10

Total:

3 5
6
5 11

5 10 10 10 10

This solution is reasonable because Ellie drank more than 1/2 quart and Javier drank 1/2
quart, so together they drank slightly more than one quart.
NF.3 Interpret a fraction as division of the numerator by the denominator (a/b = a b).
Solve word problems involving division of whole numbers leading to answers in the form of
fractions or mixed numbers, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent
the problem
This standard calls for students to extend their work of partitioning a number line from third and
fourth grade. Students need ample experiences to explore the concept that a fraction is a way to
represent the division of two quantities. Students are expected to demonstrate their understanding
using concrete materials, drawing models, and explaining their thinking when working with
fractions in multiple contexts. They read 3/5 as three-fifths and after many experiences with
sharing problems, learn that 3/5 can also be interpreted as 3 divided by 5.
Examples:
1. Ten team members are sharing 3 boxes of cookies. How much of a box will
each student get?
When working this problem, a student should recognize that the 3 boxes are
being divided into 10 groups, so s/he is seeing the solution to the following
equation: 10 n = 3 (10 groups of some amount is 3 boxes) which can also be
written as n = 3 10. Using models or a diagram, they divide each box into 10
groups, resulting in each team member getting 3/10 of a box.

2. Your teacher gives 7 packs of paper to a group of 4 students. If the students

share the paper equally, how much paper does each student get?

Each student receives 1 whole pack of paper and 1/4 of each of the other 3
packs of paper. So each student gets 1 3/4 packs of paper.
NF.4 Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication to multiply a fraction or
whole number by a fraction.
a. Interpret the product (a/b) q as a parts of a partition of q into b equal parts;
equivalently, as the result of a sequence of operations a q b.
Students need to develop a fundamental understanding that the multiplication of a fraction by a
whole number could be represented as repeated addition of a unit fraction (e.g., 2 (1/4) = 1/4 +
1
/4). This standard extends students work of multiplication from earlier grades. In 4th grade,
students worked with recognizing that a fraction such as 3/5 actually could be represented as 3
pieces that are each one-fifth (3 1/5). This standard references both the multiplication of a
fraction by a whole number and the multiplication of two fractions.
Visual fraction models (area models, tape diagrams, number lines) should be used and created by
students during their work with this standard. As they multiply fractions such as 6 x 3/5, they can
think of the operation in more than one way. One way might be:

3 (6 3) 18
3

3
5
5
5
5
3
Students create a story problem for 6 x /5 such as:
Isabel had 6 feet of wrapping paper. She used 3/5 of the paper to wrap some presents.
How much does she have left?
Every day Tim ran 3/5 of mile. How far did he run after 6 days?
6

b. Find the area of a rectangle with fractional side lengths by tiling it with unit squares of
the appropriate unit fraction side lengths, and show that the area is the same as would be
found by multiplying the side lengths. Multiply fractional side lengths to find areas of
rectangles, and represent fraction products as rectangular areas.
This standard extends students work with area. In third grade, students determine the area of
rectangles and composite rectangles. In fourth grade, students continue this work. The fifth grade
standard calls students to continue that modeling using fractional lengths.
Example:
A class is made up of three-fourths boys. Two-thirds of the boys are wearing tennis
shoes. What fraction of the class are boys wearing tennis shoes?
This question is asking what is 2/3 of 3/4 or what is 2/3 ? In this case you have 2/3
groups of 3/4.

Boys

Boys wearing tennis shoes = the class

Student:
I drew a rectangle to represent the whole class. The four columns represent the fourths of a
class. I shaded 3 columns to represent the fraction that are boys. I then split the rectangle with
horizontal lines into thirds.
The dark area represents the fraction of the boys in the class wearing tennis shoes, which is 6
out of 12. That is 6/12, which equals 1/2.

NF.5 Interpret multiplication as scaling (resizing), by:

a. Comparing the size of a product to the size of one factor on the basis of the size of the
other factor, without performing the indicated multiplication
This standard calls for students to examine the magnitude of products in terms of the relationship
between two situations.
Example 1:
Mrs. Jones teaches in a room that is 60 feet
wide and 40 feet long. Mr. Thomas teaches
in a room that is half as wide, but has the
same length. How do the dimensions and
area of Mr. Thomas classroom compare to
Mrs. Jones room? Draw a picture to prove
your answer.

Example 2:
How does the product of 225 60 compare
to the product of 225 30? How do you
know? Since 30 is half of 60, the product of
225 60 will be double or twice as large as
the product of 225 30.

b. Explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction greater than 1 results in a

product greater than the given number (recognizing multiplication by whole numbers
greater than 1 as a familiar case); explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction
less than 1 results in a product smaller than the given number; and relating the principle of
fraction equivalence a/b = (n a)/(n b) to the effect of multiplying a/b by 1
This standard asks students to examine how numbers change when we multiply by fractions.
Students should have ample opportunities to examine both cases in the standard:
a) when multiplying by a fraction greater than one, the product increases
b) when multiplying by a fraction less the one, the product decreases.
Example:
3 x 2 will be greater than 3, since we are multiplying by a fraction greater than 1

7
3 x will be less than 3, since we are multiplying by a fraction less than 1.

NF.6 Solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers,
e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem.
This standard builds on all of the work done in this cluster. Students should be given ample
opportunities to use various strategies to solve word problems involving the multiplication of a
fraction by a mixed number. This standard could include fraction by a fraction, fraction by a
mixed number, or mixed number by a mixed number.
Example:
Evan bought 6 roses for his mother. 2/3 of them were red. How many red roses were
there?

Student 1:
I divided the 6 roses into 3 equal groups.
Then I counted how many roses were in 2 of
the 3 groups. There are 4 red roses.
X

Student 2:
I used an equation to solve the problem. If
there were 6 roses and 2/3 of them were red,
I need to multiply 6 x 2/3 = 12/3= 4. There
were 4 red roses.

NF.7 Apply and extend previous understandings of division to divide unit fractions, by
whole numbers and whole numbers by unit fractions
When students begin to work on this standard, it is the first time they are dividing with fractions.
In 4th grade students divided whole numbers and multiplied a whole number by a fraction. The
concept unit fraction is a fraction that has a one as a numerator. For example, the fraction 3/5 is 3
copies of the unit fraction 1/5 ( 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 = 3/5 )
Examples:
Four students sitting at a table were given 1/3 of a pan of
brownies to share. How much of the whole pan of brownies
will each student get if they share it equally?
The diagram shows the 1/3 pan of brownies divided into 4 equal shares
with each share equaling 1/12 of the pan. 1/3 4 = 1/12
A piece of wood is 4 feet long. It needs to be cut into pieces
that are 1/3 foot long. How many pieces of wood can be cut?

4 feet

The diagram shows the 4 feet of wood divided into 1/3 foot equal parts. The board can
be cut into 12 equal pieces. 4 1/3 = 12

a. Interpret division of a unit fraction by a non-zero whole number, and compute such
quotients. For example, create a story context for (1/3) 4, and use a visual fraction model to
show the quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that
(1/3) 4 = 1/12 because (1/12) 4 = 1/3.
This standard asks students to work with story contexts where a unit fraction is divided by a nonzero whole number. Students should use various fraction models and reasoning about fractions.
Example:
You have 1/4 of a bag of peanuts and you need to share that part of the bag among 3
people. How much of the whole bag does each person get?
Whole Bag of Peanuts

1/4 Bag of Peanuts

When bag of peanuts is shared with 3 people, each person will receive 1/12 of the
whole bag. 3 = 1/12

b. Interpret division of a whole number by a unit fraction, and compute such quotients.
For example, create a story context for 4 (1/5), and use a visual fraction model to show the
quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that 4 (1/5) =
20 because 20 (1/5) = 4.
This standard calls for students to create story contexts and visual fraction models for division
situations where a whole number is being divided by a unit fraction.
Example:
You have 2 cups of sugar. Each batch of cookies takes 1/3 cup of sugar. How many
batches of cookies can you make?
1/3 cup

1/3 cup

1/3 cup

1/3 cup

1/3 cup

1/3 cup

There are six 1/3 cups in 2 cups of sugar. 2 1/3 = 6

c. Solve real world problems involving division of unit fractions by non-zero whole
numbers and division of whole numbers by unit fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction
models and equations to represent the problem. For example, how much chocolate will each
person get if 3 people share lb of chocolate equally? How many 1/3-cup servings are 2 cups
of raisins?
Students will continue to model real world problems involving division of fractions by whole
numbers and whole numbers by fractions (see above examples).
MD.2 Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4,
1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information
presented in line plots. For example, given different measurements of liquid in identical
beakers, find the amount of liquid each beaker would contain if the total amount in all the
beakers were
This standard provides a context for students to work with fractions by measuring objects to oneeighth of a unit. This includes length, mass, and liquid volume. Students are making a line plot of
this data and then adding and subtracting fractions based on data in the line plot.
Example:
Students measured objects in their desk to the nearest 1/8 of an inch then displayed data
collected on a line plot. How many objects measured 1/4? 1/2? If you put all the objects
together end to end what would be the total length of all the objects?