On the Trails

Have you ever looked at the flags of the world and thought about a fraction lesson. Well, a fourth grade teacher that I work with had. She was looking for a way for the kids to demonstrate their knowledge of fractions. So we came up with the following lesson.

Resources:

• wireless computer lab (OLPC)
• Windows Movie Maker [WMM] (we have windows machines)
• btcactus.org web site

UDL Principles:

• Recognition Learning: Provide Multiple Examples – While browsing through the flags, students will help each other locate 2 of each fraction type
• Strategic Learning: Provide Opportunities to Practice with Support - Show the students how to import pictures and slides into WMM and allow the students to help each other when they begin the process. Circulate around the room and observe students importing flags and help those in need.
• Affective Learning: Offer Choices of Learning Context - Enable students to choose the flags that represent each fraction.

Procedure:

1. Setup the Learning Experience
   1. Open Firefox
   2. Navigate to btcactus.org and then the learning center portion http://www.btcactus.org/informationliteracy.cfm
      1. Click on the research cactus
      2. Type in Flags of the World into the Fact Monster Search Box
      3. Browse through the results, but guide the kids to:
         

         Flags From Around the World (Kids’ Almanac – World)
         Flags From Around the World Afghanistan to Dominican Republic East Timor to Liechtenstein Lithuania …

   3. Open Windows Movie Maker
2. Locate Fractional Flags
   1. Return to the web and find flags that demonstrate the following fractions:
      1. 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1/1
      2. e.g. – , , ,
3. Download and Insert Flags into Windows Movie Maker
   1. I suggest that the kids download them to the desktop, but they could download them to their home directories on the school network too
   2. Import each flag into Windows Movie Maker
   3. Add Title slides before each flag to show fraction
4. Assessment
   1. Assess the movies created by Windows Movie Maker with this criteria:
      1. All fractions are represented in title and flag format: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1

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