Fractions and Decimals

Victorian Curriculum 2013, Level 7

Curriculum Overview
Achievement Standard

Students solve problems involving the order, addition and subtraction of integers. They make the connections between whole numbers and
index notation and the relationship between perfect squares and square roots. They solve problems involving all four operations with fractions,
decimals, percentages and their equivalences, and express fractions in their simplest form. Students compare the cost of items to make
financial decisions, with and without the use of digital technology. They make simple estimates to judge the reasonableness of results. Students
use variables to represent arbitrary numbers and connect the laws and properties of number to algebra and substitute numbers into algebraic
expressions. They assign ordered pairs to given points on the Cartesian plane and interpret and analyse graphs of relations from real data.
Students develop simple linear models for situations, make predictions based on these models, solve related equations and check their
solutions.

Students use formulas for the area and perimeter of rectangles. They classify triangles and quadrilaterals and represent transformations of
these shapes on the Cartesian plane, with and without the use of digital technology. Students name the types of angles formed by transversals
crossing parallel lines and solve simple numerical problems involving these lines and angles. They describe different views of three-dimensional
objects, and use models, sketches and digital technology to represent these views. Students calculate volumes of rectangular prisms.

Students identify issues involving the collection of discrete and continuous data from primary and secondary sources. They construct stem-and-
leaf plots and dot-plots. Students identify or calculate mean, mode, median and range for data sets, using digital technology for larger data
sets. They describe the relationship between the median and mean in data displays. Students determine the sample space for simple
experiments with equally likely outcomes, and assign probabilities to outcomes.
Content Descriptions

VCMNA242 Compare fractions using equivalence. Locate and represent positive and negative fractions and mixed numbers on a
number line

VCMNA246 Round decimals to a specified number of decimal places

Teaching and Learning
Explicit Exposure Lessons
Overview

Some students may require substantial differentiation within this unit. We ensure that all students have a common exposure to all the key
components of the unit through explicit teaching. These whole-class learning experiences are led by the teacher, engaging students of all levels
of prior knowledge.

Explicit Exposure Learning Intention Key Vocabulary

Lesson

Equivalent Fractions To write equivalent fractions. fraction, numerator, denominator, equivalent

Simplifying Fractions To simplify a fraction to its simplest form. fraction, numerator, denominator, equivalent, simplify,
simplest form, factor, HCF (highest common factor)

Fractions Between 0 To interpret fractions between 0 and 1 as positions on fraction, number line, whole, denominator, numerator
and 1 on Number Lines a number line.

Fractions and Decimals To interpret fractions and decimals beyond 1 as fraction, decimal, number line, unit fraction, whole, partition
Beyond 1 on Number positions on a number line.
Lines

Terminating and To identify terminating and recurring decimals. decimal, decimal places, terminating, recurring, infinite,
Recurring Decimals pattern, ellipsis

Rounding Decimals To round decimals to a given number of decimal decimals, decimal places, round up, round down
places.
Resources

Each Explicit Exposure Lesson is accompanied by:

1. A student practice exercise, which students can complete in their exercise books guided by a computer. These exercises allow students to
consolidate and apply their learning. They are consistent across all classes.
2. A set of lesson ideas which teachers may choose to draw upon when planning for the key explicit teaching. It is expected that teachers in
different classes may provide instruction in very different ways, as suits their own personal styles and experiences, as well as the needs of their
class.
Differentiated Mastery Modules
Description

Hand-written activities completed by students in their workbook, with a computer helping to organise and guide. These activities are a mixture
of: skills practice; building conceptual understanding; identification and repair of misconceptions; mathematical reasoning; and problem-
solving. Students use a set of fully-worked solutions to self-correct as they go. Students are supported through this work by the teacher, by
semi-structured peer coaching, and by video instruction as required. Typically, students are expected to complete at least 5 of these activities
by the end of this unit.

Adjustments and Extensions

Students are given some choice over the order in which they complete workbook activities. However, care is taken to constrain this choice such
that students are not operating outside of their zone of proximal development (so some activities need to be done prior to others), drawing
upon the evidence of students' individual learning needs.
If there is evidence that a student needs to complete additional modules in order to access the targeted modules within the topic, the student
may choose one of those necessary prerequisites - but are always working directly towards the topic outcomes. By contrast, if there is evidence
that a student has attained mastery over the topic’s outcomes prior to the conclusion of the topic, they may access some additional modules to
extend their learning.
Teachers may choose to allow a balance of different types of module choice, with some modules allowed to be from outside of the topic. This
can be an effective strategy to provide some spaced exposure to different areas of the curriculum over time, and allow students to spend more
time in areas of need over the course of the full school year.
Teachers use data to regularly monitor students’ progress on modules. In particular, it is easy to see if a student is having trouble with a
particular area and can conduct a “targeted intervention” to provide additional support and explicit teaching in that area. The data available as
part of this process includes enough information to begin targeting that support.
Students also have access to special accessibility supports within modules, which cater for students with additional learning needs. Examples
include text-to-speech functionality, supporting students with high literacy needs; and text display customisation (font, letter spacing, word
spacing, background colour), supporting students with dyslexia.
Spaced Practice
Overview

Students have a daily opportunity to complete a small number of practice questions, delivered in a semi-gamified fashion via computer. The
practice problems are personalised to each student. Students can use pen and paper for working out as needed. They have an opportunity to
recover from errors by retrying a question, then attempting an almost identical question immediately afterwards.

Fluency Practice

A bank of practice items is available for each student, drawing upon any mathematics they have previously shown they know under assessment
conditions. Software uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to select the optimum practice items for each student, applying research-
backed learning science principles which maximise long-term storage and retrieval strength – building retention of knowledge as well as strong
fluency over time.

Problem Solving Practice

Every third practice item students see is a non-routine (NAPLAN-style) worded problem. While still drawing upon prior learning already
demonstrated by the student, these questions require a novel application. For example, there may be several different areas of mathematics
that need to be applied together within one question. Students can access a set of staged 'hints' for questions of this sort.
Mini-Lessons
Description

Depending on the needs of the class, some teachers may choose to run targeted, small group, teacher led activities. During these activities,
students work collaboratively and have opportunities to justify and explain mathematical ideas. The suggested lesson plan is a starting point for
teachers' planning. Individual teachers adjust these to best capture their own teaching style and to personalise the experience for the interest
and aptitudes of their students. Teachers also draw upon data and their pedagogical understanding of the curriculum to iteratively develop the
efficacy of these learning experiences over time; often planning and reflecting collaboratively in professional learning teams.

Adjustments and Extensions

Teachers can make use of an online system that draws upon student data to form targeted small groups with student learning needs that align
to the particular activity. Teachers may choose to prioritise learning intentions and/or particular students when making these planning
decisions. For example, they may choose to make sure no individual student goes for too long without a mini-lesson experience.

The small group format allows teachers to provide some on-the-spot differentiation through questioning strategies, as well as tactical
facilitation of the small-group discussion. For some students, data may show that the learning intentions listed here have already been
demonstrated. In such cases, the teacher may choose to run an extension mini-lesson connected with this topic. For other students, data may
show that substantial gaps in prior learning could make access to this mini-lesson highly challenging. In such cases, the teacher may choose to
run a supporting mini-lesson connected with this topic. In doing so, the opportunity may be taken to provide some exposure to the relevant
aspects of the achievement standard as a way of framing the mini-lesson’s other learning intentions.
Energisers
Description

Depending on the needs of the class, some teachers may choose to run some 8–10-minute whole-class thinking and discussion tasks, led by the
teacher. These tasks are designed to engage a wide range of students’ learning needs and are easily adjustable by the teacher. Teachers use
questioning to guide deep thinking and sharing of different strategies during the whole-class discussion phase.

Tasks Learning Intentions

A set of 215 such PowerPoint files are available. These The main purpose of energisers is to help provide structure to the lesson, break up
may be presented in a semi-random “shuffled” order module time into reasonable chunks, and reinforce students’ emotional associations
through the year; or similar types of energisers may be within the classroom: class cohesion, connection with the teacher, and overall
grouped together. feeling of safety/belonging. Because of this, energisers don’t strictly need a
“mathematical” learning intention to be effective, so some are just fun short
There are eight distinct types of energisers in this set: activities. However, most energisers do contribute to mathematical learning
 Venn objectives. Examples include:
 Calculator  Building fluency with number
 Four Digits  Exploring estimation strategies
 “Which one doesn’t belong?”  Searching for patterns
 Estimate  Using mathematical vocabulary
 Total  Working with shape properties or number properties
 Riddle  Reasoning logically
 Video  Seeing how mathematics will be relevant to their future careers
 Broadening the sense of what mathematics is, beyond those areas covered in school
 Encountering some of the beauty and excitement in mathematics

Adjustments and Extensions

Energisers are generally constructed with a low entry point and a moderate-to-high exit point. The nature of these short activities is that
students of all attainment levels can meaningfully engage in the task, with the teacher providing some on-the-spot differentiation through
questioning strategies, as well as tactical facilitation of the whole-class discussion.
Formative Assessment
Entrance Tickets
Overview

At the beginning of each Differentiated Mastery learning activity ('module'), students complete an 'Entrance Ticket'.

Pre-Testing Effect

The Entrance Ticket acts as a Pre-Test, allowing students to attempt the sorts of questions they will be able to answer by the end of the activity;
but which they are not expected to be able to answer yet. Research on the Pre-Testing Effect shows that this experience is likely to increase
students' rate of learning – dispelling any false overconfidence so that learning can take place, and crystallising success criteria so students can
focus on the most relevant parts of the activity.

Formative Assessment Data

By answering questions correctly in an Entrance Ticket, students can demonstrate that they already know the mathematics in this module. In
such cases, any time wastage is avoided by taking the student to a different module instead and updating their learning profile data accordingly.

Double-checking under Test Conditions

Since Entrance Tickets are not supervised under test conditions, it is important to double-check students' knowledge in the above cases. This
avoids a situation where a student getting help from a peer unintentionally moves beyond their zone of proximal development, forming gaps in
their learning. A small number of bonus questions may appear on the student's next Topic Test to perform this function as required.
Exit Tickets
Overview

After a student completes a differentiated mastery module, they are asked to complete a series of assessment items. This allows students to
self-assess and check to see if they have mastered that content. Should a student make a mistake, they are given an opportunity to review the
content in the module, to either retry the questions or check on their understanding prior to their summative topic test at the end of the unit.

Other Formative Assessment

Overview

In addition to the assessment already listed, there are multiple other ways of providing feedback for students. Assessment for learning occurs
when a teacher facilitates conversations with the students during mini lessons and energizers, as they run an explicit exposure lesson, whilst
students are working on modules, projects, or on spaced practice. Assessment as learning occurs as students mark their own work as they go
whilst completing differentiated mastery modules and as they self-assess against a rubric during projects.
Summative Assessment
Topic Test
Overview

Students sit a test at the end of the unit. The test covers both the explicit exposure content, as well as any differentiated mastery modules
attempted by each student.

Process

1. Preparing: Teachers generate and print a test for each individual student, with the aid of an online system. Students have access to all the
material they worked through in the lead-up to the test, to aid in any revision.
2. Administering: The test is sat under test conditions. The test is closed book. Students have a combination of hand-written (printed) test
questions, and online test questions. A small number of bonus questions may also appear on some students' tests in order to double check
some formative assessment data from Entrance Tickets.
3. Marking: Teachers collect students' test papers, and mark hand-written responses. Teachers have access to a full solution set while doing
so. They are also able to inspect and override any computer-graded questions students answered online.
4. Feedback: Teachers return students' test papers. Students use a computer to go through a guided reflection process, where they analyse
any errors they made and have a chance to repair any careless errors.

Adjustments and Extensions

These tests are based on the modules that students have completed. They are generated by the system and are therefore already differentiated
for the student’s individual needs. Teachers can adjust marking based on conversations and knowledge of each student. They also can override
student results per question, if they have determined that a student does understand a concept that has been marked as incorrect.