CurriculumGrade 5Mathematics

Line Plots with Fractions

Aligned to 5.MD.B.2 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

What this lesson teaches

A line plot shows data with an X above a number line for each measurement. When the measurements are fractions, you can add them up or compare them. You can even imagine sharing the total equally to "even out" the amounts.

Worked example

Four cups hold 1/4, 1/2, 1/2, and 3/4 cup of water, shown as X's on a line plot. Find the total: rewrite them with denominator 4 as 1/4 + 2/4 + 2/4 + 3/4 = 8/4 = 2 cups. So there are 2 cups of water in all.

Practice questions

  1. On a line plot the values are 1/2, 1/2, and 1. What is the total?
  2. Three plants grew 3/4 in, 1/4 in, and 1/2 in. How much did they grow altogether?
  3. If the 2 cups of water above were shared equally among 4 cups, how much would each cup hold?

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Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Diagramas de puntos con fracciones

Un diagrama de puntos muestra datos con una X sobre una recta numérica por cada medida. Cuando las medidas son fracciones, puedes sumarlas o compararlas. Incluso puedes imaginar repartir el total en partes iguales para "emparejar" las cantidades.

Ejemplo: Cuatro tazas tienen 1/4, 1/2, 1/2 y 3/4 de taza de agua, mostradas como X en un diagrama de puntos. Halla el total: reescríbelas con denominador 4 como 1/4 + 2/4 + 2/4 + 3/4 = 8/4 = 2 tazas. Así, hay 2 tazas de agua en total.

More Measurement & Data lessons

Volume of Rectangular Prisms5.MD.C.5Unit Conversion and Line Plots5.MD.A.1What Volume Means5.MD.C.3Measuring Volume by Counting5.MD.C.4

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