Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

*Click to open and customize your own copy of the Converting Fractions to Decimals Lesson Plan

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Converting Fractions to Decimals, and supports the standard of using decimal notation for fractions with denominators 10 or 100. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students:

  • Where do you see decimals in everyday life? Where do you see fractions?
  • How are decimals and fractions alike? 

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Converting Fractions to Decimals topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Have students read one of the following Related Reading articles: “In Practice,” or “Personalities.” Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Students take the Converting Fractions to Decimals Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about converting fractions to decimals while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Produce a news report about a race where athlete A ran .2 of the race in five minutes and athlete B 75/100 of the race in that time. Explain who is in the lead, and how you know. 
  • Make-a-Map: Identify the relationship between fractions and decimals. Outline the steps to convert between the two. 
  • Creative Coding: Code a math problem that involves converting a fraction into a decimal, and challenge a classmate to solve. 

More to Explore 

Battleship Numberline: Players estimate paper ships’ positions on a number line in this interactive game. 

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments