Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 5

Fractions and decimals (Grade 5) – Week 9 focus

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Subject: Mathematics

Class: Grade 5

Term: 1st Term

Week: 9

Theme: General lesson support

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

Lesson summary

This week, we're diving into the fascinating world of fractions and decimals and how they relate to each other! Understanding fractions and decimals is crucial because they pop up everywhere in our daily lives, from sharing a koeksister with your family to understanding prices at the local spaza shop. When we understand these, we are better at making decisions and solving problems in all sorts of situations. It also lays the foundation for more advanced math concepts you'll learn later. For instance, decimals are used when talking about money (Rands and cents) and when we measure things. Fractions are useful for sharing food or dividing things equally among people.

Lesson notes

What are Fractions? A fraction represents a part of a whole.

It has two parts: the numerator (the top number) and the denominator (the bottom number). The denominator tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into, and the numerator tells us how many of those parts we have. For example, in the fraction 3/4, the whole is divided into 4 equal parts, and we have 3 of those parts. What are Decimals? Decimals are another way to represent parts of a whole. They are based on the number 10 and use a decimal point to separate the whole number part from the fractional part. The digits to the right of the decimal point represent tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on. Connecting Fractions and Decimals Fractions and decimals are closely related. Fractions with denominators of 10, 100, 1000 etc. can be easily converted into decimals. This is because our decimal system is based on powers of ten.

Tenths: A fraction with a denominator of 10 can be written as a decimal with one digit after the decimal point. For example, 7/10 is equal to 0.

7. Hundredths: A fraction with a denominator of 100 can be written as a decimal with two digits after the decimal point. For example, 25/100 is equal to 0.25.

Worked example

Example 1: Converting a fraction to a decimal (tenths)

Convert 3/10 to a decimal.

Step 1: Identify the denominator. The denominator is 10, so the decimal will represent tenths.

Step 2: The numerator (3) tells us how many tenths we have.

Step 3: Write the decimal. 3/10 = 0.3

Example 2: Converting a fraction to a decimal (hundredths)

Convert 65/100 to a decimal.

Step 1: Identify the denominator. The denominator is 100, so the decimal will represent hundredths.

Step 2: The numerator (65) tells us how many hundredths we have.

Step 3: Write the decimal. 65/100 = 0.65