Grade 5 Math PowerPoint: Adding and Subtracting Fractions (30 Slides)

Lesson Sequence

• Open in PowerPoint and start the slide show. Click to reveal each answer after students respond.
• Read the speaker notes (View > Notes) for questions to ask and common mistakes.
• Use with the lesson plan: it lists which slides belong to each lesson.

Classroom Activities

• Fraction Strip Proof (12 minutes, Pairs): Give each pair a sum card, e.g. 1/2 + 1/4. They build both fractions with strips and line them up under a whole strip.
• Fraction War (10 minutes, Pairs): Each player turns over two cards and adds them. The bigger sum wins all four cards.
• Closer to 0, 1/2 or 1? (8 minutes, Whole class): Show a sum or difference, e.g. 7/8 + 1/10. Students walk to the sign closest to the answer — no exact calculation!

Teacher Tips

Use the phrase "same-size pieces" every lesson — it is the big idea. Let students discover the 2/6 mistake themselves with bars before teaching the rule.

Learning Objectives

• Explain why fractions need the same denominator (same-size pieces) before adding or subtracting.
• Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators by finding equivalent fractions.
• Add and subtract mixed numbers, including regrouping a whole.
• Estimate with benchmark fractions to check that an answer is reasonable.
• Solve word problems involving adding and subtracting fractions.

Differentiation

Support: Always start with fraction strips; write the numbers only after the bars. Challenge: Add three fractions: 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6. English language learners: Sentence frames: "I need the same denominator because ___." "___ is the same as ___."

Assessment

Exit tickets in each lesson. Worksheet Parts A–F with the answer key. Mid-unit Quiz (12 marks) after lesson 2. Unit Test (24 marks) at the end. Homework after each lesson. Performance task (rubric): "Fraction Recipe" — change a recipe and explain the fraction calculations.

What's Included

• 30-slide PowerPoint (PPTX, editable)
• Speaker notes on every slide
• Click-to-reveal answers for questions
• Key vocabulary slide with pictures
• Summary slide to finish the lesson

Additional Files

• Grade 5 Math PowerPoint: Adding and Subtracting Fractions (30 Slides) (DOCX)

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