Line Plots with Fractions: Read, Make and Solve

Student Task

• Start with the warm-up in the lesson plan: measure pencils to the nearest quarter inch and record the results.
• Teach how to read a line plot with activity 1, then use activities 2 to 4 for practice.
• Students make their own line plot in activity 5 and use it in activity 6; answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Use

• Class pencil plot: every student measures a pencil to the nearest quarter inch and adds an X to a class line plot on the board.
• Plant diary: measure bean plants every few days and record the heights on a line plot.
• Error hunt: show a line plot with one X in the wrong place and ask students to find and fix it.

Differentiation

Support: give students a fraction strip showing eighths, quarters and halves so they can see that 2/8 = 1/4 and 4/8 = 1/2. Challenge: ask students to find the total of all the measurements on the line plot.

Answer Key & Assessment

Activities 1 and 2 check reading line plots; activities 3 and 4 check fraction reasoning; activities 5 and 6 check making and using a line plot (answer key included).

Learning Objectives

• Read a line plot that shows measurements in fractions of a unit.
• Use a line plot to find counts, totals and differences with fractions.
• Make a line plot from a set of fraction measurements.

Teacher Tips

Before students answer questions, ask them to read the title, the unit and the scale. Many mistakes come from counting the tick marks instead of the X marks.

What's Included

• 8-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
• Key vocabulary list (5 words with meanings and examples)
• Student worksheet (6 activities)
• Editable Word version of the worksheet
• Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

• Editable Worksheet (Word) (DOCX)
• Answer Key (PDF) (PDF)

Teacher Reviews