Math Lesson: Convert Fractions to Decimals
Grade Level: 4
Lesson Summary: The teacher will begin by making sure that students are able to identify fractions with 10
and 100 as denominators. Students will then learn about the tenths and hundredths place values and how to
write fractions as decimals when they look at models of fractions with 10 and 100 as denominators. Students
will then play a memory game in pairs in which they must match a fraction to its equivalent decimal.
Advanced learners will answer a word problem in which they must convert fractions to decimals. Struggling
learners will use place value mats to help them convert from fractions to decimals.
Lesson Objectives:
The students will know…
 How to convert fractions with denominators of 10 and 100 to decimals.
The students will be able to…
 Convert fractions with denominators of 10 and 100 to decimals.
Learning Styles Targeted:
Visual
Auditory
Kinesthetic/Tactile
Pre-Assessment: Give each student a whiteboard, dry-erase marker, and a tissue. Project the first picture
from the Pre-Assessment* under a document camera. Ask students to write the fraction shown by the picture
on their whiteboards. After all students have written their answers, ask them to hold up the whiteboards for
you to see. If you see students answering incorrectly, and stop and explain the correct answer. Repeat for
the remaining pictures from the Pre-Assessment*.
Whole-Class Instruction
Materials Needed: 1 piece of chart paper, Example Chart Paper* for teacher reference, Base 10 blocks (1
flat, 1 long, and 1 unit) to project under a document camera, a document camera connected to a projector, 1
whiteboard per student, 1 dry-erase marker per student, 1 tissue per student, Guided Practice PowerPoint*,
a computer connected to a projector, 1 set of pre-cut Memory Cards* that have been copied onto cardstock
per pair of students, 1 piece of construction paper per pair of students, 1 bottle of glue or glue stick per
student
Procedure:
1) Tell students that they are going to learn how to write fractions like the ones from the Pre-Assessment
as decimals. Post a piece of chart paper on the board and title it “Place Value” or something similar.
Draw three horizontal dashes like the ones shown on the Example Chart paper. Place a decimal where
the one is on the Example Chart Paper. Label the place value farthest to the left “ones.” Quickly
explain to students that the place value chart extends to the right past the ones place behind the
decimal, and these place values are named for fractions. Project the flat base 10 block under a
document camera for students to see. Tell students that you want them to think of this block as 1 big
block that has been divided into 100 smaller parts. Project the long base 10 block under the document
camera, and ask students what fraction of the one block does the long represent. Elicit responses,
leading students to see that the long is 1/10 of the flat. Label the tenths place on the chart paper and
include the fraction with it. Project the unit base 10 block under the document camera, and ask
students what fraction of the one block the unit represents. Elicit responses, leading students to see
that the unit is 1/100 of the flat. Label the hundredths place on the chart paper and include the fraction
with it. In addition, draw the base 10 blocks associated with each place value on the chart paper. See
the Example Chart Paper, if necessary.
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2) Give each student a whiteboard, dry-erase marker, and a tissue. Have students draw a labeled place
value chart like the one on the Example Chart on their whiteboards. Draw the same place value chart
on the board. Neither you nor students need to include the pictures of the base 10 blocks on their
whiteboards. Explain to students that they are going to learn how to write fractions with the
denominators 10 and 100 as decimals.
3) Project the first slide of the Guided Practice PowerPoint. Explain to students that there is one whole
flat shaded in, so the whole number in the mixed numbers is 1. Record 1 in the ones place on the
place value chart on the board, and have students do the same. Explain to students that there is one
long, or 1/10, shaded in the model. Record 1 in the tenths place, and have students do the same.
Explain to students that there are 3 units, or 3/100, shaded in the model. Record 3 in the hundredths
place, and have students do the same. Click on the slide so that the answer appears. Lead a
discussion with students about how the fraction is similar to the decimal.
4) Repeat this process for the remaining Guided Practice PowerPoint slides. Allow students to become
more independent in converting the fractions to decimals as they become more comfortable with the
concept. After each slide, be sure to discuss the similarities between the fraction and the decimal.
5) Take up whiteboards, markers, and tissues from students, and put students into pairs. Give each pair
a set of pre-cut Memory Cards, a piece of construction paper, and a bottle of glue or glue stick. Have
pairs shuffle the memory cards and lay them face down on the table or floor in front of them. Explain
to students that some of the Memory Cards have fractions written on them, and some of the cards
have decimals written on them. To play, one student should turn over two Memory Cards. If the
fraction and decimal are equivalent, the student should keep the pair of cards and take another turn.
If the fraction and decimal are not equivalent, the student should turn the pair of cards face down
again and let the second player take his/her turn. Play continues until all matches have been made.
After all matches have been made, explain to students that they should glue the fraction/decimal
matches together on the piece of construction paper. Check for understanding, and allow students to
play.
Advanced Learner
Materials Needed: 1 copy of the Advanced Learner Activity* per student, 4 colored pencils per student (1
red, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow), writing utensils
Procedure:
1) Give each student a copy of the Advanced Learner Activity and 4 colored pencils (1 red, 1 blue, 1
green, and 1 yellow). Explain the directions to students, and allow them to work independently.
Struggling Learner
Materials Needed: 1 copy of the Struggling Learner Activity* per student, 1 copy of the Struggling Learner
Activity* to project under a document camera, a document camera connected to a projector, writing utensils
Procedure:
1) Give each student a copy of the Struggling Learner Activity, and a project a copy under a document
camera. Tell students that they are going to focus on the denominators in each fraction to help them
convert the fractions to decimals.
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2) Have students look at the first problem on the page. Go over each of the place values on the place
value chart. Emphasize the denominators in the tenths place and hundredths place. Explain to
students that the 1 represents how many ones there are in the number. Record 1 in the ones place,
and have students do the same.
3) Have students look at the fraction with the whole number, 17/100. Ask students to point to the
denominator. Make sure students identify 100 as the denominator. Explain to students that when they
record the decimal that it should include all place values up to the hundredths place because the
denominator is 100. Model for students how to record 1 in the tenths place and 7 in the hundredths
place.
4) Repeat this process for the remaining problems. For each problem done together, emphasize how the
denominator can help them understand how to record each fraction as a decimal. As students become
more independent, allow them to complete some problems on their own.
*see supplemental resources
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