Key Elements in
Planning a Unit of
Work
Presented by Bern Long
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The following are some key elements
when planning a unit of work. Deciding
exactly what proforma is best for your
school is a school based decision. The
following are only suggestions of some
key elements to consider when planning a
unit of work
Key elements in planning a unit of
work
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Choose topic
Look at the key ideas
Look at research, what
problems misconceptions might
we expect to see when teaching
this unit
Look at VELS and National
Curriculum
Plan a pre-test for unit,
including enabling prompts and
challenging prompts
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Look at the pre-test. What has
the pre-test told us about our
students - strengths
-weaknesses
Plan a unit of work looking at
-key concepts
- key ideas,
- key understandings
-vocab etc
Plan the lessons- keeping in
mind misconceptions/likely
difficulties
Evaluate at the end of a unit
Choose a topic
Look at National Curriculum/VELS
Topic: Fractions
What are we expected to cover?
Year 3
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Model and represent unit fractions
including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and their
multiples to a complete whole
(ACMNA058)
Year 4
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Investigate equivalent fractions used in
contexts (ACMNA077)
Count by quarters halves and thirds,
including with mixed numerals. Locate
and
represent these fractions on a number
line
(ACMNA078)
Recognise that the place value system
can be extended to tenths and
hundredths.
Make connections between fractions
and decimal notation (ACMNA079)
VELS
Level 3
 Develop fraction notation and compare simple common
fractions such as 3/4 > 2/3 using physical models.
 Determine the size and order of decimals to hundredths
 They devise and use algorithms for the addition and
subtraction of numbers to two decimal places, including
situations involving money. They add and subtract
simple common fractions with the assistance of physical
models
Read through the literature and
research on Fractions
E.g. Booker, Reys, Van de
 Establish what are some of the common
misconceptions or difficulties students face when
looking at fractions e.g. not dividing parts
equally,relating whole number knowledge to
fractional parts, 1/3 must be bigger than 1/2
because 3 is bigger than 2
 Design a pre-assessment task
-List possible enabling prompts
-List possible challenging prompts
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Analyse results from pre-assessment
What do students know?
 What misconceptions do they already
have?
 Am I going to need/be able to cover all the
all the things mentioned in VELS/National
Curriculum?
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Plan unit of work:
Key elements
What are the key ideas in teaching fractions
 partitioning
 fraction as part-whole
 quantity (understanding ‘manyness’, size)
 equivalence
 definition of numerator, denominator
 link fractions with decimals
Key Understandings
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We can find a fraction of a whole or a fraction of a group
of things
When we divide a whole or a group of things into equal
parts these parts are called the fractional parts
The denominator tells me how many equal parts my
whole or group is divided into
The numerator tells me the number of fractional parts I
have
A fraction is another way of writing a division equation
Fraction and decimals are found on a numberline
A decimal is another way of writing a fraction
Skills
What skills are you trying to develop?
 Can divide a whole or a group of things into fractional
parts
 Can compare the size of fractional parts
 Can count by halves, quarters, fifths, tenths
 Can count by decimals
 Can use the triad for fractions and decimals
 Can see the relationship between decimals and fractions
 Can place fractions and decimals on a numberline etc…
Vocabulary
What vocabulary do I need to use in this
unit of work
e.g. equal parts, equivalent, numerator,
denominator, numberline, more than, less
than, fraction wall,halves, thirds, quarters,
fifths, decimal point etc
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What other dimensions might I
bring in?
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division, time, measurement
Assessment
How and where will I assess?
-beginning of unit
-during unit
-end of unit
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Plan lessons
I like to always include these 3 lessons in all of my units:
- a couple of open-ended problems that take the whole lesson with
enabling prompts and challenging prompts
- worded problems that focus students attention on how we use this
topic in the real world
- Naplan questions on the topic
N.B. I will have some open-ended questions and worded problems
scattered throughout my lessons but I still include them as stand
alone lessons as well, as research tells me it is the multi-step
problems that cause students the most difficulties