Frolicking Frogs
Treasures from the Attic
Lesson 2
Objectives
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Understand and identify improper fractions
Understand and identify mixed numbers
Develop an understanding of common
denominators and be able to rename and
compare fractions by finding a common
denominator
Identify and rename equivalent fractions and
order fractions of all types including
improper fractions and mixed numbers
Materials
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Math notebook
Six green and two blue strips of paper
Homework sheet
Mathematical Language
Take notes in your notebook
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Common denominators– denominators in fractions
that have the same number of parts.
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Improper fraction– a fraction larger than or equal to
1 whole where the numerator is larger than or equal
to the denominator
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3/8 and 5/8 have eights as a common denominator
8/5 or 5/5
Mixed number– a number written as a whole
number and a fraction
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2½
The Story
Tori and Jordan went back into the attic and checked out the trunk. They
found a newspaper article about their great-great-grandfather and how his
favorite bullfrog, Daddy Long Legs, had won two blue ribbons from the
county fair. Their grandmother explained how her grandfather had the
best jumping frog in the county. Tori and Jordan read the news article
about the frog-jumping contest and found out that Daddy Long Legs had
outdistanced many other frogs to win. He was the Grand Champion and
the Flight Champion of the Washington County Fair, and he got to the
finish line every time he jumped. The children asked their grandmother if
she remembered her grandfather talking about what the contest was like.
She told them that each frog had three consecutive jumps that were
measured to find the winner. She remembered her grandfather telling her
about one frog that jumped a total of 18 feet 3 inches on the day that her
grandpa’s Daddy Long Legs competed, but gleefully announced that
Daddy Long Legs jumped a total of 19 2/3 feet. She also shared how
some of the frogs jumped forward and then back to where they started.
Tori and Jordan decided to have their own frog-jumping contest using
origami frogs.
Task
With a partner, you will use strips of
paper to mark the distances the frogs
jumped at the fair to determine how far
they jumped each time. Some frogs will
jump more than once.
Example
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Each strip of paper is three feet long
Using the blue strip of paper, fold it to find and mark
each foot.
1
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3
Then, use the same blue paper to find and mark 1
1/3 foot
1
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2
1 1/3
2
3
What is an improper fraction that is equivalent to 1
1/3?
Example
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4/3 is an improper fraction that is equivalent
to 1 1/3
How could you name each foot as a
fractions?
A whole foot on your strip of paper is divided
into thirds, so one foot would be 3/3 (three
thirds), two feet would be 6/3, and three feet
would be nine thirds
Label each fold on the blue paper as a part
of a third
2 ¾ & 5/4
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Use a new blue paper strip to locate 2 ¾
Mark this point, label it as a mixed number,
then label it as in improper fraction
Use the same paper to locate 5/4 and label
it as both a mixed number and an improper
fraction
Activity
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For each of the following slides, mark a
green paper strip with the name of the frog
and the fractions to indicate how far that frog
jumped.
Use a separate paper strip for each frog
After you have completed the activities you will
fold and glue the paper strips into your
notebook. Make sure to include your
partners name.
Big green Monster and the
Swamp Prince
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Mark a paper strip at 7/9 foot, the Big Green
Monster’s first leap of the day at the Frolicking Frog
Jumping Contest at the Washington County Fair.
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The Swamp Prince jumped 5/6 for his first leap.
Mark a separate paper strip to show where the
Swamp Prince landed.
Answer in your notebook: Who had the longer jump?
Lily Pad Lily
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Lily Pad Lily first landed at 1 3/8 feet.
Mark her first jump on a paper strip.
After her second leap, Lily Pad Lily
landed on the 2-foot mark. Mark this
on the same strip of paper.
Answer in your notebook: Which jump
was longer? Explain.
Magnificent Mike and Marvelous Maxine
Magnificent Mike and Marvelous Maxine
were twin leapers from way back.
Magnificent Mike’s first leap was 2 2/3 feet,
and Marvelous Maxine landed at (11/4) feet
on her first jump. Mark one paper strip to
show where Magnificent Mike landed and
another to show where Marvelous Maxine
landed.
Answer in your notebook: Who Jumped
farther?
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Bouncing Beauty
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Bouncing Beauty’s first leap was
(25/12) feet. Mark a paper strip to
show where she landed at the end of
the jump.
Frisky Frog Leaps (homework)
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Complete the worksheet and glue it
into your notebook
Think Deeply
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1.
2.
Answer the following questions in your math
journal (notebook). Your responses will be graded
using the math journal rubric.
Which frog had the longest first jump– Big Green
Monster, Swamp Prince, Lily Pad Lily, Magnificent
Mike, Marvelous Maxine, or Bouncing Beauty?
Explain your answer.
Daddy Long Legs had three practice jumps at the
fair. His jump of 1 1/3 feet is marked on the
number line below. Copy the number line in your
notebook. Locate and label his other two jumps of
5/12 foot and 1 ¾ feet on the number line. Explain
your answers.