Racing to new heights
This is a level 3 number activity from the Figure It Out series. It focuses on finding fractions of 1000. A PDF of the student activity is included.
About this resource
Figure It Out is a series of 80 books published between 1999 and 2009 to support teaching and learning in New Zealand classrooms.
This resource provides the teachers’ notes and answers for one activity from the Figure It Out series. A printable PDF of the student activity can be downloaded from the materials that come with this resource.
Specific learning outcomes:
- Find fractions of 1000.
Racing to new heights
Achievement objectives
NA3-1: Use a range of additive and simple multiplicative strategies with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Required materials
- Figure It Out, Level 3, Number, Book 1, "Racing to new heights", page 14
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Racing to new heights activity (.pdf)
Activity
This activity looks at finding fractions of one thousand.
Check where students would put the start label. It should go before the first step, not on it. When the students put the 1/2 way up sign at the 500th step, they should explain their choice as “Halfway is 500 out of 1 000, so we place the sign at the 500th step.”
A number line or a metre rule would be a useful aid for students.
After students have found the solutions, ask them to investigate the equivalences with 1 000.
A chart similar to the one below would be useful here.
Fraction |
Out of 1 000 |
As a thousandth |
Simplest form |
|---|---|---|---|
1/2 |
500 |
500/1 000 |
1/2 |
1/4 |
250 |
250/1 000 |
1/4 |
? |
600 |
600/1 000 |
3/5 |
? |
375 |
375/1 000 |
3/8 |
1.
Start – Before step 1
1/4 way up – step 250
1/2 way up – step 500
3/4 way up – step 750
1/3 way up – between step 333 and step 334
2/3 way up – between step 666 and 667
2.
1 000 is not evenly divisible by 3.
3.
3/8 way up
4.
She has run up 400/1 000 of the steps, so she still has 600/1 000 (6/10 or 3/5) of the steps to climb.
5.
375/1 000 (3/8)
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