Unit Plan 35 (Grade 4 Math): Data & Geometry—Plots and Properties
Create and interpret line plots with fractional measurements; use fraction operations to answer questions and connect data to shape properties, including parallel/perpendicular lines, angle types, and symmetry.
Focus: Create and interpret line plots with fractional units; solve problems using fraction operations and connect findings to figure properties (parallel/perpendicular, angle types) and lines of symmetry.
Grade Level: 4
Subject Area: Mathematics (Data Displays with Geometry Connections)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students measure objects and figure parts in fractional units (e.g., 1/2, 1/4, 1/8), display results on a line plot, and use the display to answer addition/subtraction questions with fractions. They connect data patterns to geometric properties by comparing categories of two-dimensional figures and noticing symmetry.
Essential Questions
- How do line plots help me see and explain patterns in fractional measurement data?
- How can I use fraction operations to solve questions that arise from a data set?
- What can measurement data reveal about shape properties (e.g., parallel/perpendicular lines, angle types, symmetry)?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Collect measurement data using fractional units and represent the data on a line plot with appropriate scale, labels, and titles.
- Use fraction addition/subtraction with like denominators to answer questions about a data set (e.g., total, difference, comparison).
- Classify two-dimensional figures by properties (e.g., parallel/perpendicular lines, right/acute/obtuse angles).
- Identify and draw lines of symmetry and describe symmetric figures.
- Communicate findings with precise units, clear representations, and explanations that connect data to geometry.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 4
- 4.MD.4: Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions; use the information to solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions.
- 4.G.2 (connection): Classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel or perpendicular lines or the presence of angles of a specified size.
- 4.G.3 (connection): Recognize a line of symmetry and identify/produce symmetric figures.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can build a line plot with correct scale, title, and labels that shows fractional measurements.
- I can use fraction addition/subtraction to answer questions about the data.
- I can explain how the data supports a claim about a shape category or a symmetry pattern.