Unit Plan 32 (Grade 5 Math): Data Tell a Story—Line Plots Redux
5th graders collect and plot measurement data with fractional units on line plots, then use fraction addition, subtraction, and multiplication to solve real-world questions—emphasizing precision, reasoning, and clear data interpretation.
Focus: Collect measurement data (with fractional units), construct line plots, and solve questions using fraction operations drawn from the plot.
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: Mathematics (Measurement & Data; Number & Operations—Fractions)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students become data storytellers: they measure, record, and display real measurements (to the nearest 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2 unit) on line plots, then answer questions that require adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions. Emphasis is on precise measurement, clean displays, and reasoning from the graph—not just computing.
Essential Questions
- How do measurement choices and fraction units affect the story our data tells?
- How can a line plot help me combine or compare measurements with fraction operations?
- What strategies make our answers reasonable and easy to explain?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Collect measurement data using fractional units (e.g., nearest 1/8 unit) and organize values in a frequency table.
- Construct line plots with clear x-axis units, title, and accurate X marks for each data point.
- Use the line plot to add/subtract fractions with unlike denominators in context (totals, differences, group comparisons).
- Multiply fractions to solve plot-based questions (e.g., equal groups, scaling totals).
- Communicate conclusions with units, models, and reasonableness checks.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 5
- 5.MD.2: Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8); use information from the line plot to solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions.
- 5.NF.1: Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) using equivalent fractions.
- 5.NF.4: Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication to multiply a fraction by a fraction (including area/array and scaling reasoning).
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can measure and plot data with fraction units correctly.
- I can read a line plot and use it to add, subtract, or multiply fractions to answer questions.
- I can explain my strategy, show a model (number line/area/array), and check if my answer is reasonable.