In this new unit, students explore representing, interpreting, reading, and writing fractions. Students learn how to represent and interpret fractions, including how to reason that fractions are formed by individual, equal-sized parts called unit fractions (with a numerator of one); recognize that fractional parts must be equal sized; recognize that the size of fractional parts is related to the size of the whole, and identify the fractional name of the parts within a whole.

Students will begin the week by analyzing the basic elements of Tea with Milk and consider a central conflict of the story. Students also experiment with using linking words and phrases in compare and contrast writing.

Students will identify Masako’s point of view regarding her decision to stay in Japan. Next, students will gather evidence to determine their own points of view and discuss whether they agree with Masako’s decision. Finally, students consider whether they always agree with the decision of fictional characters.