Help your students show their understanding as they explain how to add fractions with unlike denominators. Use this lesson on its own or as support to the lesson Make It Work! Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators.

Children often wonder if algorithms are practical. Using this lesson plan, your students will see how the standard algorithm for adding mixed numbers brings life to real world real-world situations.

Does chaos ensue when your students subtract like mixed numbers and the larger fraction has a lesser numerator? Using this lesson plan, teach your class how to overcome this tricky obstacle: When having like denominators isn’t enough!

In this hands on lesson, students create squares with different fraction pieces while building their knowledge of adding fractions with different denominators.