Throughout the month of January, Mr. Carter worked diligently to transform his classroom into a pizzeria of learning!
5th Grade students at West Point Intermediate School worked on a project to create their own pizzas using fractions to build their pies and decimals, percentages, and rounding to set their pizza prices.
While much of the work focused on unit fractions, students followed the same skill pathway used when adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators—supporting a natural transition to non-unit fractions. Along the way, students found common denominators, explored equivalent fractions, and reasoned about fraction structure using processes that mirror those applied to non-unit fractions. Designed to develop strong conceptual understanding, this project offered hands-on, meaningful problem-solving experiences.
Mr. Carter shares, “This lesson was inspired by a desire to move beyond procedural work with fractions and give students an opportunity to reason, justify, and make decisions using fractions in a meaningful context. The pizza scenario allows students to engage with fraction size, equivalence, and proportional reasoning in a way that feels authentic and accessible for all learners.”
Carter continues, “The purpose of the project is to help students develop strong fraction number sense while collaborating, explaining their thinking, and evaluating fairness. Rather than focusing on a single correct answer, students compare strategies, defend their pricing decisions, and make sense of how fractional amounts relate to the whole. I’ve found this approach increases engagement and leads to richer mathematical conversations, especially for students who may struggle with fractions in more traditional settings.”
Mr. Carter’s Pizzeria was a huge success that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to teaching and learning!