Fractions
Big Ideas
Mathematical relationships among numbers can be represented, compared, and communicated.
Mathematical relationships can be represented as expressions, equations and inequalities in mathematical situations.
Numerical quantities, calculations, and measurements can be estimated or analyzed by using appropriate strategies and tools.
Essential Questions
How is mathematics used to quantify, compare, represent, and model numbers?
How can mathematics support effective communication?
How are relationships represented mathematically?
What does it mean to estimate or analyze numerical quantities?
What makes a tool and/or strategy appropriate for a given task?
Here is a video, compliments of HomeSchool Pop that gives a great introduction to Fractions!
Fraction War
Objective: to develop the concept of comparing fractions
Supplies needed: (These are supplies for 2 players, these amounts can be changed to accommodate small groups or whole group play) a deck of playing cards-face cards removed, 2 rulers (to be used as the Fraction Bars), fraction tiles and/or fraction circles
How to play:
Shuffle and deal out the deck of cards, each player gets a pile of cards and they place them face down.
Both players turn over two cards, one above the ruler (fraction bar) and one below the ruler (fraction bar).
Students then need to determine if they have the larger fraction, and students can use fraction tiles and/or fraction circles to help visualize the fractions.
The player with the larger fraction wins all 4 cards.
If the players turn over equivalent fractions then there is a “Fraction War” and they each turn over two new cards.
Accommodations:
Write a number on a post-it note and use that as the denominator and use the cards only to change the numerator.
Cover a deck of cards with white paper or post-it notes and write large numbers on the cards.
Students make 3 fractions and they need to put them in order from least to greatest.
Fraction Dominoes
Objective: to develop the concept of what fractions are.
Supplies needed: dominoes, dry erase boards, markers, erasers
How to play:
Dominoes will be mixed up, laying facedown in a pile.
Students will choose a domino, flip it over and look at the dots.
Next they will turn the fraction so the larger number is on the bottom and they will write the fraction on their board. Ex. 3/4
Then their job is to draw a shape that resembles that fraction. Ex. a square divided into 4 parts with 3 shaded in or a circle divided into 4 parts with 3 shaded in.
Lastly, they will explain their fraction to their partner or group.
Accommodations:
Students can complete the above task and then find another domino that is an equivalent fraction
Students can also complete the above task, but instead of drawing out the fraction shape, they would choose 2 dominoes and use greater than, less than and equal to to compare the fractions.
This is a great article on utilizing Legos while teaching Fractions. Happy Reading!!
This is a great article that highlights Fractions on a number line and activities to enrich this concept!
Linked below are two great videos on equivalent fractions!
Here is a fun game to practice the concept of equivalent fractions. Equivalent Bingo!
