Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Workshop Wednesday: Fractions

How many of you dread teaching fractions??!! It's a very difficult concept for students to grasp, so I'm excited to read all of the ideas linked up this week with my BBB Jivey for her Workshop Wednesday!
I'm going to share a quick idea I use to introduce fractions to my students.
I want them to be able to relate fractions to real life, so I use my students as manipulatives. For example, I have 22 students, so my denominator is 22. I ask several questions that involve using the same denominator, but changing the numerator: how many students are wearing red, how many students ate cereal for breakfast, how many students have practice after school?, etc.
It gets them to notice and observe their surroundings and it's fun!
After we do several whole class examples, we create fractions for our group members. And, as a challenge, I have them create other fractions around our classroom. For example, 3/4 of the bulletin boards have polka dots, 5/18 of the reading baskets are pink, etc.
This is always a hit because it's about them!
( I usually just write these on a piece of chart paper, but I made a copy for you to grab to use in your classroom).
https://www.facebook.com/HeadOverHeelsForTeaching?ref=tn_tnmn

As long as you're a Head Over Heels For Teaching Facebook Fan, you can have this Fractions in the Classroom sheet with just one click on the Fan Freebies tab! If you're not, all you have to do is "like" my page here.
Have a great rest of the week...just two more days! We can do it! :O)

10 comments:

  1. Great Freebie Joanne!

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  2. Super cool idea to make fractions "real world!" 5th grade will be doing fractions in a few weeks so I will have to try it out! :)

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  3. I love the real-world fractions! Thanks for sharing :)
    Annie
    Three Cheers for First Grade!

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  4. It is so true that students love things that are all "about them". This is something that anyone can implement in their classroom. Thanks for sharing the great idea! :)
    ~Holly
    Fourth Grade Flipper

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  5. If you think I believe only 5/18 of the baskets in your class are pink you are crazy!! Love this idea and freebie. You are right - students do love math that is about them!

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  6. Did you hear me yelling all away across the state when I answered your question about who dreads teaching fractions? I was jumping up and down...pretty much screaming..."ME, ME, ME!" I'm going to have to go to bed right NOW because just thinking about it plum wore me out. Thank you for the freebie my dear sweet friend. XOXO
    Alison
    Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'

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  7. Thank you for sharing, the kids will love talking their way through the questions. Have a great last 2 days of the week!

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  8. Oh my goodness. We are sharing a brain, too!!! I just read your post (SORRY!! I know I'm LATE!) and so didn't see that you shared this, and we TOTALLY did this yesterday!! They came up with some hilarious ones, too- 0/26 people (including me) in the classroom are rich was my favorite. I told them I most certainly was rich! :-P Thanks for linking up, BBB!
    Jivey

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  9. I love the real world fraction idea. Thanks for sharing the freebie! I won't be starting fractions for a little while, but this will be perfect.

    Hunter's Teaching Tales
    Find me on Facebook

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  10. What a great idea! So funny how kids like it when your involve them in the problems...even if I use one of their names in a word problem! LOL!
    A Tall Drink of Water

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