By now you have introduced fractions to your students. They may understand the rudimentary concept of reading fractions. Can they use those skills in real life? This math lesson plan was created to practice reading fractions. Students will do more than write them on paper. They will get interactive with their fractions! This lesson plan not only helps students practice their fractions. It also helps them develop teamwork and see how fractions can be used in real life.
- Ask students to divide up into two teams.
- Write "Team A" and "Team B" on the board.
- Inform the students that for each question asked there must be one student from their team who actually writes the answer on the board. Each question should bring a new student to the board.
- You will make statements that will tell students what group you are taking the fraction out of. This will give students the denominator. Then you will make a more specific statement that will give students the information they need to figure out the numerator. The first team to write the correct fraction wins a point!
- Before making each statement, identify who will be writing the fractions on the board.
For this game, students will use themselves and items around the room to make fractions. Use the statements below and include any you develop to play this game.
- Students should count the number of students in their group. This number will be the denominator.
- How many of these students have blonde hair? Check and correct answers if need be as you go along.
- Using the same denominator, how many of these students are girls? boys?
- Of all the chairs in the classroom (denominator), how many are blue (numerator)?
- Look at a ruler. Out of all the inches on the ruler (denominator of 12), what would the fraction be if you used 3 of those inches (numerator).
Add any interesting fractions you can think of--identifying how many in the group have blue eyes, brought their lunch, are wearing red. The more the students get involved, the more interested they will be! The more interested they are, the better their mathematical comprehension!