Equivalent Fraction Findings

 To further explore equivalent fractions, my class had a deep discussion about possible combinations of fractions equal to one another. With each fraction strip that was displayed on the whiteboard, we talked about whole numbers (2/2 is one whole) and how the denominator changes with each added strip. One student observed that the denominator was being multiplied by 2 (that was before I placed 1/3 & 1/6 underneath the others). We were able discover lots of different combinations for equivalent fractions for 1/2, 1/4, one whole, etc...

Later, my students worked with their own set of fraction strips and set out to prove their own equivalent fractions. They categorized them by color and fraction. Then I asked them to set their 1/4 fraction piece aside and find as many possible equivalent fractions as possible. After that, they continued finding more equal fractions, which were shared at the end of class.

Fractions, Fractions, Everywhere!

My students created a "Mr. Fraction Man," which consisted of them following step-by-step directions so we could do everything together. We started off by discussing how many parts were in the body of Mr. Fraction (8 parts). This would be the denominator for a fraction representing his body. Then my students chose a color and completed the first direction ("Color in 5/8 of his body.") They could color in the fraction however they wanted, but five of the eight sections had to be colored. The fractions varied for different body parts, but we continued with this process for the upper arms/legs, lower arms/legs, and fingers/toes. They were able to color his head however they wanted. After carefully cutting along the bold black lines, my students glued Mr. Fraction together and completed the second half of the direction sheet independently  ("What is the fraction for the unshaded part of his body?" etc..) This activity took a little longer than I had planned, but it was worth it! :)

To start this lesson, my students each got 6 same-colored unifix cubes. They connected them and we discussed the fractions for these cubes, such as "6/6 of the cubes are black. 0/6 cubes are red.") After taking one black cube off and replacing it with a red cube, we stated our new fraction: "5/6 cubes are black. 1/6 cubes are red." This continued until all of our original colors had been replaced, one-by-one. Later, we drew the unifix cubes onto a sheet of paper and wrote the fractions out, as shown in the picture.

Fraction Kites

This week, we have been learning about FRACTIONS! My students are really getting into it, and all of our third graders have had many activities that help reinforce our new knowledge! We made Fraction Kites first, which incorporated fractions, multiplication, and measurement. My students received a white square-shaped piece of paper. They were given rulers and had to measure one inch increments before drawing a straight line vertically. After completing as many columns as they could, they turned their papers and created another set of rows. This transformed our regular white papers into boxes! My students were able to state their multiplication fact as well (7 rows x 7 columns= 49..."I should have 49 boxes total..."). Then they selected some crayons and colored in the boxes to their liking. Next, they drew a cloud and stated the fractions, making sure that the denominator was the same for each! (e.g. Red 14/49; Green 11/49, etc...)