Fraction Action

Happy Tuesday!

After browsing through various blogs and Facebook, I can see many of us are beginning our fraction units. I have been on the hunt for fraction freebies and wanted to share some of the GREAT items I found.

While writing lesson plans last Wednesday, my goal was to find as many fraction games as possible, because it's that time of the year if we're not moving, even I'm bored. You know how that goes. Anywho... I searched on TpT and found TONS of interactive games. I began my lesson yesterday doing strictly review of what a fraction is, what "the top" and "the bottom" numbers are called (and I got some FUNNY answers!), and the relationship between the two. After taking a few notes, using whiteboards and the SmartBoard, we moved on to playing Fraction Dominoes (that you can download here). They were for sure a hit with my class. While walking around and monitoring my kids, I noticed a few misconceptions that I quickly got to clarify--the biggest being writing the number of unshaded or uneaten as the denominator, as opposed to the total. I think when reviewing tomorrow, I'll have each of my students take 2 sticky notes and write the numerator on one and the denominator on the other, then write the word TOTAL next to the denominator. Perhaps that will help!

Tomorrow the plan is to move into teaching/reviewing equivalent fractions. Again, I found some super awesome FREE games on TpT. My students will be playing GO Fish for Equivalent Fractions... with princesses for the ladies, and Star Wars characters for the gentlemen. It was only fitting to print the princess cards on pink card stock, and the gentlemen will have to live with white, because that's all I had at the time. They'll survive. :) I know Go Fish can be played in groups, but since I plan on using them for years to come, I went ahead and printed 4 sets of each. I don't know about in your class, but in mine, cards get mixed up, swept up, or left behind like IT'S THEIR JOB! Seriously?! Just put all the cards back in the bag! So yeah--to help with this situation, before laminating, I color-coded the cards with stickers, as shown in the picture. Then I placed each set of cards in a baggy, which will now live in these labeled manila folders. Click on the picture to go download these free games!

On a side note--yes lord, it took FOREVER to cut out, laminate, and cut out (yet again) all of the needed cards. I'm sure I could have asked a parent to help, but I needed it done right THEN if that makes sense.. I had the idea in my head for the colored stickers, and I just had to roll with it! If you have a student deserving of a reward, though, you could tell them they have earned the privilege of sitting at your desk, cutting out lamination for a game they'll get to play soon! It's a win-win situation!

Good luck, fraction friends. Enjoy Wednesday--you're halfway done! :)