Fractions Festival Feb. 2nd, 3rd 2006
The "Fractions Festival" is my attempt to make fractions bearable. Every year it seems like fractions are the toughest topic in math to teach to any student. In talking with my colleagues, even college professors, it seems "common denominators" and "multiply by the reciprocal" do not make any sense.
One group performs a skit about fractions, which they have to write. One group does a cheer, or a poem, or a song. Another group makes a pizza from scratch (I provide the recipe, cooking utensils, flour, etc.). One group is in charge of pies, another is in charge of frozen pizza. The people in charge of pies or frozen pizzas have to work problems on the side until it's time to cut them up.
When the "scratch" group is all done and the pizza is in the oven, it's time to perform (and videotape) the song, skit, poem, or cheer. Then we eat!
Everything has to do with circles cut up into pieces, which is how I explain fractions in the classroom. This year, kids brought a lot of other things (like a "big" cookie, as long it can be cut up into fractions).
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Fractions Festival, February 4,5 2002
There were 6 groups: song, skit, recipe, frozen, boughten, and
pie. The song group had to make up and
perform a song about fractions, same deal with the skit. The recipe
group took the longest as they
had to measure, knead, top, and bake the pizza. The other groups worked on
a worksheet that
had problems that involved fractions.
At the end, we ate pizza and pie for $1 a piece. What did they learn?
I'm not sure. Was it fun? You bet!
Will they remember it? Of course!
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One group made pizza from a recipe. Topped with sauce, browned hamburger, and mozzarella cheese. |
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One group wrote and performed a skit that had fractions as a theme. |
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The groups that had the pie, boughten, or frozen pizza had to work on some fraction questions. |
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Don't tell me we don't have FUN! (but it might not always be sanitary). |
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This skit involved a dad, a son, and a dog. |
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Look at how intense they are! |
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The songs ranged from "Fraction Compassion" to spelling out F-R-A-C-T-I-O-N. |