ERIC Number: EJ1016574
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Apr
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0839
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Sweet Work with Fractions
Vinogradova, Natalya; Blaine, Larry
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, v18 n8 p484-491 Apr 2013
Almost everyone loves chocolate. However, the same cannot be said about fractions, which are loved by markedly fewer. Middle school students tend to view them with wary respect, but little affection. The authors attempt to sweeten the subject by describing a type of game involving division of chocolate bars. The activity they describe provides a context for ordering and manipulating fractions. The use of a number line as a tool for understanding fractions is discussed. This activity not only encourages students to think more deeply about fractions but also highlights students' ability to generalize and reason--crucial skills in learning mathematics. It may serve to lead students into higher-order tasks involving the formulation and exploration of hypotheses about numbers and operations. The authors present a few variations of the Maximum Chocolate Party game; teachers can easily create others. This game has been used repeatedly in professional development seminars for middle school teachers. The discussions recorded herein have been part of those seminars. This material can be used with little or no variation with middle school students. An activity sheet titled "How Much Chocolate Would You Get" is included.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Middle School Students, Educational Games, Mathematics, Number Concepts
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-3702; Fax: 703-476-2970; e-mail: orders@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A