Ways to Extend the Learning With A Fraction Unit
Here are some ideas for extending the learning beyond traditional fraction lessons.
By Deborah Reynolds
What do you do when a student has mastered all of the skills in your fraction unit? These students are ready to take fractions to a higher level. They usually finish the assignments first and correctly. They don’t want more of the same. What they really want is a challenge and the opportunity to learn something new. Here are some ideas that can heighten any lesson plans while providing for the needs of the students.
Independent Work Centers
Independent work stations are the way to go. It allows students that finish early, or that are ready to move on beyond that day’s lesson, to have an activity that they can do while the teacher continues to work with the students that need to practice. Decide on a place in your room where students can go and work quietly. Label these spaces using colorful baskets or project boards to provide a visual of where each station is located. Spend time discussing independent work centers rules. Some important rules and specifics include asking them to use inside voices, explaining how students should communicate that they need help if you are giving instructions to another student or group, and showing how they are going to be held accountable for the work that they do. Be sure to provide all of the materials that students may need such as markers, colored pencils, computers with Internet service, drawing paper, clay, as well as clear directions. Setting it up this way makes it possible for students to work independently.
Multi-Media Projects for Math
Utilize the computers as a work station. Typically, students create multi-media presentations for science or social studies, but rarely do they get to do the same for math. Students can create a PowerPoint or movie about fractions. They can search for pictures that represent fractions on the Internet and put them in a presentation. They could also personalize it by using a digital camera either at school or at home and taking pictures that represent fractions. They could share this with the class.
Ways to Combine Science and Math
You can also combine math and science for extension activities. Students can observe nature and create fractions about their findings. For example, they can investigate the kinds of flowers found on the school grounds and create a fraction representing the percentage of each kind. They can do the same for trees and insects. This activity can be done in one day or be extended over a period of weeks depending on the kind and amount of data the student needs to collect.
Games, Riddles and Puzzles Can Be Used to Learn Fractions
Logic puzzles and riddles are a great way to add rigor to any content. Math Maven riddles are mystery stories in which students have to use mathematical knowledge in order to solve the mystery. These riddles encourage critical thinking and using problem solving skills.
Enhance any fractions unit with fun and engaging activities. Provide open-ended choices that reach all learning styles. Give students the opportunity to take fractions beyond the objectives.
Fraction Lessons:
You can use this lesson to make a real-life connection to fractions. Students incorporate real pictures in a PowerPoint to show how fractions are visible in daily life. This lesson can be extended by having students take their own pictures and putting them in a PowerPoint.
Here is a hands-on lesson that brings out the student’s creativity. Provide students with colorful squares of construction paper. They use fractions to design a quilt. Modify the lesson by using actual fabric pieces added to a 12” x 12” piece of felt. The students must be able to explain the fractions used to design the quilt.
Birds, Fractions, and Percentages
Tie math and science together! Students observe the local population of birds. They record the species seen and create fractions and percentages representing the number of species in their area.
In this lesson, logic and fractions are combined to create a fun challenge. Students have three different riddles to solve that involve fractions. Further extension ideas are included in this lesson for students ready to go beyond the challenge here.
