Fractions

Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions can be confusing and even intimidating to many students. LEARN NC has put together a list of the best lesson plans and websites available to help your students learn about and be comfortable with fractions.

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Related pages

• Math Fun: We have compiled some of our favorite mathematics instructional resources to help students develop a sense of numbers and how they are used by us everyday. Students will have fun practicing their skills and trying new problem-solving ideas.
• In math, "elegant" means "cool"!: An elegant solution to a math problem is one that requires less time and work. Encouraging students to find such solutions will help them build number sense or numeracy.
• Fractions on Kid Pix: Students will create illustrations of fractions as parts of a whole and parts of a set using Kid Pix computer program.

Related topics

• Learn more about fractions, mathematics, and numbers.

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You can help! LEARN NC needs your help in building our collection in this area. If you have used an innovative method of teaching fractions that proved successful or know of resources on the web to help teachers build students’ understanding of fractions, please contact us and let us know about them.

Lesson plans

Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators/The Numbers Tell LCD

Students will be able to find the Lowest Common Denominator by using prime factors. They will then add the fractions. This method was developed for students who have problems guessing and checking.

Communicating about Mathematics Using Games

This e-example from Illuminations contains an interactive version of a game that can be used in the grades 3-5 classroom to support students’ learning about fractions.

Investigating Equivalent Fractions with Relationship Rods

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students investigate the length model by working with relationship rods to find equivalent fractions.

I Have, Who Has…?

A chain drill involving teacher made cards on the skills of adding and subtracting fractions, and equivalent fractions. In this chain activity the student chosen to begin the chain will read the card aloud and then wait for the next participant to read the only card that would correctly follow the progression. Play continues until all of the cards are read and the initial student is ready to read his card for the second time.

Domino Fractions

This is a review activity on the lesson of adding and simplifying fractions. This activity will provide a new approach to seeing a fraction and simplifying it, and the activity will allow students to set up and solve equations. This activity also works for subtraction of fractions.

Websites

Mathematics Lessons that are Fun, Fun, Fun!

Challenges in math and problems to solve for students of all ages. “Who Wants Pizza,” an online fractions lesson for students, is available in English and Spanish.

BBC Skillswise

The BBC Skillswise site offers comprehensive resources to teach and learn about fractions, including factsheets, activities, worksheets, and quizzes. Topics include comparing fractions to percentages and decimals, simplifying fractions, and finding fraction parts.

AAA Math

AAA Math provides free, online, interactive exercises and problems for grades K-8 mathematics. Fraction resources are divided into topics and lessons. Each lesson includes an explanation of the concept, interactive exercises that provide immediate feedback, and games for practice.

Math Fact Cafe

Math aids for grades 1 through 5, including online quizzes, flashcards, and printable worksheets. Includes worksheets for teaching fractions to grades 3 and 4.

Math Frog

Offers interactive games to help students learn mathematics in a fun way.

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics

Interactive math problems for students grades pre-kindergarten through 12. The grade level interactives in numbers and operations offer a number of problems involving fractions.

Project Interactivate

Online tools and interactive applets to help math make sense to secondary students. “Interactivated” lessons, discussions, and activities enable the teacher to extend hands-on activities and to teach new content areas with professional competence and confidence, incorporating technology in appropriate ways.

A Plus Math

Generate customized fraction worksheets from A Plus Math. The site lets you choose the type of operation, number of problems, and difficulty level.