Many of us enjoyed playing with legos and blocks when we were younger. We used these to build what ever our little imaginations at the time seemed to be fascinated with. These building blocks, no pun intended, are the same philosophy applied to very basics of architecture throughout the world.  Many students also enjoy any type of activity that gets them involved as well as allows them to be able to do something with their hands, which makes this next activity ideal for many students. By having the students use their hands to apply basic mathematical methods and apply these techniques into real life situations, their interest is captured in a great way. (more…)

Teachers can implement a fun game for students that not only give them a chance to have fun learning fractions, but they can also learn how to use fractions in real life. This game incorporates many skills that engage the students and motivate them in wanting to learn more. Some of the skills that are used are many of the fundamentals of math – as well as a variety of other subjects. Several of these skills include adding, creating their own fractions, and the opportunity to use their imagination. By using this innovative lesson plan students will have fun interacting with other students, share ideas, as well as practice their ability to understand fractions.

This game is ideal for students in grades 5-7.  Students will learn how to compare fractions with one another.

Materials:

Mini-smarties candy bag (more…)

Sometimes just being able to attract the student’s attention in class can be a chore in itself, especially if some students are having comprehension issues between different types of math such as Fractions and Probability. This is one of the reasons why math can be challenging for some people to grasp. Unlike other subjects in school like English, Reading, and Comprehension, Math deals with numbers, so this in itself makes it very different then many of the other subjects that people are familiar with and are used to learning. One way that teachers can motivate their students to be able to learn fractions is by incorporating word problems, which are similar to those they will become familiar with in Philosophy class during college. Although that is quite a jump from being a school-aged student to a college aged student, there is nothing better then being able to give them the fundamental skills that will one day help them solve these more complex assignments. One way to accomplish this is by combining English, Probability and Math in to a fun and interesting subject that deals with Fractions and Probability. (more…)

Everyone loves those cute complimentary crispy cookies when enjoying some delightful Asian cuisine. These cookies are not only uniquely aerodynamic, but they have a nice little message inside that is inspirational and uplifting. So why not combine this same concept to your teaching lesson by having your students learn more about fractions by making their own fortune cookies. Throughout the entire process of making these fortune cookies you will also be instructing the class on how to fold the paper which incorporates fractions. This technique will keep them busy, more interested in learning fractions, as well as give them a chance to express their creativity.

Materials:

- Plain white paper, paper color of choice, or color construction paper.

- Markers, crayons or color pencils. (more…)

Teaching fractions is relatively simple when you are at the one-half (1/2) or one-quarter (1/4) but when you start getting into tenths and hundredths it becomes a little more difficult to adequately explain it to children. Graphics are an easy way to show the class so that the concept becomes clearer as you go along. Drawing each section as you explain makes it much easier to understand. (more…)

Fractions such as one quarter or one half are relatively easy to understand particularly in relation to one dollar but when you start getting into other percentages and higher dollar figures, it can become more confusing unless you develop the ability to make it simple for yourself. Percentages will be used often in your daily life – to determine how much to leave for a tip for service in a restaurant or to decide how much of an increase to give someone for a raise. (more…)

The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel paid close attention to “proficiency with fractions…for such proficiency is foundational for algebra and, at the present time, seems to be severely underdeveloped.” This webcast, showcases best practices when it comes to the teaching of fractions. How do teachers and school district personnel ensure deep “conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions,” as stated by the national math panel report …