Cynthia Lanius

No Matter What Shape

Your Fractions are In
.
|

Exploring the Shapes

1. Can you name the 4 geometric
figures?
2. What fun! Experiment online with
the shapes. (If you have a JAVAcapable browser). This will open a
new window and you can move
back and forth between the
problems below and the online
pattern blocks.
3. Print, color, and cut out these
shapes to explore their various
relations.
4. Print this page and color the four
shapes on the triangle grid.

Determining the Relations

Use the figures you colored to answer the following questions.
1. How many

are in

2. How many

are in

3. How many

?
?

are in

4. How many

are in

5. How many

are in

6. How many

are in

Based on these relations,

7. If

= 1,

8. If

= 1,

9. If

= 1,

10. If

= 1,

= ___ .
= ___ .

Check your answers.

lanius@math.rice.edu
June 1997-2004 by Cynthia Lanius

= ___ .
= ___ .

More Fun Fractions

.
|
Let's do some really fun ones.

1. If

2. If

3. If

= 1, what is

= 1, what is

= 1, what is

4. If

= 1, what is

5. If

= 1, what is

Drawing Fun Fractions

.

Print this page, and on the grid below, draw your answers as polygons. Warning! These
are a challenge, but fun to figure out! Here's an extra piece of grid paper if you need to
experiment more. Or if you have a JAVA capable browser you can explore online.
1. If

= 2/3, what is 1?

2. If
3. If

+
+

= 4/5, what is 2/5?

= 3/4, what is 1/2?

4. If

= 5/8, what is 3/4?

5. If

= 1 1/3, what is 2/3 ?

Check Your Answers

New Internet Project

Make up your own fractions problem using the shapes, email me the problem and the
answer, and I will post it here for others to try. See the responses.
lanius@math.rice.edu

| No Matter What Shape | Fun Fractions | Drawing Fun Fractions | Designer Fractions |
| Teachers' Notes | Math Forum's Fraction Tour | More Math Lessons |

lanius@math.rice.edu
Copyright June 1997-2004 by Cynthia Lanius

Designer Fractions
.

Multiple Choice
1. What fraction of the design is blue?
A. 4/24 = 2/12 = 1/6
B. 6/24 = 3/12 = 1/4
C. 8/24 = 4/12 = 1/3
2. What fraction of the design is red?
A. 4/24 = 2/12 = 1/6
B. 6/24 = 3/12 = 1/4
C. 8/24 = 4/12 = 1/3
3. What fraction of the design is yellow?
A. 4/24 = 2/12 = 1/6
B. 6/24 = 3/12 = 1/4
C. 8/24 = 4/12 = 1/3
4. What fraction of the design is green?
A. 4/24 = 2/12 = 1/6
B. 6/24 = 3/12 = 1/4
C. 8/24 = 4/12 = 1/3

You Be the Designer

Use the four shapes and their colors to design a figure on the triangle grid below.
Calculate the fractional part of each color. If you can color it electronically with your
computer, email it to me and I will post it here.

Investigate Line Symmetry . It can save you work!

| lanius@math.rice.edu
Copyright June 1997-2004 by Cynthia Lanius

Cynthia Lanius

Fraction Shapes
- Teachers' Notes
A Pattern-Block Activity
.
| No Matter What Shape | Fun Fractions | Drawing Fun Fractions | Designer Fractions |
| Teachers' Notes | Math Forum's Fraction Tour | More Math Lessons |

Description:These activities are designed to cause students to think; they are not
algorithmic. They do not say, To add fractions, do step one, step two, step three. Students
will explore geometric models of fractions and discover relations among them.
Appropriate Grades: 3rd - 6th, maybe. But precocious kindergarteners could do some
of it, and middle schoolers needing another look at fractions could appreciate it as well.
"Drawing Fun Fractions" would be good for most middle school students.
Lesson Procedures: Students will reinforce their knowledge of fractions by using online
pattern block activities. The lessons are designed for students to work independently or
with guidance from the teacher. Lessons should be printed so students can draw and color
the appropriate shapes.
Mathematics Topics: Identifying fractional values, equivalent fractions, adding and
subtracting fractions, ordering fractions, and identifying geometric figures and their
properties
Connecting Mathematics:

Connects math, art, writing, and technology

Connects arithmetic and geometry

Materials and media: A computer with Internet access, graphics and printing
capabilities. Pattern blocks are helpful. If you don't have access to pattern blocks, you can
print these models and color and laminate, if possible. Lessons can be done on- or offline, but should even be printed for on-line use. If you have a JAVA compatible browser
you can explore the shapes online.
Assessment: Questions are included with each section. To further assess learning in the
classroom, have students create (and solve) a worksheet of 6-8 more problems like the
ones contained in these activities.

Explaining the Math: If you help the students to see the triangle as the basic "counter"
in these activities, the problems become much simpler. Here are three examples.
From No Matter What Shape

6. How many

are in

? 1 1/2

Think of the rhombus as two triangles and the trapezoid as three. So you could divide 3
by 2 and get the answer. Or if you have pattern blocks, you could lay 3 triangles on top of
the trapezoid, and see that two of them make 1 rhombus and the remaining one makes 1/2
of a rhombus.
10. If
=1,
=___? 2/3
If the trapezoid = 1, then the triangle = 1/3. Now think of the trapezoid as three triangles,
or 3/3. The rhombus = two triangles, or 2/3.
From Draw Fun Fractions

1. If

= 2/3, what is 1?

Use the triangle again as a counter, so this sum has 4 triangles. Four triangles = 2/3, so 2
triangles = 1/3, and 6 triangles (a hexagon) = 3/3 or one.
| No Matter What Shape | Fun Fractions | Drawing Fun Fractions | Designer Fractions |
| Teachers' Notes | Math Forum's Fraction Tour | More Math Lessons |

Copyright July, 1997-2004 Cynthia Lanius