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Understanding Fractions

ELD 375 Sarah Jacobs Kelly Collova Alicia Govannicci

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Focus Problem

Grandma Sally loves baking breakfast muffins. She just recently found a new recipe for blue berry muffins. Grandma Sally is so excited to bake the muffins for her grandchildren! She took out all the ingredients but realized she was missing some of the measuring cups. She only has 1/3, 1/8, and 2/5 measuring cups. Grandma Sally realizes this is a huge problem because she needs: o 2/3 cups of flour. o 1/2 cup of granulated sugar o 1 1/3 cups of blue berries What measuring cups does Grandma Sally have to use in order to get the exact measurements she needs to make the recipe?

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What is the least number of scopes that she can use in order to get cup of sugar?

Show your work and explain your process. Be prepared to justify your answer. You may use any manipulatives or drawings to help you. Make sure to have your explanation in written form as well: Explain the reason why you decided to use the method that you did:

Knowing all you have learned previously about fractions, are there other methods you could have used to figure out the
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problem? Describe your answer and show an example of the other method(s).

Materials Needed For BIM Materials: Muffin problem Sandwich worksheet Pencil Eraser Dot paper Pattern Blocks Pencil
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Scrap paper

Understanding Fractions

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Early Elementary School Activity Grades K-1

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Lucys favorite meal of the day is lunch. She takes the same sandwich to lunch everyday. Her mother likes to cut her sandwich into two equal pieces. How many ways can Lucys mother cut her sandwich into equal pieces? Or is there only one way for her mother to cut her sandwich into equal pieces? Explain your answers. Materials: Sandwich square worksheet Pencil Eraser Dot paper Using the dot paper, draw each equal cut that Lucys mother can make in the sandwich.

How many different ways can Lucys mother cut the sandwich?

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Does each way represent equal pieces? The next day Lucy was wondering if she can cut her sandwich into four equal pieces called quarters. Can a square be broken up into four equal pieces? If so how many ways can she share her sandwich with four friends, so they have equal pieces?

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Draw the lines on the squares below to represent the different ways Lucy can make four equal pieces.

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Understanding Fractions

Middle Elementary School Activity Grades 2-3

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Harry had some friends over for a day full of sled riding and snowball fighting! At different times throughout the day, his friends had to take a break and go inside to warm up. Harrys mom had cocoa mix and warm water to make hot chocolate with so that they can warm up. For each cup of hot chocolate, the kids needed to add 1 cup of warm water to the cocoa mix, but they got tired of waiting their turn to use the 1 cup measuring cup. Instead, some kids decided to use these measuring cups: 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, and 1/8. Using any combination of those measuring cups, how many different ways can you find to make 1 cup?

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How did you organize your ideas to make sure that you thought of all the combinations?

Did you seem to use one measuring cup most often? Why?

What other measuring cups would be useful?

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What if you needed 2 cups of warm water? Now, how many different kinds of measurements can you use?

Understanding Fractions
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Upper Elementary School Activity Grades 4-5 Julie built the following picture of a flower using pattern blocks. She made the flower for her schools pattern building competition. The winner of the competition will get to go on a math class field trip.

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Materials: Pattern Blocks Pencil

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How many green blocks can you fit into the yellow block?

How many green blocks can you fit into the red block?

How many green blocks would Julie need if she wanted the make the whole flower out of green?

What fraction part of the flower are made out of green blocks?

If Julie were to make the flower out of all blue blocks how many would she need?

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