Equivalent fraction hop mat

The Fraction Walk

Grade 3

Created by:

Math & Movement

Estimated Activity Time:

Standard:

Numbers and Operations- Fractions

Concept(s):

Fractions equivalent to whole numbers

Activity Instructions

Let’s start off with a question: how many halves are in five?

Have your student count how many halves are in five by stepping on each half while counting their steps from one to ten. If your student’s counting is out of sync with their steps, have them go back and start over. To help them emphasize each whole number, you can have them hop to the middle box after reaching the fraction that equals a whole. The student hops on ½ and says, “One half.” The student hops on 2/2 and says, “Two halves equal one whole” as they hop to the one. Continue with this pattern until they reach five.

Knowledge of skip counting helps students understand fractions. If your student knows how to skip count by twos, and can see that there are two halves in each of the whole numbers, then they can skip count to figure out how many halves are in the other numbers on the mat. To figure out how many halves are in three, have your student count 2-4-6. To figure out how many halves are in five, count 2-4-6-8-10. To figure out how many quarters are in fives, count 4-8-12-16-20.

When students become solid with multiplication, they can multiply to find the number of halves in any whole number. For example, to figure out how many halves are in four, they multiply two times four. To figure out how many quarters are in five, multiply four times five.

Have them do the same activity with fourths once they are comfortable with halves.


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