I always use Hershey bars to look at twelfths. Each student divides his bar into two groups of six pieces and discover that 6/12 =1/2. Then we eat two pieces and find that 5/10 is also equal to 1/2. We carry on this way eating and hopefully learning. The kids love it and chocolate makes my day!
We have done the Hershey's bar too. There is a great book by the same name to teach fractions. I have also had the kids create fraction pictures with real life objects. We put them (the pictures) into Powerpoint, add the text to explain our fraction, add some effects and we have a great technology enhanced lesson. The kids few it during computer time. It shows on our tv during school functions and we print it to have in our reading center. The kids love it.
Sorry to get off subject, but I notice that many teachers on this board use food in their lessons or activities. I also used to do that but our state has enforced a NO FOOD policy. Teachers could loose their certification if they are caught doing it.
Any other states out there like this?
By the way, it came about due to the fact that so many children are overweight and they wanted to get away from sweet treats as rewards for doing good in school.
Yikes! In what state do you teach? I agree that too many kids are overweight but, gosh, you have to have a little fun in the classroom. I guess I should appreciate the freedom I have.
I'd like to hear more about the powerpoint lesson. Does everyone do their own? Or does each person do their own slide? That sounds like a really cute lesson that I will have to try. Any info would be helpful.
I wrote a poem for my students one year. That really helped them understand fractions. This group is pretty quick, and I don't think it will be that much trouble.
We made a class show. We walked around the school in small groups armed with cameras and looked for fractions occuring in our school. Each child had to find one scene to capture with the camera. Another group stayed in the classroom and created their fractions with classroom materials. Example- 10 pencils. 9 were yellow and one was red. Then the small groups would come to our computer and insert their picture. Each child then inserted text boxes to type in the fractions. Example- 9/10 of the pencils are yellow. 1/10 of the pencils are red. 9/10 + 1/10= 10/10 They could choose the fonts and colors and such... they used word art to add their names. They loved it! We also do one using multiplication. When I go to school on Monday I will look for the fraction one. I lost many files last year when something crashed at work! GRRRRR! If I don't have it, we are going to be making a book in a few weeks and I would love to post it for you.
I love your idea of walking around the school to look for fractions, lismac. If your crunched for time, though, you can also have the students stand in different-sized groups and take pictures of them. The students have really liked this in the past. They can write things like, "2/5 of the students are wearing glasses" or "1/4 of the students have red hair." My students have liked this in the past, because it is about themselves.
I teach in TX too and I had no idea we could lose our certification. I use food for lessons but not very often. Our principals don't really care. At least I don't think they do. Thanks for the heads up!!
I am interested in which states have this also. It really stinks!
Tennessee is on this health kick too. I understand it to a point but I do not think that kids are overweight because of what they eat from 8-3. It is the 3-10 or later that is causing the obesity!
North Carolina has that rule that you can not feed children anything homemade, it has to be fed to them after the last lunch is served and store bought. We are eventually not going to have food at all. Right now the only time we have parties is at Christmas and the end of the year party.
We cannot have any junkfood in our schools, so we get the students to design their own pizza on a small paper plate. Then, we fold it and cut it in half,cut it, and write 1/2 on one side. We fold the half that isn't written on in half, cut it, and write 1/4. This process continies until you get to 1/16. The peices are small enough they fit in a Ziploc bag. Each student keeps their pizza in their binder and when we are comparing fractions, they can take it out and use it. (3rd grade) They really enjoy decorating their own pizza and the activity is concrete enought that they can grasp the concept. Also, unlike dividing food, they can go back to it over and over again. Just a suggestion.
One activity that went over pretty well with my class was putting fractions in order. After completing a lesson on comparing fractions, each student was given a fraction on a 3x5 card and asked to tape it to their chest. Then they were instructed to line up in order from greatest to least. After they had completed the task, after much deliberation, I informed them of the correct order. They did pretty well considering there were fifteen students.
02-22-2007, 02:50 PM
Thanks for the heads up!! 
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