Activity Title - Who Wants Pie?

Goal/Objective

To understand the basic concept of fractional parts.

Lesson Outline/Introduction

Fractions are often difficult for students to understand. For many adult students, the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions is where their math ended.

Activity

Provide students with a pie (circle) cut into several pieces. Use this manipulative to teach students fractional parts of a whole and how to use the pieces to perform calculations. For example, add 2/7 to 3/7. Students would cut the pie into seven pieces and take out two pieces and three pieces to equal five of the seven pieces. In order for a student to multiply 3/7 and 3/7, they would take nine and place them together. Since the pie is in sevenths, the student will notice that they have a whole pie, plus two out of the seven for a second pie or 2/7. Therefore, the answer is 1 and 2/7. Work several different types of problems using the same procedure.

Debriefing/Evaluation Activity

Have students create their own fraction problems and demonstrate to the class how to solve problems using pie pieces.

Materials, Texts, Realia, Handouts

Real-Life Connection

Brainstorm different ways that students use fractions in their everyday lives. Some examples could be cooking, baking, sewing, carpentry work, lawn maintenance, etc.

Activity Title - Who Wants Pie?

Introduction

Ask: Has anyone ever baked a pie or a cake then had to cut it evenly into a certain number of pieces? How many pieces can you cut a pie?

Main Activity

Say: Say: When you work with fractions, it's like cutting that pie into seven different pieces, then each piece is a part of the whole or 1/7. A fraction is part of the whole. Today we are going to use pie charts that are cut into different size pieces. Some pie charts are cut in seven and some are cut in eight pieces, and etc. Using the different pies we are going to solve problems involving fractions.

Provide all students with a pie or circle cut into several pieces. Use the pie to teach the fractional parts of a whole. Also explain how to use the charts to calculate basic math functions. The first example would be to add 2/7 and 3/7. Have the students cut the pie into seven pieces and take two pieces and then three pieces out of the pie. The student would then add the pieces to equal five of the seven pieces. Another example is to multiply 3/7 and 3/7; the student would take nine pieces and place them together. Because the pie was cut into sevenths, the students can see that the pieces form one whole pie with two piece left to make a second pie. The answer would be 1 and 2/7. Have the student work more problems that are similar to the examples.

Closure/Conclusion

Say: As you can see, fraction problems are easy to solve when you think about this concept. Now, it is your turn to do some more problems. Write down a fraction problem for the class to solve. Create pie chart to help you. When you are done, share your equation with the class and show them how you used the chart to solve the problem.

Debriefing/Evaluation Activity

Show students a chocolate bar that is divided into equal squares. Discuss how the chocolate bar is equal to one whole or one. Brainstorm all the different fractional parts of the candy bar. Write the students' answers on the board. Make sure the students understand different equivalencies.