Activity Title - "Cooking for the Hordes"

Goal/Objective

Students will be able to covert fractions to decimals and decimals back to fractions.

Lesson Outline

Review conversion of fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions.

Introduction

Pass out the banana-nut recipe to students and discuss the need to increase its ingredients by 50% in order to feed the "hungry hordes."

Activity

Divide the class into groups of three. Each group will work together to compute increase in recipe's ingredients by 50%. Each will have a specific task to achieve that end. Then the group is given a calculator to check answers.

Debriefing/Evaluation Activity

Groups share results and any discrepancies are discussed.

Materials, Texts, Realia, Handouts

Real-Life Connection

Recipes are frequently increased or decreased by a specific percent, depending on need.

Activity Title - "Cooking for the Hordes"

Introduction

Say: Thank you for bringing your own traditional family recipe from home as directed. Yesterday we tasted banana-nut bread, which I gave you my recipe, that makes one large or two smaller cakes. Most often, I make three smaller Bundt cakes by increasing each ingredient 50%. We have just reviewed changing fractions to decimals. Today, we will rewrite the recipe, using the skills we have learned.

Main Activity

Divide the class into groups of three.

Say: Your challenge is to accurately increase the proportions. One of you needs to act as a recorder. Another will do the calculations by hand. The third person will then use a calculator to check answers when all figuring has been completed. Each group may decide who does what. The groups will record results in both fractions and decimals.

Closure/Conclusion

Teacher calls on all groups for their results and records responses on the board. Any discrepancies are discussed.

Follow-up lessons/Activities

Students will be asked to half the ingredients in the "traditional family" recipe they brought from home and show their work (calculations) to prove accuracy.