Illustrative Mathematics
Dividing by One-Half
Understanding when to divide by two or one-half can be confusing. Here is an activity that gives four different scenarios. It is up to your number crunchers to decide if they divide by two or one-half. The easiest way to approach the...
Lakeshore Learning
Equivalent Fraction Activities
Spin the wheel of the fraction contraption and learn about equivalent fractions! After constructing their own spinners, kids use printable pizzas to represent fractions that are equal in value.
Illustrative Mathematics
Explaining Fraction Equivalence with Picture
Visual models are a great tool for demonstrating the concept of equivalent fractions. Given two pictures, young mathematicians first identify each fraction and then write an explanation for why they are equivalent. Use as a guided...
Illustrative Mathematics
Representing Half of a Circle
Geometric shapes make great visual models for introducing young mathematicians to the concept of fractions. Looking at a series of four circles, young scholars are asked to determine whether or not one half of each circle is shaded. To...
Illustrative Mathematics
Drinking Juice, Variation 3
It is up to the learner to find the amount of juice originally in a bottle, knowing what fraction of the juice is left, and the amount that has been consumed. The accompanying commentary provides a useful and detailed description of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Locating Fractions Less than One on the Number Line
Understanding where to place a fraction on a number line is key to understanding fractions as numbers. This activity focuses on locating fractions less than one. Learners need to partition the line into the correct number of equal sized...
Curated OER
Finding the Area of Polygons
Third graders are exposed to finding the area of polygons by decomposing figures and recomposing them into rectangles. This strategy allows children to expand on their prior knowledge of constructing shapes by rearranging parts into...
Curated OER
Carbon 14 Dating, Variation 2
Your archaeologists begin this task with a table of values to estimate the time passed based on the half-life of Carbon 14 remaining in a plant. They then move on to find when a specific amount of Carbon 14 is present in the same plant,...
Illustrative Mathematics
Running to School, Variation 2
Rose's commute to school is a fractional distance. After she runs part of the way, your class needs to determine what fractional distance she ran. This problem explores fraction operations through modeling and computation. The...
Illustrative Mathematics
Molly's Run
A simple lesson with a lot of support behind it. Your learners will find out how long it takes Molly to run a mile by choosing their solution method. The activity can be used as a lesson or as an independent assignment. Preface with...
Illustrative Mathematics
Cup of Rice
Dividing with fractions is not a favorite task, so provide your learners with a visual understanding. The activity breaks a simple division problem into something they can comprehend. Use this method for future problems with fractions.
Illustrative Mathematics
Comparing Two Different Pizzas
What better way to learn about fractions than with a couple pizzas? Help Jessica figure out how much of the pizza she has eaten, while teaching your class that fractions refer to a specific whole amount. This problem will be challenging...
Illustrative Mathematics
Archimedes and the King's Crown
Learners will shout "Eureka!" in this quick but deep activity replicating the famous bathtub experiment of Archimedes. Given the scenario of a king with a suspected fake crown, young investigators develop formulas using density to...
Illustrative Mathematics
Centerpiece
Learners hear wedding bells in this problem set, as they help a fictional bride plan the centerpieces for her wedding reception. Algebra is married to geometry as volume, aesthetics, and budgeting all come into play. Learners are asked...
Illustrative Mathematics
Making S'Mores
Fifth graders will be clamoring for s'more fractions after they finish this one! Motivated by a chocolate bar used for a yummy campfire treat, learners have to decide how to add fractions without like denominators by discovering the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Identifying Rational Numbers
Eight different numbers are listed for mathematics masters to analyze. They simply tell if each number is rational or irrational. They can also explain their reasoning. A simple and straightforward worksheet that is a handy tool for...
Illustrative Mathematics
Equivalent fractions approach to non-repeating decimals
Trying to get your class to think of decimals as fractions and vice versa can lead to interesting discussions. After all, we can usually understand quickly that 1/4 is .25 but why is 1/7 not so easy to convert? This activity looks at...
Illustrative Mathematics
Operations on the Number Line
A different way to look at integers is on this number line with variables in place of numbers. Learners are to look at different expressions and describe why they think the answer would be positive or negative, depending on the location...