Fraction Frustration Problem Solving Project Carolyn Curran

Problem Students who do not master fractions are unable to progress at an age-appropriate level through mathematics curriculum.

Problem Analysis Things “click” for students when they can relate what they are learning to everyday activities. Fractions are hard to visualize. Students struggle with wrapping their brains around a problem involving fractions because they can’t associate it with something familiar. Student performance demonstrated that when solving problems involving equivalent fractions, students were able to compute correct answers only 50% of the time.

Plan Development and Implementation Manipulatives and visual models were used to demonstrate solutions through guided practice using 3 phases: I DO WE DO YOU DO The Graph Paper Fractions Book, otherwise known as Fractions Cake Book by Herb Clemens was the curriculum used.

Phase 1 – I DO Teacher demonstrates the skill Example problem: Suppose there are 4 people sitting around the dinner table. Everybody has ate their veggies and now it’s time for dessert. We’re having cake and everybody likes cake a lot. Nobody is feeling generous and so we have to give each person exactly the same amount. Here is our cake. It has 12 pieces. Each person can have 3 pieces. This is how much cake each person gets. Nobody is jealous because everyone get the same amount. We that the part of the cake each person gets is one-fourth of the cake. One-fourth is how much of the cake each person gets when there are four people at the table. So here is a picture that says the same thing. Instead of always writing “One-fourth of the cake”, we can make things easier by using numbers 1414 Another way of saying this is that each person got 3 of the 12 pieces or 3. 12

Phase 2 – WE DO Teacher guides students through skills using oral responses, manipulatives, and board work – Example problem Let’s make a whole page of one-fourths You draw some cakes that work when there are four people at the table.

Phase 3 – YOU DO The learner is asked to show that they know how to perform the task – Example problem: – It is another day in another house, but someone has been baking again. Today though, there are three people at the table. Which of these cakes can we serve in this house today? Remember, we want to give each person at the table the same number of pieces and we don’t want to have any cake left over. Also, these cakes are already cut into nice square pieces for us. We can’t cut the pieces up any more.

Data Collected

Plan Evaluation Data Analysis – Pretest class average : 50% – Post test class average : 90% – 100% of students improved their scores – Biggest class gain was between the pretest and assessment 1 – Student M made the most progress between pre and post test – 70% increase

Plan Evaluation Intervention Effectiveness – The desired outcome was met: Student are able to identify equivalent fractions using fraction pictures, manipulatives, and basic math problems with at least 85% accuracy in two out of three probes. -Conclusion -Using manipulatives and visual models better demonstrates solutions to problems involving fractions than just presenting a rule and repetitiously practicing.