'Introduction to fractions' tutor notes
The 'Introduction to fractions' module is aimed at Entry Level 3 of the Basic Skills Curriculum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It can be used as a lead in to the subject for those studying for Level 1.
This module covers material in N2/E3.1 by looking at what simple fractions are, how they are written in figures and in words, and the relationship between dividing a whole into equal parts and unit fractions.
Equivalent fractions and fractions equal to 1 (N2/E3.2) are also touched on in the factsheets, worksheets, activity and in the quiz.
We'd love to hear your comments on the module; do you like the activity and the factsheets? What do you think of the worksheets, and quiz? Send in your and your students' feedback to skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk.
How does this tie in with the new curriculums?
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England
N2/E3.1 - Read, write and understand common fractions.
N2/E3.2 - Recognise and use equivalent forms
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Wales
As England.
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Northern Ireland
As England.
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Scotland
See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.
In the Skillswise module you'll find:
Introduction to fractions activities
There are two related activities in this module that can be used for investigation by learners and demonstration by the tutor. In the first activity fractions are represented in four ways: by filling jugs with water, by shading figures in a group, by dividing up a pizza and by cutting up a bar of chocolate. In the second two fractions are represented side by side, in exactly the same four ways, to make comparisons possible.
The learner can experiment freely by creating fractions from the numbers 1 to 10 at side of the screen. The fractions created are represented in the graphics. (Fractions greater than one or with zero on the bottom both cause pop-up messages and the activity continues.) The learner can experiment with changing the denominator and numerator and seeing the same fraction represented in four different ways.
Both activities are open-ended and could be used to set investigations and tasks for the learner. For example the first could be used as follows:
- keep the number on the bottom the same and increase (or decrease) the number on top by one each time.
- keep the top number the same and change the bottom number by one each time.
- find fractions that equal 1.
The second activity could be used to investigate and compare fractions, for example by finding as many fractions as you can that match a given fraction.
TOP TIP! To see the activity completely full screen, press the F11 key on the keyboard. This takes away the distraction of the top browser bar. To bring the browser bar back, just press F11 again!
To play the activity you will need to have Flash Version 5 plug-in for you browser. If you are not sure just give it a go. If it doesn't work then see the 'Technical help' section below on this page on how to get the Flash plug-in.
Introduction to fractions factsheets
You'll find curriculum references in the top right corner of the factsheets.
There are eight factsheets for this module, each on 'print-out-and-keep' sheets:
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Factsheet 1 - What is a fraction and writing it in figures
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Factsheet 2 - Fractions of a whole, using denominator and numerator
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Factsheet 3 - Fractions represented graphically that are the same
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Factsheet 4 - Fractions in words
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Factsheet 5 - Fractions with numerator greater than 1 written in words and figures
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Factsheet 6 - Fractions used in a newspaper article
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Factsheet 7 - Equivalent fractions
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Factsheet 8 - Fractions that equal 1
Introduction to fractions worksheets
There are 4 worksheets. You'll find curriculum references in the top right hand corner of the worksheets. They are printable resources to carry on the work learners have done online.
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Worksheet 1 - Match fractions in figures to diagrams
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Worksheet 2 - Draw diagrams to represent fractions and investigate different ways of doing the same one over again
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Worksheet 3 - Diagrams showing fractions equivalent to
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Worksheet 4 - Recognising equivalent fractions and fractions equal to 1 (all written in figures)
Introduction to fractions quiz
The quiz has questions on recognising diagram and picture representations of fractions and recognising equivalent fractions.
The learner can choose their level. Level A is the easiest, level C the hardest.
Students can print out a certificate if they score 50% or more in the quiz. This will appear as a link on the results page - click on the link and the certificate will appear in a new window. Students can write their name on the certificate once it's printed.
Technical help:
To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':
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Flash
The game in this topic section uses Flash. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
Find out more.
If you don't have Flash the same learning points are covered in the quiz and in the worksheets and factsheets.
If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.
Get WebWise.
You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.
Taking it further:
With Skillswise
When covering this topic your students might like to try some In the news quizzes which contain questions on comparing common fractions:
Find more In the news archive stories.
Don't forget to visit Lesson plans and Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching fractions.
With the web
Here are some suggestions of other places on the web you might find useful for teaching fractions:
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Visual fractions
An American website which offers instruction and practice in identifying, renaming, and operating on fractions. All examples are modelled with number lines or circles.
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University of Plymouth
Interactive, clickable fractions diagrams and questions. Your answers are marked as you go with a score updated at the bottom of the page. The page is part of the University of Plymouth's innovation in teaching maths section.
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Mathsnet
Mathsnet is a site with interactive visual representations of fractions, and many other resources. Follow the 'What fractions look like' link on the above page to see the interactive diagrams.
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KS2 Bitesize
Bitesize is a site linked to the Key Stage 2 National Tests. In the Fractions and Percentages sections there are activities, printable factsheets, worksheets and tests.
Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.
Do you know of any great online resources for fractions? Tell us about
them!
