Numeracy in action assignment

2. The Issue
A student’s inability to understand and communicate the
fraction concept because there is little or no understanding
that equal parts are needed and the process of naming the
parts to provide the fraction name is not internalised (Booker,
Bond, Sparrow & Swan, 2010, p. 158).
The likely origins of these issues
Using mainly circular shapes to teach the concept of
fractions can contribute for having little or no
understanding that equal parts are needed, as the
equality among the parts is not intuitively obvious to
students. When counting the parts to determine a
fraction the learner may use the counting numbers
rather than relating them to the ordinal numbers to give
the fraction name (Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan, 2010,
p. 158).

3. The Fraction Frog Resource Package not only
accommodates for the concept of equal parts and naming
fractions but also is in alignment of the Australian
Curriculum.
Year 1
Recognise and describe one-half as one of two equal parts of a
whole (ACMNA016).
Year 2
Recognise and interpret common uses of halves, quarters and
eighths of shapes and collections (ACMNA033)
Year 3
Model and represent unit fractions including ½, ¼, 1/3 , 1/5 and
their multiples to a complete whole (ACMNA058)
(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority,
n.d.).
Fraction Frogs and the
Australian Curriculum

4. Using paint on the computer to draw fractions
• Students will spin the spinner and draw on paint what fraction
name is displayed. For example if they spun fifths they would
draw:
The AAMT (2014) recommend
avoiding pre-divided shapes.
Instead encourage students to
focus on trying to make the parts
the same size.
• Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan (2010, p. 156) advise that it is
best to begin with rectangles and then move onto other
shapes.
Extension- Colour a fraction game
Using the range of shapes created on paint students will now
pair up and spin a 1-10 spinner and the spinner from the
previous activity. Students must then locate the shape that
shows the number of parts indicated by the fraction name and
colour it in (use colour fill on paint). If it is not possible to shade
in a fraction because the fraction has already been coloured in
or the fraction name is not possible ‘6 halves’ the player misses
a turn. The player who fills their sheet up first wins the game(
Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan, 2010, p. 156).

5. Play-Doh and
Fractions
• The play-doh provides students with a hands on activity that
gives students the opportunity to cut a range of familiar objects
into equal parts (Siemon et al., 2011, p. 412).
• This activity also encourages using fraction words such as half,
quarter and fifths. Consolidates well-known relationships such
as ‘halves of a cake’ or ‘fourth-parts of a worm’ (Siemon et al.,
2011, p. 412).
• To extend on the activity students can create their own models
to encourage students to think creatively and to evaluate the
suitability of various shapes for representing particular
fractions (Australian Association of Mathematic Teachers
(AAMT), 2014).

6. Name the fraction board game
• Directions- Each player takes a turn a spinning the spinner
and moves their counter to the first shaded region or name
that matches the fraction symbol indicated by the spinner.
The first player to make three laps of the board is the winner.
• According to Booker, Bond, Sparrow and Swan (2010, p. 155)
‘a motivating way of introducing and consolidating the
fraction names is through the use of games that call on
children to name and to match the fractions’.

7. This activity was suggested to assist with using fractional vocabulary by the
Department of Education Western Australia (2013).

8. Fraction Frogs- Sift and Sort
• This sift and sort activity involves
students choosing a card and
evaluating whether they have
equal parts or not equal parts.
The students must then blu-tack
the shape onto the appropriate
side.
• Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan
(2010, p. 159) advise that
students should have the
opportunity to sort shapes that
have been formed into those that
are equal and those that are not
equal.
• Teachers should provide ‘non-
examples’ of fractions (using not
equal parts) so students can
compare the difference in
correlation with fractions having
equal parts (AAMT, 2014).

9. Fraction Game Cards
These fraction game cards represent each fraction in three
different ways (symbol, collection and ordinal number) which
can be used for playing:
• Memory
• Snap
• As mentioned in a previous slide ‘a motivating way of
introducing and consolidating the fraction names is through
the use of games that call on children to name and to match
fractions (Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan, 2010, p. 155).
• Cards can be selected according to the students learning
needs (Siemon et al., 2011, p.431).

10. Fraction Frogs- Paper Folding
• Students fold paper shapes into equal parts and then label the
parts
• This activity was recommended by the AAMT (2014) and links
to the Australian Curriculum content descriptors for year 1,2
and 3.
• Rectangles and squares should be used first as circular regions
may confuse students when trying to achieve equal parts
(AAMT, 2014).

11. Fraction Frogs
Lemonade recipe
Task card
• When using this
recipe students will
have the chance to
use fractional words
to consolidate using
well-known
relationships such as
half of a lemon and
one third of a cup
which links the part
and whole in a more
natural way (Siemon
et al., 2011, 412).

13. References
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) (2014). Top draw teachers: Resources for
teachers of mathematics. Retrieved from
http://topdrawer.aamt.edu.au/index.php/Fractions/Misunderstandings
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (n.d.). The Australian Curriculum v6.0
Mathematics Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum by rows. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/mathematics/Curriculum/F-10
Booker, G., Bond, D., Sparrow, L., & Swan, P. (2010). Teaching Primary Mathematics (4th ed.).
French Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Department of Education Western Australia (2013). First steps in mathematics: Number: Book 1.
Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/stepsresources/detcms/navigation/first-
steps-mathematics/?oid=MultiPartArticle-id-13603817
Siemon, D., Beswick, K., Brady, K., Clark, J., Faragher, R., & Warren, E. (2011). Teaching
mathematics: Foundations to middle years. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University
Press.