Single Fraction Pointer

What is Single Fraction Pointer?

This activity allows the user to visually experiment with the relationship between the value of fractions and areas within a square or a circle. The activity provides the user with a fraction, a shape, and a number line. Each shape is connected to a point on the number line corresponding to the fraction of the shape colored in. The user begins with empty shapes, with the pointer pointing to zero. As the user colors the desired sections, the pointer moves along the number line corresponding to the fraction of the shape that bas been colored.

How Do I Use This Activity?

This activity allows the user to practice fraction skills. The user has to illustrate a single fraction randomly set by the application.

Controls and Output

  • Controls and Output:

    This activity requires you to create a diagram of the fraction by dividing a square or circle into equal parts and coloring in the appropriate areas.

    You can choose from two different types of fraction diagrams in the Choose Shape pull-down menu: square or circle. If you change shapes in the middle of a problem, all your work to that point will be lost.

  • Below is an example of the square fraction diagram. You can change the number of columns by using the -Col button to remove columns and the +Col button to add columns. You can change the number of rows by using the +Row and -Row buttons. To color a section in the diagram, click the section. You can un-color a section by clicking it again. As you click on a column and or row the arrow will move closer or father away from the fraction on the number line.
  • Below is an example of the circular fraction diagram. You can change the number of sections by using the +Sec button to add sections and the -Sec button to remove sections. To color a section in the diagram, click the section. You can un-color a section by clicking it again. As you click on a section the arrow will move closer or father away from the fraction on the number line.
  • For each fraction, you should make the colored part of the diagram equal to the corresponding fraction on the number line. Then click the Check button for each diagram to check your answer. If the diagram is correct, the word "Correct" will be printed on top of the diagram; if it isn't correct, the word "Incorrect" will be printed instead. If your answer is incorrect, you can try again.
  • At any time during the activity, you can click the Start Over button or the Next Question button. The Start Over button will restart the current question from the very beginning. The Next Question button will set up for a new question with new boundary fractions.

Scoring

  • This activity will automatically record how successful you are at answering the questions. To view the score, press the Show Score button at the bottom of the activity and a pop-up window will appear with the scoreboard. To close this pop-up window press the Close button or click back on the main window.
  • To pause the scoring, press the Active button at the bottom of the screen and it will change to a Paused button. To resume scoring, press the Paused button.
  • To reset the scoreboard, open the scoreboard using the Show Score button and then press the Reset button.

Description

This activity allows the user to visually experiment with the relationship between the value of fractions and areas within a square or a circle. This activity would work well in groups of two to four for about 10 minutes.

Place in Mathematics Curriculum

This activity can be used to:

  • Practice dividing a whole into a fraction
  • Visualize fractions on a number line
  • Develop methods to estimate the values of fractions

Standards Addressed

Grade 3

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of simple fractions with denominators 2, 3, 4, or 10.

Grade 4

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of fractions with denominators 2 through 12.

Grade 5

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of positive fractions with denominators 1 through 12 and 100 with proper and mixed numbers and benchmark percents (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%).

Grade 6

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of fractions (proper or mixed numbers), decimals, percents (whole number), or integers.
    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of fractions, mixed numbers, or percents.

Grade 7

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of rational numbers (fractions, decimals, percents, or integers).
    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of positive fractions, decimals, or percents.

Grade 8

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of real numbers.
    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of rational numbers (fractions, decimals, or percents including integers).

Grade 9

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of real numbers.

Grade 10

  • Numeration

    • The student demonstrates conceptual understanding of real numbers.

Third Grade

  • Number and Operations-Fractions

    • Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.

Fourth Grade

  • Number and Operations-Fractions

    • Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers.

Grades 6-8

  • Numbers and Operations

    • Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another

Grade 4

  • Number and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Data Analysis and Probability, Algebra

    • COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.

Grade 5

  • Number and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Data Analysis and Probability, Algebra

    • COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will understand and compute with non-negative rational numbers.

Grade 3

  • Geometry and Spatial Reasoning

    • 10. The student recognizes that a line can be used to represent numbers and fractions and their properties and relationships. The student is expected to locate and name points on a number line using whole numbers and fractions, including halves and fourths.

  • Number, Operation, and Quantitative Reasoning

    • 2. The student uses fraction names and symbols (with denominators of 12 or less) to describe fractional parts of whole objects or sets of objects.

Grade 4

  • Geometry and Spatial Reasoning

    • 10. The student recognizes the connection between numbers and their properties and points on a line. The student is expected to locate and name points on a number line using whole numbers, fractions such as halves and fourths, and decimals such as tenths.

  • Number, Operation, and Quantitative Reasoning

    • 2. The student describes and compares fractional parts of whole objects or sets of objects.

3rd Grade

  • Number and Number Sense

    • 3.05a The student will divide regions and sets to represent a fraction;
    • 3.05b The student will name and write the fractions represented by a given model (area/region, length/measurement, and set). Fractions (including mixed numbers) will include halves, thirds, fourths, eighths, and tenths.

Be Prepared to

  • Give explicit directions on what they are to do. For example "Today we are going to use the numberline and practice dividing shapes into fractions."
  • Discuss different methods to mentally approximate fractions.
  • Answer the question, "Why does the pointer point to zero at the beginning?"