Fractions and more! (4.3F and 5.3K)

There's an epidemic spreading throughout our classrooms and it's deadly; a silent killer.

Do you care what that widespread outbreak is? It's the lack of manipulative use in the classroom.

The understanding of fraction concepts...I'm talking the conceptual awareness that is mandatory for students to be successful in computing fractions...is predicated on the concrete foundation of fraction manipulation. When students skip this constructive play time, when we (as teachers) fail to intentionally embed this hands-on time into their lesson plan, we set our students up for a weak, rule-based abstract understanding (or lack thereof) concerning fractions.

Here are a few videos to support a 4th and 5th grade TEKS, respectively:

4.3F (and 4.3E)

5.3K