Pre-Algebra Lesson 4

Objectives 1. Materials and Handouts 1. Reducing fractions snake cards cut up (STILL NEED TO MAKE CARDS) 2. Candies Time Activity 25 minutes Instruction over reducing fractions 1. Say that today, were going to work on fractions now that you know the basics of working with integers. 2. Define fraction, numerator, denominator and equivalent fraction. 3. Draw 5 equivalent fractions 1. Show that is the same as 2/4 2. Show that 2/3 is the same as 4/6 3. Show that 1/3 is the same as 3/9 4. Show that 2/5 is the same as 4/10 5. Show that is the same as 5/10 4. Now, go through the problems in the class work with the student. Go through very slowly and carefully, making sure they understand each logic jump. Game 1. Play reducing fractions game. Lay 20 cards out in a snake pattern and give each player a marker. We each start on one end of the snake and roll a die- move that many spaces in and reduce the fraction. When we meet in the middle we play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins keeps going and the loser goes back to the beginning of the snake. Whoever gets to the other side first, wins. 1. Help them get a start on the homework. Homework

20 minutes

5 minutes

Pre-Algebra Lesson 4

Name:_______________ Date:_________

Fractions and Reducing Class Work

Equivalent Fractions 1. Define fraction: 3. Define Denominator:

2. Define Numerator:

4. Define Equivalent fractions:

5. Lets draw some equivalent fractions:

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

Fraction:________

6. Using what we did above, lets see if we can come up with some equivalent fractions by drawing pictures.
a. d.

b.

e.

c.

f.

Lets see if we can come up with some rules for what we are doing. First of all, lets look at going from a fraction with a smaller numerator and denominator to an equivalent fraction with a larger numerator and denominator. a. Draw the fraction : i. ii. iii. Now break each piece into 3 pieces. Whats the new fraction? What did you do to the total number of pieces there are? What did you do to the number of shaded pieces there are?

b. Try it one more time. Draw the fraction i. ii. iii. Now break each piece into 2 pieces. Whats the new fraction? What did you do to the total number of pieces there are? What did you do to the number of shaded pieces there are?

c. So if I want to take the fraction and I want to make the total number of pieces 20, how many shaded pieces will I have?

7. Lets try going the other way. I want to take a fraction with a larger number of pieces, and turn it into an equivalent fraction with a fewer number of pieces. a. Draw the fraction : i. Make groups- make sure there are the same number of pieces in each group. Whats the new fraction? ii. iii. What did you do to the total number of pieces there are? What did you do to the number of shaded pieces there are?

b. Draw the fraction : iv. Make groups- make sure there are the same number of pieces in each group. Whats the new fraction? v. vi. 8. RULES: What did you do to the total number of pieces there are? What did you do to the number of shaded pieces there are?

a. When you want to make an equivalent fraction with more pieces we ____________ the numerator and denominator by the same number. b. When you want to make an equivalent fraction with fewer pieces we____________ the numerator and denominator by the same number. 9. Lets try some examples. Try not to use pictures on these. First, identify if we are going to fractions with more pieces or with fewer pieces.
a. c. e.

b.

d.

f.

10.

And some more examples. This time, are we going to fractions with

more pieces, or fewer pieces?

a. c. e.

b.

d.

f.

11.

We most often want to go from more pieces to fewer pieces because its

good to write things in simplest form. This is called reducing fractions. To reduce fractions, we want to form groups of the different pieces of the fraction. When we form groups, were dividing pieces into different piles. This is why we divide the numerator and denominator by the same number when were reducing. So, in summary, when we want to reduce fractions, we are looking

for the biggest number that divides both the numerator and denominator evenly. What is this number called? We learned about it last time.

12.
a.

A little more practice. Reduce the following fractions.

d. g.

b.

e.

h.

c.

f.

i.

Pre-Algebra Lesson 4

Name:_______________ Date:_________

Fractions and Reducing Homework

1. Find two equivalent fractions for each given fraction by multiplying or dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number: a. ____=____ c. ____=____ e. ___=___

b.

____=____

d.

____=____

f.

____=____

2. Explain why and

are equivalent fractions. Do this in two different ways: b. Use a math calculation

a. Draw fraction bars or circles

3. Find the fraction that is equivalent to , and has a bottom number (denominator) equal to 48.

4. Find the fraction that is equivalent to, and has a top number (numerator) equal to 27.

5. Fill in the blanks:

2
a.

6 21

d.

4 28 7 [ ]

10
e.

50 35

3 [ ] 20 b. 5

f.

6 [ ] 8 4

[
c.

] 5

48 40
g.

[ 12

33 36

11 44 h. 6 [ ]

42
i.

84 100

3
k.

15 20

j.

17 [ ] 20 100

l.

7 [ ] 3 24

6. Reduce the following fractions

a. d. g. j.

b. e. h. k.

c. f. i. l.

7. Drawing fractions and finding fractional pieces. We didnt talk too much about this in class, but see if you can figure it out on your own: What fraction of each
# shaded pieces shape is shaded in? Write your answers in the form # total pieces .

8. Challenge: For his 49th birthday bash (count the candle holes!) Grandpa Gausss grandchildren baked him two special cakes. Gauss was a famous mathematician, and never could pass up a chance to teach his family about math. So he cut up his cakes as shown below, and no one was allowed to have their piece until they could say what fraction of the cake was theirs. What fraction did each grandchild get? Cake 1: Cake 2:

a. b. c. d.

Breeana: Eduardo: Amanda: Fatima:

e. f. g. h.

Ruben: Jose: Nick: Didi:

i. j. k.

Yadira: Celene: Ernesto: