Card Game to Reinforce Equivalent Fractions for Elementary Students

Card Game to Reinforce Equivalent Fractions for Elementary Students
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Needed Materials

Index cards with one fraction written on each card. Each students will need 6 cards.

Preparation

  • Prepare the students by introducing equivalent fractions.
  • Create the cards by writing equivalent fractions on the index cards. Write one fraction on each index card in the form of numerator/ denominator.
  • Make sure that each card has an equivalent matching card to make a pair. There can be more than 2 cards that match, but be sure that you have an even number to make pairs.

Student Instructions

  • Each student will receive 6 cards at his/her desk.
  • Each student should check his/her cards for “equivalent pairs.”
  • If a student has 3 cards that are equivalent to each other, (s)he must choose two to make a pair.
  • If a student has 4 fractions that are equivalent, (s)he must make two pairs.
  • At a prompt from the teacher, the students will get up from their seats and begin searching for pairs by trading cards. Set a specific time for each trading session in which students offer one or more cards to trade with another student.
  • The trading must be done on an equal basis (i.e. two cards must be traded for two cards).
  • When a student has 3 pairs of equivalent fractions, (s)he sits down, and the teacher checks the cards.
  • If a seated student is correct, (s)he is done. If (s)he is not correct the student is instructed to continue the game.
  • After a specific amount of time indicated by the teacher, those students who do not have 3 pairs will turn in the cards that do not match, and the entire class will figure out the remaining matches.
  • All cards are then turned in, and the game can be played again.

Assessment

The teacher will assess each student by checking the pairs of equivalent fractions that (s)he has created.

Extensions

  • Cards can be made to compare equivalent decimal numbers, as well as fractions and their equivalent decimal numbers.
  • Use musical notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes) to explain fractions.
  • Ancient History- The ancient Eqyptians invented fractions.