Teaching Fractions

Date: 2/2/96 at 12:11:34
From: Anonymous
Subject: Re: math

I'm teaching 6th grade math, multiplying fractions, and some of 
the students don't understand that 5 and 5/1 are the same. 
Any suggestions?

Date: 3/24/96 at 23:8:25
From: Doctor Jodi
Subject: Re: math

Hi there! 

Here are the two approaches I can think of:

- Look at division as dividing THINGS into PILES, i.e, give each child
5 counters and ask them to put them into 1 pile.  Ask: how many counters 
are in each pile?  Try this with other numbers of counters and numbers 
of piles to get an instinctive feel for division.  (One interesting 
question that should come up quickly is what to do about "remainders.")

- Remind your class that multiplication is the OPPOSITE of division.

Just as 30/5 = 6 while 6 * 5 = 30, so is 5/1 = 5 since 5 * 1 = 5

I hope this helps!  I'd be really interested in hearing other 
approaches you come up with.

-Doctor Jodi,  The Math Forum