Kung Fu Fractions

I came up with a new hook to kick off, or should I say "chop off", my fraction unit.  I bought a karate outfit which I later learned from one of my fifth graders is called a "gi".  I had my husband cut several boards for me into equivalent fractions: halves, quarters, eighths, sixths and thirds.  I created a PowerPoint and had "Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting" playing while I modeled my newly acquired karate skills.  

I love teaching like a PIRATE.  The kids get so excited and are 100% engaged!!! 

Note to self: Take more pictures!!!  

I passed out sets of fraction bars.  I had the kids "chop" their bars into equivalent fractions.  We looked at patterns of the numerators and denominators.  We added and subtracted with common denominators.  I have to spend a lot of time reviewing fraction vocabulary and basic concepts of fractions before I can teach my standards.

We spent a week working on many skills; examples of fractions, making equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions, finding Greatest Common Factors and Least Common Multiples, changing Improper to Mixed and Mixed to Improper Fractions.  I used pages from my "Fifth Grade Interactive Notebook."

Here is a link to my Fraction Notebook.  

You can also get it in my complete notebook bundle.

 Plastic eggs are out in the stores. 

Here is a TBT post on changing Improper and Mixed Fractions.

 We are now adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.  I passed out slices of pizza(from a game) and had the kids create whole pizzas.  They had to find students with unlike denominators.  They had to make equivalent fractions to add them.   My students are creating their own pizzas.