Purpose: to provide students the opportunity to review/practice math skills students has previously mastered.
Problem of the Day
Materials:
Teacher -
A visual platform for displaying concrete objects that all students can clearly see (e.g. circle pieces with magnetic strips glued on the back and placed on chalkboard or dry-erase board).
Appropriate concrete materials to represent fractions.
Students -
A sheet of paper to write responses on.
A pencil for writing.
Description:
As students enter class or as the math period begins, display two concrete representations of fractions (e.g. circle pieces that represent “two-fourths” and “three sixths”). Students must identify each fractional part and decide their relationship (e.g. greater than, less than, equal to). On a sheet of paper, students write their responses and also briefly explain why they chose their response (e.g. because the area of the circle covered by “two-fourths” and “three-sixths” is the same.). The teacher can quickly review the problem with students by asking for responses and providing appropriate feedback. Students can also hand in their response sheets and the teacher can review individual student responses. *Students can be invited to come up and run their fingers along the area of the fractional part or to take a closer look if helpful.
