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Author: Debbie Candau
Date: 2000-12-31

This week Mr. Frankel taught us a game called Cover Up.
In order to play, we first needed to make a fraction kit. The fraction kit looked like the one to the right.
Each strip was a different color.
Once everyone had their own Fraction Kit, we made fraction dice showing all the fractions in our kits. To play the game, you roll the dice and try to be the first to cover up your “whole” strip.
After we played Cover Up, we played Un Cover.
You start with two halves and uncover what you roll. But if you roll one-eighth, you have to trade one-half for four-eighths first.
We thought this game was really fun and creative.
We especially liked how you could play the game two ways, by covering or uncovering fractions depending on the roll of the dice.
Although this game doesn’t teach you how to add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions, it does force you to convert fractions and work with equivalent fractions, which is something we all need practice at!

Last Tuesday Mrs. stevenson brought us a super treat… sugar cookies. There was a catch though. He said we couldn’t eat them until we had frosted and decorated the fractional parts! First we drew a fraction plan showing what fractions we would divide our cookie into. Then we gathered frosting and sprinkles.
Some kids frosted fourths of their cookies - where each fourth was a different color. Some frosted one-half one color, one-third one color, and one-sixth another color. Our cookies were almost too beautiful to eat.
This activity was really fun and easy. It really helped us to see, and understand fractional parts. It was a great introductory activity to help us explore the world of fractions. You can even try this one at home next time you bake cookies. What a delicious way to focus on fractions!

Fractions with Cookies
-By: Shelley, Jill & Tim
By Sarah, Eric, & James
By Sarah, Eric, & James

Cover Up by: Kylie, Trevor & Joe
By Barbara, Kelley & Michael

Room 31, Eastwood

One whole sugar cookie

April 2004

Fun with Fractions

Fraction Cookies
1
Cover Up
1
Pizza Party
2

Inside this issue:

Page #

Cover Up (continued)

As part of our fraction unit, our class learned to play Pizza Party.
Pizza Party comes in a real pizza box. You spin a pizza and try to be the first person to get a complete pizza. Sometimes you have to trade pieces. If you need one-sixth to complete your pizza and you spin a third, you can trade your third for two sixths. Then you win the game!
This was a fun game and like Cover Up, it helped us to understand equivalent fractions.
We highly recommend this game because we think it is a great way to practice fractions without feeling as if you are studying or doing math, even though you are.
This game also helps you to see how fractions apply to every- day life, especially with food!
But, we must warn you that playing this game may make you hungry for a big pepperoni pizza!

“This game is the bomb,” said Justin. “The pizza slices really helped me to understand fractions.”

Pizza Party
By Justin, Brittany & Kelsey

”This game taught me equivalent fractions,”
said Barbara.

A decorated half