Article status: Draft
Time Estimate for Reading: 15 min
Learning Objectives: Fractions, Introductory Mathematics
Effort Required: low
Pedagogy Model: Collaborative Learning
Prior Math Tools: Counting numbers and basic arithmetic
Authors: Rithanya, Srishti and Keerthana
Background for this topic (you may skip this section on move on the question section)
We wanted to start a group containing members from 5th standard to masters graduates and working professionals. Also a few business people. The group size is limited to 25 to begin with.
The idea is to see how different members understand and respond to a questions. It would depend on existing knowledge, own strengths, method of visualization etc
This simple topic happened to become a great experience.
The question:
How do we interpret or visualize a fraction. for example 3/5. I had problem with fractions for long..
Simple answer and visualization:
- rewrite the same as 3 * 1/5.
- reread the fraction as "divide 1 piece into 5 pieces and take 3 of them out of it".
Perspective of an artist:
Take one piece of dough, divide it into 5 balls (balls are not shown of equal size but the idea is captured) and roll 3 of them into a chappathi or poori.
Perspective of a doodler and a youngster
An youngster just getting introduced to fractions.
Got it right in dividing one piece into 5. And drawn with love to their parents. superb.
Though this representation is not a correct mathematical answer, it laid foundation for new learning.
Time Estimate for Reading: 15 min
Learning Objectives: Fractions, Introductory Mathematics
Effort Required: low
Pedagogy Model: Collaborative Learning
Prior Math Tools: Counting numbers and basic arithmetic
Authors: Rithanya, Srishti and Keerthana
Background for this topic (you may skip this section on move on the question section)
We wanted to start a group containing members from 5th standard to masters graduates and working professionals. Also a few business people. The group size is limited to 25 to begin with.
The idea is to see how different members understand and respond to a questions. It would depend on existing knowledge, own strengths, method of visualization etc
This simple topic happened to become a great experience.
The question:
How do we interpret or visualize a fraction. for example 3/5. I had problem with fractions for long..
Simple answer and visualization:
- rewrite the same as 3 * 1/5.
- reread the fraction as "divide 1 piece into 5 pieces and take 3 of them out of it".
Perspective of an artist:
Take one piece of dough, divide it into 5 balls (balls are not shown of equal size but the idea is captured) and roll 3 of them into a chappathi or poori.
Perspective of a doodler and a youngster
An youngster just getting introduced to fractions.
Got it right in dividing one piece into 5. And drawn with love to their parents. superb.
Though this representation is not a correct mathematical answer, it laid foundation for new learning.
Seeing 1/5 as dividing a circle into 5 equal parts. She just learned about degrees and circles. only children can break the monotony. She took a part of the question.. Just the 1/5 part.
Fraction Multiplication:
Actually, application of multiplication of fractions was not in the scope of this question. But once we got the cake drawing from rithu, we have got a better understanding of fractions.
Another example:
Take 3 apples, cut it into 5 equal parts and share it with 3 people.
There is nothing wrong with this answer. Mathematically correct. But, a bit difficult to visualize.
Though the topic looks trivial, visualizing fraction was a major problem in my childhood.
The world of fractions becomes interesting with irrationals (square root of 2, 3 etc) and transcendental's (pi and e). Let us get to know them in the following articles.
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