Fraction Action: An Embodied Approach to Teaching Fractions

Heather Richmond, 4th Grade, Starmount Academy of Excellence

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

Synopsis

We do not teach ‘heads on a stick’! This unit focuses on how to use embodied teaching strategies to help students develop a focused, social, and physical mindset while learning about fractions. The lessons in this unit will help students develop a conceptual understanding of how fractions work. Specifically, students will be actively engaged in discovering equivalent fractions. Teachers often use ‘tricks’ which students must memorize to determine whether fractions are equivalent, leaving the students without the conceptual understanding and the ability to apply the skill in real-life situations. In this unit, you may select from a variety of activities that will get your students moving, modeling, and mad-gabbing about fractions.