How to Make a Fraction Book

A fraction is a small amount of something that was taken away.

Children are introduced to multiplication, place value, estimation and division around the third grade. In school, your children may work on long division, and introductory decimals may be presented. Fractions are also introduced and young students are now realizing that fractions are parts of a whole number. To help young kids understand fractions, use visual aids. For example, you can create a detective fraction book and have your students act like detectives to solve each fraction puzzle to find the criminal.

Things You'll Need

• Assorted color construction paper pad
• Blank print paper
• Sturdy large three-hole punched school folder
• Scissors
• Markers
• Crayons
• Colored pencils
• Various index cards
• Assorted color envelops
• Three ribbons
• Assorted color letter-size paper file jackets
• 3-hole paper puncher
• Stick glue

Instructions

1. Write a letter, on blank print paper, to the "Fraction Detectives" (students) telling them a monster or a criminal is on the loose. Explain that the child has to solve each clue in the fraction book in order to capture the monster or criminal. Sign your name or create a fake name as the chief of police.

2. Lay a piece of color construction paper on a flat surface. Apply stick glue to the edge of the letter you wrote in Step 1 and smooth the paper onto the construction paper. Then, glue the construction paper on the inside of the school folder to the left.

3. Create two to three fraction problems for each clue. For example, create pie pieces to make a pie and glue it to a small piece of new color construction paper. Cut out small squares and glue them to a small piece of construction paper. For this problem, the student will try to figure out how many equal parts make up a fraction. Cut out a piece of new blank print paper and write a clue for the student to figure out the fraction problems and glue the paper to construction paper, that is a little bigger, to the size of your clue paper.

4. Lay a new sheet of construction paper and blank print paper on its lengthy side and cut a long strip for each paper. Glue the print paper strip to the construction paper strip. Write out the answers on this strip. Lay the letter-size paper file jacket on a flat surface making sure that the pocket size is facing to the right, and glue the clue paper on the top part of the file jacket and position and glue the fraction problems underneath the clue paper. Tape one edge of the answer strip inside the pocket of the file jacket where the child can pull out the strip to view the answers.

5. Write and create ten clues with two or three fraction problems for the fraction book. You can include problems to understand numerators and the denominators, problems to figure out what is the fraction of a whole number or addition and subtraction fractions.

6. Print out a small size image and cut it into four squares. Remove one of the squares as if the criminal has stolen one of its pieces. Use simple problems. Write clues that are easy to follow and understand. Create a strip again or place an index card inside of an envelope for kids to pull out the answer.

7. Involve other material to create your problems. For example, add pictures of dogs with and without spots, or buttons to create fraction problems. Add clues inside small envelopes.

8. Punch holes on the file jackets using a three-hold punch. Align the holes of the file jackets with those of the school folder. Use three small ribbons to tie and bind the school folder and the file jackets together to create your fraction book.

Tips & Warnings

• Create two paper men drawings for your criminal. When the student is getting close to solving the case, glue a paper man on the side of one of the problem file jackets. Create a jail using a manila envelope.

References

• "Howard County Public School"; Building A Fraction Book; Suzi Tamasi; 2003

Resources

• Utah Education Network: Math 3 - Act. 05: Fractions Book