As students are introduced to new concepts every now and then, just like other concepts of mathematics, these budding learners embark on the exciting journey of multiplying fractions during middle school. While multiplying fractions can seem like a tough nut to crack, it can also get confusing and perplexing.
It then becomes the responsibility of the teachers to ignite their student’s enthusiasm and deepen their understanding so that they do not feel fearful of the concept anymore. While textual learning has always been the way to go for educators, teachers have now started gamifying the concepts.
Using games and activities multiplying fractions can become an adventure full of discovery. Hence in this article, we will unlock the secrets of multiplying fractions and unleash the math superheroes within your students with a few creative games.
Multiplying fractions: Does it come in use in real life?
The history of fractions dates back to the 1500s. However, most students start by learning how to add and subtract fractions and then move on to more complex operations such as multiplication and division. But while fractions may seem like a dry and uninteresting topic, they have a lot of practical applications in real life, especially when it comes to multiplying a fraction.
For example, suppose you want to make a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup of sugar. While preparing the same dish in more quantity as per the requirement, you need to multiply ½ by the number you’re preparing the recipe for. Also, while doing some work, we tend to say that I can complete ⅗ of it in 1 hour and then find how much work I can do in 3 hours I need to multiply the fraction by 3 in order to get my answer. This same principle can be applied to any fraction – if you need more of something than what you have on hand, simply multiply the fraction by a whole number to get the desired amount. While it may not seem like an essential skill, being able to multiply fractions can come in handy in various situations.
So the next time you’re whipping up a batch of cookies or doubling a recipe, remember that fractions can be your friend. Adding up to this, let’s discuss some fun activities concerning Multiplying Fractions. Read more below.
Creative activities to practice multiplying fractions in a fun and enjoyable way
Fractions can be a difficult concept for students to grasp. However, practicing with these multiplying fractions activities can help clear the ambiguities in the concept.
1. Fraction Scavenger Hunt
This activity helps review basic fraction concepts while getting some exercise to do. To play, the teacher can ask students to create some fraction cards during activity hours, where the student can write down random fractions on a piece of paper. Each card should have one fraction number
- As the cards are ready, ask students to collect them at one place and the teacher can then distribute one card to every student.
- While students were busy creating cards, teachers have to hide different fractions in the classroom. Make sure to hide as many fractions so that every student is able to find and get at least one card.
- After distributing, ask students to roam around the class and start finding fractions.
- Students only need to find one fraction and as and when they find one, they need to multiply it with their given card fraction and report it to the teacher for evaluation.
- Teachers can make this activity more interesting by asking students to roam around, explore, and fractions used in daily life instead of hiding the cards.
This fraction activity will not only help with fraction multiplication skills but also challenges students to be active and observe their surroundings.
2. Multiplying Fraction Bingo
This activity helps to review fraction concepts and helps students multiply them in a fun and competitive manner.
- Students have to randomly write any fractions on their bingo cards.
- After the students are ready with their cards, Start the activity by giving a multiplying fraction question to solve on the board.
- Students need to solve that and find the answer on their bingo cards.
- If the answer fraction is there on their card, they need to strike the right answers from their ticket.
- The first student to get five in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) wins the game!
This is a fun and very prompt game that enhances the cognitive and logical thinking abilities of a child. Besides the accuracy of the answer, the kid also sharpens their multiplication skills.
3. Multiplying Fraction grocery store
You must have heard and played normal grocery store games in the classroom but this activity will spice things up by introducing the factor of fractions and multiplying fractions.
- Divide the class into two groups. One being the sellers and the other being the buyers.
- Set up a normal grocery store with vegetable toys, fruits, baskets, or anything that is necessary for the grocery store.
- The twist here is that students do not have to speak in whole numbers but in fractions. For example- they do not have to say I need 500 grams of onions, instead use I need ½ kg of onions. Similarly, ¼ for 250 grams.
- Then the student who is selling the groceries has to multiply the quantity asked by the price. For example, If 1 kg of onions costs $60, then ½ kg of onions will cost ½ x 60 = $30.
- The activity can be made more challenging by expressing the money in fractions too like $60 can be represented as 1800/30 and $30 can be represented as 450/15.
The activity introduces students to real-world applications and forms an understanding of how fractions play a significant role in our lives. Such multiplying fractions games give students an opportunity to practice and learn outside of fraction books.
4. Fraction Memory
This fraction game is played just like regular memory but with fraction cards instead of numbers.
- To play, place all of the cards face down in a grid.
- Then, players take turns flipping over two cards at a time, looking for a match.
- If the two cards have the same value, then the player multiplies the cards and keeps the pair with them by taking another turn.
- If the cards don’t match, then the player flips them back over, and the next player takes a turn, following the same process of multiplying them.
- The game is over when all of the pairs have been found and multiplied.
- The player with the most pairs is the winner!
This is an easy and 2 players game that just needs attention, hands-on table learning, and a deck of cards. It can be played anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. One can imbibe great multiplying fraction skills through this game in a simpleton manner.
5. Fraction Hopscotch
This activity is a great way to review basic fraction concepts while getting some exercise.
- To play, draw a hopscotch board on the ground using chalk with fraction numbers on it.
- Players take turns tossing a dice/ marked stone. However, the catch here is that whatever number the dice consists of, represents a fraction number. For example, if the dice has a 1, the number on the dice actually means ⅙, and not 1.
- Next up, the student now needs to throw the dice on any number of the hopscotch. Whatever number the dice lands on, the kid now needs to multiply that hopscotch number with the number displayed on the dice. For ex: if the dice lands up on ⅛, showing ⅕ on the dice, the student needs to jump to that block and multiply this fraction and tell the answer in a jump.
An easy, straightforward, this outdoor game can help kids learn to multiply fractions through hopping, jumping, and answering their way to glory.
6. Fractions Jenga
This activity is played with the Jenga blocks, where students need to write two fraction numbers together. For example, on one block the student can write 2/8 X 5/9.
- This activity can be best played with a group of kids.
- The students now need to begin, and like the usual Jenga, they need to take out the Jenga blocks from anywhere in the pile.
- They now need to mentally solve the multiplication equation to enable them to place it back.
- However, the students must also remember that they need to take the Jenga blocks out in such a manner that they do not destroy the whole pile.
Players can also keep track of their scores by giving 2 points to every player who answers the equation of multiplying fractions correctly, and -2 to every player who answers incorrectly.
In the end, whoever scores the most, wins the game.
Takeaway
Multiplying fractions is a vital mathematical concept that often comes in handy in real-life situations. From baking to engineering, understanding how to multiply fractions can be extremely helpful. The activities provided above are just a few examples of how you can review fraction concepts with your students in fun and engaging ways.
What might initially seem like a challenging concept, incorporating interactive activities can transform it into an exciting learning experience. Furthermore, these activities can also be clubbed with some fractions quotes and dice games. So acquire your exam ground firmly this time and slay these multiplying fraction activities.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,