Yeap Ban Harbanhar.yeap@pathlight.org.sg

Session D2 & G1Piece of Cake : Teaching Fractions

Fuchun Primary School, Singapore

National Conference

on Singapore

Math Strategies Las Vegas

Slides are available at www.banhar.blogspot.com

Session D2Piece of Cake : Teaching Fractions

• Prepare a set of pattern blocks for yourself – a yellow, a red, two blue and four green pieces.

Activity 0

PSLE Mathematics 2005 – 2009

PSLE Mathematics 2005 – 2009

focus onvisualization

Activity 1

Dienes’ Theory

providevariation

spiralapproach

• 1 fifth + 2 fifths (Grade 2)• 1 tenth + 2 fifths (Grade 3)• 2 thirds + 8 ninths (Grade 4)• 1 half + 2 fifths (Grade 5)

• Fraction as part of a whole (Grades 2 to 3)• Fraction as part of a set (Grade 4)

PSLE Mathematics 2005 – 2009

My Pals Are Here! Mathematics Book4

Skemp’s Theory

conceptualunderstanding

Activity 2

124

3

3412

933

Activity 3

4

838

4

3

Activity 4

3

2

4

1

3

2

4

1

6

4

4

1

3

2

4

1

3

1

2

1

3

2

4

1

Bruner’s Theory

the CPAapproach

23

2

43

2

46

44

3

2

3

2

4

14

3

2

Scarsdale Middle School New York

3

11

4

31

My Pals Are Here! Mathematics 1B

Primary Mathematics Standards Edition Grade 6

Primary Mathematics Standards Edition Grade 6

How to make sure the butterfly cannot fly

How do you get a butterfly?

First there is the egg which hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar eats and grows. At the right time, it makes a cocoon out of its own body. While in the cocoon, the caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

When the butterfly is ready, it starts to break through the cocoon. First a hole appears. Then the butterfly struggles to come out through the hole. This can take a few hours.

If you try to "help" the butterfly by cutting the cocoon, the butterfly will come out

easily but it will never fly. Your "help" has destroyed the butterfly.

The butterfly can fly because it has to struggle to come out. The pushing forces lots of enzymes from the body to the wing tips. This strengthens the muscles, and reduces the body weight. In this way, the butterfly will be able to fly the moment it comes out of the cocoon. Otherwise it will simply fall to the ground, crawl around with a swollen body and shrunken wings, and soon die.

If the butterfly is not left to struggle to come out of the cocoon, it will never fly.

We can learn an important lesson from the butterfly.

Lim Siong Guan Head, Civil Service

6

1

2

1

3

1

2

1

3

1

6

5

2

1

3

1