It's time for all 25 fractions in Number Town to return to their “home” color pad. Your task is to move each of them to their respective pads. You are successful if clicking on the fraction (1) switches its form from fraction to picture ID (or visa versa) and not cause the fraction to "run away" from the pad.
When all fractions are home, clicking on them will not move them - only switch between their name and ID picture.
When you are finished, what's true about the fractions in each color region? Before you read on, try the Fraction family microworld or version 2. (You may need to download a plug-in to make it work.)
Every fraction in number town has two forms of identification. For example, the fraction one-third can look like this:
or like this
If you cllck on 1/3 he will switch forms. Try it. If you click again he will switch again.
Move one-third to the yellow colored pad. Now click again. Notice that 1/3 does not want to stay there. This means that the yellow pad is not 1/3's home. Keep moving 1/3 until he is on a pad from which he will not run away from. (Hint: Try the green pad.)
Do this with all the fractions until (1) all fractions are on a colored pad (not on the white areas in between) and (2) when you click on one it does not move - only changes form.
What's true about the fractions in each color region? (They are equivalent)
Can you confirm this with their ID pictures showing? Compare 1/3 with 2/6.
(The Student should notice that the shaded portion of each fraction’s ID card is equal!)
How would you show that 1/3 equals 2/6 with numbers and operations?
(Multiply the numerator and denominator by 2)
