Use Volume to Model Fractions
Volume can be an important way to model fractions. It literally adds another dimension to understanding fractions. You probably have a kitchen full of manipulatives right now.
- cups
- tablespoons
- boxes
- unit cubes
- play dough, slime, or Oobleck
- sand or snow toys
How Many 1/4 cups in ?
Gather sets of measuring cups and some food storage containers. Let students measure clean sand, snow, water, lentils, or dry beans. Have them record how many unit fractions are needed to fill each container. This would be a great time to explore how to share data – why not have them create colorful posters that document the information they collected?
Fun ways to bring volumetric fraction activities to class:
- Rainbow Fraction Liquid Measuring Cups from Hand2Mind on Amazon $16 ish as I type this sentence. (Why, yes I’m an Amazon Affiliate, but that doesn’t change the price you pay.)
- Adorable Rainbow Fraction Measuring Spoons to match – not available at time of writing.
- Different Rainbow Fraction Measuring Cups with interesting shapes – around $12 right now.
More Models for Fractions
We know that our students need experience with concrete manipulatives in order to make sense of fractions. Typically, we provide:
- Linear models ~ number lines, ribbons, strings, and rulers,
- Area models ~ geometric shapes, maps, gardens, tiles on floors, walls, and patios
- Set Models ~ Colorful Collections, a class of students, a sports team
Make sure your students explore all kinds of fractions. This provides memorable experiences for them to recall as needed.
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A Mindful Exploration of Proper Fractions
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