Maths-i

DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT OF EQUIVALENCE BETWEEN MIXED AND IMPROPER FRACTIONS
Group Task: Arrange the class into teams of two to five students. Give each group a set of cut out of dominoes to make a set of 12 cards of equivalent mixed numbers and improper fractions. Each group has to arrange the dominoes in the correct order. The first group to finish correctly wins. Students find it interesting and challenging to figure out the starting and last domino.

ENHANCING EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS
Group task: Arrange the class into teams of equal size (four or more students per team), with students standing in line, one behind another. Give the student at the front of each line a piece of paper with a fraction written on it, such as 1/2,1/4,1/3 or 1/5. The first student must write a fraction that is equivalent to the one already on the paper, then pass it to the next team member (or next member can write on a separate piece of paper). This student must then write a different equivalent fraction and then pass the paper on. Each student in the team must write a different equivalent fraction to those already on the list. The first team to finish with a correct set of equivalent fractions wins. This task not only enhances the concept and develops mental quickness but also promotes peer learning especially for less able students.

EXPLORING PROPER & EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS

Pair Task: Provide each pair of students with a set of twelve number cards 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10,15,21,24,30. The students have to arrange the 12 cards into three groups of four cards in which each set of four cards makes two proper fractions, one is simplified form of the other (Equivalent).Though at first, it seems to be simple but students find it challenging and interesting to make equivalent fractions which have to be proper as well and that too in a competition with other pairs. This activity encourages students to do many more mental calculations, with the added bonus of not recording any incorrect calculations.
Eg: 21/24 = 7/8…....etc.

'Teaching is the Best Way to Learn' and the students of CAM 8 experienced it in its true sense when they conducted a workshop for their juniors (students of Cam 5 to Cam 7) on one of the most interesting yet challenging mathematical topic 'FRACTIONS'. Focal points were introducing various models to visualize fractions (Area Model, Linear Model, Set/Group Model etc.) and understanding the ordering of unit fractions. That is, the more the number of parts of one whole, the smaller is the size of each piece.

LEAST COMMON MULTIPLE (LCM)

Group Task: Make triplets of students and ask them to bring 2-3 strips of paper of equal size (3cmx60cm). Now ask each student to draw boxes on strips of 2cm each and write his/her name repeatedly. Each group member has to repeat the name till they reach the same point to start their name together. Through this task the students will be able to visualise the existence and application of the most important mathematical concept LCM in their day to day life and also promote cooperative learning.
(Eg- Kanika(6), Nirmit(6) and Vaishnavi(9) will start their name together again after 18 boxes. This means the LCM(6,6,9) = 18).

ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING OF INTEGERS VIA GAME
Game Task - Ask the students to bring a number line strip with numbers from -20 to +20, two counters and two dices of different colours. Number on red colour dice means you have to move forward and blue means moving backwards. The students will start by placing their counters at 0 and taking turns in picking up the hidden dice and throwing it. The student to reach +20 or -20 first will be the winner. Also ask them to represent their movement of counter on number line in the notebooks also. This will help them to practice representing addition of integers on number line. Also discuss with students about what will they do if a student gets a number on blue dice in first throw itself? This will make them visualise and understand the need for numbers less than zero and justification of their representation on the left side of the number line.

Introducing Highest Common Factor

Pair Task: Ask the students to bring counters/beads of two different colours. Now provide them with a real life situation based problem for which they have to find the answer. The problem goes like this ”18 green beads and 24 yellow beads were equally distributed among a group of girls to make bracelets. Each girl got the same number of beads of each colour. What was the largest number of girls which could have been in the group?”
Ask the students to work in pairs and apply any strategy to find the answer. The students will come up with different solutions like
a) giving 2 green beads and 2 yellow beads 9 girls
(In this case facilitate them by asking whether they have used all the beads of yellow colours and distributed equally? Tell them they have to use remaining 6 yellow beads also and all beads to be distributed EQUALLY)
b) giving 6 green and 8 yellow beads to 3 girls
(In this case facilitate them by saying that they have to distribute to as many girls as possible….i.e. LARGEST no. of girls, no. of beads to each girl could be smaller)
c) giving 3 green and 4 yellow beads to 6 girls.
(In this case appreciate them for reaching the correct answer and further ask them is it possible to give it to less/more number of girls also?)
Finally generalise the solution by discussing that in this case we have to find same(Common)number of girls getting equal(Factor) green and equal(Factor) yellow beads and focus on giving to maximum(Largerst) no. of girls. So we have to find the Highest Common Factor of 18 and 24.