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Fractions can be Frustrating for students and parents - Cool Tools Math

If you know a child or adult who thinks:

1)      fractions are frustrating,

2)      decimals are difficult

3)      percent is perplexing

4)      ratios are ridiculous

 

Fractions are not so frightening when we relate them to the world around us. Children can be involved in the kitchen when a recipe calls for 3/4 Cup or 1/4 teaspoon, or in sports when we see the 50 yard line and different quarters. Fractions are in the arts and in music and are all around us.

Parents and children may be frustrated with fractions, decimals, percent and ratios that are all rational numbers as parts of a whole. Ratios are not considered as important in modern curriculum, but is often used when one says, “3 out of 5 students in this class have long hair.” Or any other comparison. Ratios are shown as 3:5 which relates to fractions expressed as 3/5. Notice the similarity. The ratio method of finding an unknown number converts metric measurements to United States or Standard measurements as a bonus in this book using decimals so easily. The Cool Tool Math Fractions & More Course was created, upon request by parents, for students to understand and be able to perform all functions for each type of Rational Numbers. In this Course students will explore with charts all the functions and conversions of each type of Rational Numbers.

In a week long Science Workshop, twenty-five fifth and sixth grade students spent the first hour with math. 20/25 completed the entire course in 5 hours. They each had a computer and progress page to date and mark completed lessons. In the middle of the last class, the entire class came to me to ask what I wanted them to do next as they had completed the entire course. Some students were unable to be there every day. I was so impressed, thinking I had made it as hard as possible. The remaining class time was spent learning Roman Numerals with sign language with all 50 students including students from grades one to four. All students had much fun with math as we do it.

From the Fractions & More Cool Tools Math Course students will learn the following:

All about Fractions

Understanding Fractions Fractional Names for 1 whole
Equivalent Fractions Comparing fractions
Higher Forms of fractions Lowest Form of fractions, Simplify fractions
Multiply fractions, Cross Cancelling Divide fractions
Add & Subtract fractions,  3 ways to make denominators agree
Mixed Numbers Improper Fractions

Graphs Show Proportions, Pie Graphs, Point Graphs, Bar graphs

Understanding Decimals

Money uses decimals  
Multiply/Divide by 10, 100, 1000 with decimals  
Subtracting/Adding decimals Rounding off fractions and Whole Numbers
Multiply and Divide Decimals Where to place the decimal

BONUS: Metric Measurements

Metric Measurements use decimals Understand metric measurements
Metric measurements in global measurements  
Different categories in metric measurements Easily adapted
Converting metrics measurements within the system  

Understand Ratio

How Ratios show comparisons  
Use Ratio Method to find an unknown Number
Can be used for fractions, decimals, percent Easy to convert metric measurements from or to  standard measurements

Understand United States or Standard Measurements

Different categories as compared to metric measurements  
Convert from or to metric measurements  

Understand Percent 3 situations

Find a percent from a test score
Find a final price, with a percent discount
Find original price and savings, When final price shows % discount

conversions

Fractions to and from Ratios Fractions to and from Decimals
Fractions to and from Percent Decimals to and from Percent
   

At the end of the Course is A Fun Challenging Rational Numbers Game

When you know how, you can do 100 problems and they are easy

Contact information: www.cooltoolsmath.com
Evelyn Fannin    phone 801-592-0744 American Fork, Utah
Leave a message – cooltoolsmath@gmail.com