As usual, what started out to be a simple activity quickly exploded into a whole collection of resources! I’ve now created lessons, task cards, games, and activities based on the Penguin Fraction theme. To learn more about them, download my free Clickable Guide to Penguin Fractions.
Equivalent Fraction Freebie
Would you like to try a Penguin Fraction lesson with your students? The Equivalent Fractions Sorting activity below comes with the penguin fraction activity cards and sorting mat you see here. If you’d like a free copy of this activity, fill out this form and submit it. I’ll send it directly to your inbox and you can use it right away.
Comparing Fractions Freebie
If your students need to practice comparing fractions with different denominators, my free Penguin Fraction Predictions activity is just what you need. In this lesson, students place two penguin fraction cards side by side on the gameboard and predict which of the two fractions is larger. They discuss their reasons and then flip over the cards to compare the fraction bars on the back and check the answer. Fraction Predict and Compare is designed as a whole group lesson, but it also makes a great math center game or a partner review activity. This freebie comes with the penguin fraction cards and the printable gameboard you see below. Click here to request your free copy!
Field Tested, Teacher Approved
One reason I’m excited about these resources is the fantastic feedback I’m getting from teachers who have started using them. When I work on any new product, I share my early drafts with my “feedback team,” a group of teachers who try the resources out with their students and let me know what works and what needs to be tweaked.
Tami Terry tried the activity with several of her classes and snapped a picture of these 4th graders testing out an early version of the benchmark sorting activity. The directions call for students to work with a partner and take turns sorting fractions into three groups: less than 1/2, equal to 1/2, or greater than 1/2. As the students work, they are encouraged to talk over the reasons for each fraction card placement. The kids loved it and it helped them understand the concept of comparing fractions to benchmarks. The final sorting board included in Penguin Fractions: Comparing and Ordering ended up looking like the one below.
All of my Penguin Fraction products are aligned with Common Core State Standards for 3rd and/or 4th grade, but they can also be used for review with older kids. To find out which products can be used at each level, download my free Clickable Guide to Penguin Fractions. When you click the product images in this guide, you’ll be taken directly to those products on TpT.
