Fraction Strips

Definition

Fraction strips are a visual tool used to represent and compare fractions. They consist of rectangular strips divided into equal parts, allowing students to physically manipulate and explore the relationships between different fractions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Fraction strips can be used to demonstrate the concept of unit fractions, where the whole is divided into equal parts.
2. By manipulating the fraction strips, students can visually identify and represent equivalent fractions, such as 1/2 and 2/4.
3. Fraction strips allow students to compare the size of different fractions, helping them understand the concept of fraction magnitude.
4. Fraction strips can be used to model addition and subtraction of fractions, as well as to explore the concept of fraction equivalence.
5. The use of fraction strips can help students develop a deeper understanding of fractions and their relationships, laying a strong foundation for more advanced fraction concepts.

Review Questions

• Explain how fraction strips can be used to demonstrate the concept of unit fractions.
  • Fraction strips are divided into equal parts, with each part representing a unit fraction. By physically manipulating the fraction strips, students can see how the whole is divided into equal portions, such as halves, thirds, or fourths. This visual representation helps students understand the concept of unit fractions, where the whole is divided into a specific number of equal parts, and each part represents a fraction of the whole.
• Describe how fraction strips can be used to identify and represent equivalent fractions.
  • Fraction strips allow students to visually compare the size of different fractions. By aligning the fraction strips, students can see that fractions like 1/2 and 2/4 represent the same amount, as the fraction strips are the same length. This hands-on exploration helps students understand the concept of equivalent fractions, where different fractions represent the same value. Using fraction strips, students can also manipulate the strips to create and identify other equivalent fractions, such as 3/6 or 4/8, which are equivalent to 1/2.
• Analyze how the use of fraction strips can support students' understanding of fraction magnitude and comparison.
  • Fraction strips provide a tangible way for students to compare the relative size of different fractions. By physically placing fraction strips side by side, students can visually see which fraction is larger or smaller. This helps students develop an intuitive understanding of fraction magnitude, allowing them to compare fractions and determine their relative size. For example, students can use fraction strips to compare 1/4 and 1/2, and observe that 1/2 is larger because the fraction strip for 1/2 is longer than the fraction strip for 1/4. This hands-on exploration of fraction comparison lays the groundwork for more advanced fraction concepts and operations.

Related terms

Fraction Models: Fraction models are visual representations that help students understand the concept of fractions, including fraction strips, number lines, and area models.

Equivalent Fractions: Equivalent fractions are fractions that represent the same amount or value, such as 1/2 and 2/4, which both represent one-half.

Fraction Comparison: Fraction comparison is the process of determining the relative size or value of two or more fractions, using tools like fraction strips to visually compare the fractions.