Fractions 
A first-grade WebQuest focusing on fractions.
● Introduction • Task • Process • Resources • Evaluation • Teacher Information
Introduction
What is a fraction? How do you feel about sharing? Do you want one half or one fourth of my candy bar?
You will learn all about fractions. There are many activities to complete. You will eat and play games as you explore fractions! Let’s begin!
Task
Standards:
HCDE
Match halves and fourths to shaded regions of a single object or figure.
Show ½ and ¼ of a set of objects.
Match the spoken, written, concrete, and pictorial representation of ½ and ¼.
Recognize one whole as two halves or four fourths.
HCDE
Draw pictures to generate ideas.
Write in math journals, create math stories, and write explanations for problem solving.
Process
What is a fraction? Go
to the Big Book Center
Listen to Jerry Pallotta’s Pizza
Fractions in the Listening Center. 
Go to http://www.primarygames.com/fractions/start.htm and play Pizza Party!
When you finish, make your own pizza fractions and use them to answer the questions on the “Fractions by the Slice” worksheet in the math center. Guess what? We’re going on a field trip to Cici’s Pizza to make real pizzas and cut them into fractions!
Play the fraction game at http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_103_g_1_t_1.html
Work with a partner using the geoboards to show the fraction. Use one rubber band! Write the fraction on a dry erase board! First, see how many ways you can show ½ and ¼! What other fractions can you show?
Play a matching game to see if you can reveal the hidden picture! Go to http://www.hbschool.com/activity/con_math/g03c21.dcr.
Then go to http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/cross_the_river/
and play the fraction game called Cross the River.
Play Melvin Makes a Match at http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/equivalentfractions/index.html.
Find a partner and play Fraction Five in a Row! Read the task card carefully!
I have a brown paper bag. In my bag are
some color tiles. Can you guess my riddle? Use the color tiles to solve my
riddle. I will give you four clues.
There are 6 tiles.
None are green.
½ are yellow.
The other half is blue.
Show me the tiles!
Open the bag! Did you solve it? Now you make one up for a classmate. Be sure to give clues that help your partner solve the riddle. Choose up to 12 color tiles.
Play Fraction Top-It with a partner using the Everything Math Deck of cards. Complete the game record sheet. After you finish, complete the “Thinking About It” worksheet. Be sure to draw the fraction and explain how you know who wins the round of Fraction Top-It. Share this with one classmate and me!
Use the Fraction Tiles to play Cover Up. Read the instructions on the task card carefully. The first player to make one whole is the winner! Good luck!
CHALLENGE!!! If you dare…
Can you solve this mystery? Go to
http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/virtual/index.htm.
In
the CHALLENGE basket, choose from Bake
Resources
State of
Mathwire. (2009). Mathwire.com. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from
AAA Math. (2009). AAA math.com. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www.aaamath.com/B/fra16_x2.htm
NLVM. (2009). Nvlm.usu.edu. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_104_g_1_t_1.html
McMillan,
B.. (1993). Eating Fractions.
Pallotta, J. (2007). Pizza Fractions.
Evaluation
Now that you know all about fractions, look for fractions in the world around you! Please write in your Math Notebook and tell me everything you learned. Also, tell me which activity was your favorite and why!
Purpose
This WebQuest will allow students to explore fractions. The activities are in addition to teacher-directed lessons from the Everyday Math book. These games and tasks will allow extra practice or extension of class instruction. Many formative assessments can be conducted throughout this WebQuest.
Preceding and Ensuing Events
Preceding this WebQuest, students may have heard about fractions in kindergarten. Otherwise, the first stages of this WebQuest will begin the Friday before we begin the instruction in class. Ensuing events include revisiting fractions in our curriculum, later, in May, with much more complex activities including comparing fractions and exposure to concepts not in our standards.
Debriefing
This WebQuest should motivate students to learn about fractions. It will familiarize them with some games and Web sites. The cross-curricular writing tasks will help students learn to write clues and reflect on their learning.
Description
The activity could be improved by adding the fraction song. It would be fun to have it as a clickable link where students could listen to the song.