Children will compare fractions and put them in the correct order from smallest to largest while playing this card game. Before the lesson the teacher will write 15 fractions on index cards (1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 1/4, 3/4, 1/6, 5/6, 1/8, 3/8, 5/8, 7/8, 1/12, 5/12, 7/12, 11/12). Students will deal five cards to each player and place the remaining cards face down. Players leave the five cards faced down until a player says "Go." Students put the cards in the correct order from smallest to largest. When a player is finished, he shouts "Done." The child who correctly ordered all the fractions first wins the game. Check the ordering by finding the common denominator and compare numerators.
Fifth graders will compare and add fractions while playing Fraction Blackjack. Give each student a set of index cards with fractions written on them. Include fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, and on up to 12.The same rules as Blackjack apply to this game. Students will try to get close to 1 without going over. Make the game more difficult by using mixed numbers where the goal is to get close to 2 without going over. Fraction War is another fun card game that will help students compare before making equivalent fractions.
Children will learn how to compare fractions while playing Pizza Quest. The teacher will mark the sides of a six-sided wooden die (available at craft stores) with the fractions 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8, 1/12, and "Take a Piece." Students will draw five pizzas on heavy paper circles, cut one pizza in half, one in quarters and so forth so that the pizza slices correspond with the fractions on the die. Provide each child with a paper plate. The player will roll the die, choose the correct size of pizza and place it on the paper plate. When a player rolls "Take a Piece," they may take a slice of pizza off an opponent's plate. When a fraction is rolled that would result in more than a whole pizza, the player takes nothing. The first student to have whole pizza on their paper plate wins the game.
Fifth graders will practice comparing fractions while playing a version of the TV game show "Jeopardy!" The game starts with $10 questions and progresses to $100 questions, which are the most difficult. A $10 question may look like this: 3/4 is greater than equal to or less than 5/8? A $100 question may ask: Which fraction is equivalent to 2/5 A. 10/25 B. 4/5 or C. 2/10? The teacher will write the questions on index cards. The child with the highest score wins.