Fractions in the Real World

Third grade
Math teachers

One of the ways to get students more challenged and excited about learning math is to explore math outside the classroom in the real world. The change of scenery enhances enthusiasm and allows students to learn math and outdoor skills at the same time. Students are able to comprehend that nature is full of mathematical structures, patterns, and shapes. 

In 3rd grade, students have been studying addition and subtraction of fractions with concrete activities in which they can not only directly interact with what fractions are and represent, but also have fun learning outdoors and with nature.

The pictures in the article show an exploration task in which students were asked to make a video explaining how to subtract fractions with rocks, flowers, leaves or anything they could find outdoors. They experienced that math is around them and can be fun, practical and very close. They could also discover that math opens opportunities to be easily creative.

These activities allow teachers to see what and how students are thinking and to determine in which stage of the understanding process they are. Teachers can also determine how students apply what they know and go beyond their previous and current knowledge to generate new understandings.