Activity Description Visualize fractions by coloring in the appropriate portions of either a circle or a square, then order those fractions from least to greatest. Fraction Sorter is one of the Interactivate assessment explorers.

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Fraction Sorter

Place in mathematics curriculum:

• understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems;
• compare and order fractions, decimals and percents efficiently and find their approximate locations on the number line;

• compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
• select appropriate methods and tools for computing with fractions and decimals from among mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil, depending on the situation, and apply the selected methods;
• develop and analyze algorithms for computing with fractions, decimals, and integers and develop fluency in their use;

This activity allows the user to practice fractions and get a better understanding of them. They get a chance to work with two different aspects of fractions: making them and putting them in order from least to greatest.

This activity would work well in small groups of one or two people. for about 15-20 minutes if you use the exploration questions and 10-15 minutes otherwise.

Preparations for this activity:

• give implicit directions on what they are to do. For example "Today we are going to create fractions and then put them in order from least to greatest.
• answer the questions of why and how this will help them.
• discuss different strategies that they can use in making these fractions.
• discuss diffeent strategies that they can use in determing their placement on the number line.