Playdough Fractions

Curriculum Goal

Use drawings to represent, solve, and compare the results of fair-share problems that involve sharing up to 10 items among two, three, four and six sharers, including problems that result in whole numbers, mixed numbers, and fractional amounts.

Whole-class book reading and demonstration, followed by individual exploratory activity.

Playdough: one fist-sized lump for each child and teacher
Playdough cutters (or butter knives)
Chart paper and markers
Blank paper: one for each child and teacher
Pencils
Book: Charlie Piechart and the Case of the Missing Pizza Slice by Marilyn Sadler and Eric Comstock (Recorded reading available on YouTube)

Read Charlie Piechart and the Case of the Missing Pizza Slice.
Discuss: “What is a fraction?” Record students’ ideas on chart paper and leave it visible for when they work.
Roll playdough into a circle and demonstrate the process of splitting the “whole” circle into smaller parts. Place the parts on a mat that explicitly states the fractional names (“halves”, “1/2”). Leave this visible as the children work.
- Meanwhile, have students carefully observe and describe what is happening (ensure the use of fractional names).
Have students create pizza-shaped flat circles from playdough.
Ask students to divide their “whole” into two equal halves and place their results on the piece of paper. Invite them to label it with the correct fractional name.
- Repeat with other fractions, based on how well students are understanding fractions.
Present questions to extend student thinking. Sample questions:
- What fraction is bigger, a half or a quarter?
- How many quarters will make a whole?
- How many parts are there when you divide your whole piece of playdough in half?
- What happens when you take one piece away from the fraction? How many pieces have you taken away and how many pieces do you have left?
Facilitate a discussion on regrouping fraction parts into a whole. Have students put their pieces back together to create a whole circle again.

Are children able to provide the associated fractional name to their outcome?
Can children regroup fractional parts back into the whole?
Can children compare fractions? (e.g. Do children understand that one half is the same as two fourths?)