Story:
Welcome to the fractions, decimals, worded form triathlon! You are a first-year competitor at this event, so first you need to learn how it works. Then compete to earn as many points in the triathlon as you can to outscore your opponents.
Tools:
Australian coins.
Wholes-tenths chart (template below) OR the hundredths decimal square (template below).
Main event
1. Roll dice to generate a decimal number.
If using the wholes-tenths chart: This shows how many ten cent coins to place in the tenths place value of the chart (use one 6-sided die). Ten cents are tenths - 1 out of 10 parts of $1.
If using the hundredths decimal square: This shows how many tenths and hundredths you have (use two 10-sided dice and shade these in using a coloured pencil).
2. Now record this as a decimal, decimal fraction and in worded form (3 ways - like the 3 events in the triathlon). If possible, also as a percentage, particularly if using the decimal hundredths square.
- For the decimal, think about it as money and how it would look on a canteen menu.
- For the fraction, think about parts of $1. $1 is made of 10 parts of 10 cents, so 3 ten cent coins makes 3 out of 10 parts of $1, or 30 out of 100 parts of $1, because it is 30 out of 100 cents.
- For the worded form, think 3 out of 10 parts, so 3 tenths as a fraction, or 30 out of 100 parts, so 30 hundredths.
3. Repeat, taking turns with your partner. When you reach more than $1, rename the ten 10-cent coins to a $1 gold coin.
4. For the wholes, think 1 whole and 4 out of 10 parts of the next whole, so 1.4 or 1.40, or 1.40000. As a fraction, 1 4/10 or 1 40/100, because it is 1 whole and 4 out of 10 parts of the next dollar, or 1 whole and 40 out of 100 parts of the next dollar. It is also 140 out of 100 parts of $1.
5. Every time you record something, you score a point. For example, every single element you record is one point. So 4/10 and 0.4 and 0.40000 is worth 3 points.
Keep rolling and whoever gets the most points, before the end of the lesson, wins.
Support: Purely focus on recording the decimal/money form, and eliminate the fraction and worded element of the recording at first.
Extension 1: Use different coins in the wholes-tenths chart. If you add 20c to the wholes-tenths chart, what does that represent? 1 out of 5 parts of $1, so 1/5, or 20c so 20% of $1.
Use this template, which is blank in the tenths to allow any silver coin to be used for the decimal parts:
Extension 2:
Record simplified fractions and more forms, so 4/10 as 2/5.
Record matching percentages of $1. So 2/5 is 40% because $1 shared between 5 is 20c so 20% and with 2/5 you have 40c or 40%.
Love this!