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How many of you can say you instantly see the panic in your students’ eyes when you say something along the lines of, “I’m going to be teaching equivalent fractions today!” or, “Who’s ready to practice some equivalent fractions?”
Your kids hear “fractions” and get nervous, then you put some big, scary word like “equivalent” that they can hardly pronounce in front of it and you’ve officially lost them.
Been there. Done that. You’re not alone!
The key to teaching equivalent fractions is to utilize methods and activities that are not only fun for your students, but are actually fun for you to teach, as well.
You may not realize it, but when your students see you having fun with what you’re teaching, yes, even if it’s teaching equivalent fractions, that enthusiasm is sure to be carried over to their learning.
This can be a tough topic to get your students excited about, but I have 7 super fun and engaging activity ideas for teaching equivalent fractions that I know everyone will love!
Come along!
By the way, make sure to grab my FREE equivalent fractions color by number to use during your math block.
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This product includes 8 different activities that are compatible with Google Classroom.
Students will practice matching or identifying fractions equal to 1, ½, ⅓, and ¼ by completing short answer and drag-and-drop questions!
The fun part for you about teaching equivalent fractions with this resource?
No prep, paper-less, and an answer key is included.
Now that’s fun in my book! 🙂
In all seriousness, your students will love the digital aspect of these activities, using comparison pictures of pizzas, cookies, and all the interactive features.
You can learn more about the resource here!
Do you know about my FREE equivalent fractions color-by-number (if not, you can read the post here!)
Fill out the form below to get them sent immediately to your inbox!
These equivalent fraction color-by-numbers will be PERFECT in your classroom.
Students color equivalent fractions in specific colors on a number key, and a mystery picture is revealed when they finish!
Who knew that equivalent fractions could be FUN?! (And super cute!).
Another Google Classroom resource I have for teaching equivalent fractions is this digital interactive number line product!
I love the visual concept this resource utilizes.
Displaying 2 different number lines at the same time, along with different fractions, allows your students to grasp the concept of what’s equivalent and what’s not simply by the positioning on the number lines.
I also love using number lines for teaching equivalent fractions because it’s a super helpful tool students can use to better understand the sizing of fractions.
For example, although 3/6 may seem larger than ½, it’s the same! Or, 1/10 may seem larger than ⅕ to them.
And of course, this product is already prepped for you along with an answer key! Yay!
Check it out at my TPT store here.
Sometimes it’s refreshing to take a step back from technology while still being able to incorporate some hands-on learning.
There are multiple activities within the notebook, including identifying if certain fractions are equivalent or not, coloring and utilizing fraction bars, as well as brainstorming fractions that are equal to a certain whole number.
You could always incorporate these activities into small group or whole group settings, or make them a part of morning work!
My favorite thing about this product is that it comes differentiated to meet the needs of all your learners.
There are different options for students to take notes themselves, fill in blanks, or can be provided with the information before starting.
1 piece of paper for these activities can be used for 2 students, saving you much time at the copy machine! Win! 🙂
If you want to go ahead and mesh the 2 prior resources I just mentioned together… here’s your product!
This interactive notebook material comes with 6 different activities that focus on plotting a specific fraction on a number line, and then creating equivalent fractions using a specific denominator.
This resource also comes differentiated as described previously, making it a great fit for all your individual learners!
Bingo – a free option for teaching equivalent fractions!
There are so many free Bingo card generators out there.
Create your own calling cards with multiple different fractions – I recommend making a table in Excel or Google Doc to keep them organized!
Following this, create multiple Bingo cards by inputting fractions into your generator.
I recommend going through your calling card fractions and creating 2-3 equivalent fraction options for each calling card fraction.
For example, if your calling card is ½, create at least 2-3 equivalent fractions for that specific card – 3/6, 5/10, 10/20, etc.
This will make the cards a bit more challenging for the students, instead of there just being one equivalent fraction answer.
However, feel free to adjust the game to meet your students’ needs. 🙂
Bingo is always a favorite!
I love these free virtual fraction tiles for teaching equivalent fractions from Didax – a great option to still make learning interactive if you are faced with distance learning this semester!
You can utilize this manipulative as individuals, in small groups, or even as a whole group.
Name a fraction and have your students create an equivalent fraction by using the virtual fraction tiles. This free resource gives you 1 whole, ½, ¼, ⅓, ⅕, ⅙, ⅛, 1/10, 1/12, and 1/16.
I recommend having them build your starting fraction, and then creating any equivalent fraction with the tiles.
Bonus: This is a great method for working on adding fractions, too!
You can also try out these virtual pattern blocks from Didax, as well!
Just as you can use the fraction tiles, give your students an equivalent fraction to build.
For example, by using the pattern blocks, build an equivalent fraction for ¾.
This would be a great opportunity to show the difference between numerators and denominators while teaching equivalent fractions!
An oldie… but a goodie for teaching equivalent fractions. 🙂
Create your own version of memory by using index cards with different equivalent fractions written on each.
You can make the game as small or as large as you’d like, but I would typically recommend starting with a list of 10 fractions and then creating 1 equivalent fraction for each.
This allows each small group of students to create a 4×5 array of the cards.
Adjust your amount of cards depending on the learning needs of your students.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to laminate!
You can always use this deck for a small game of “Go, Fish!” too! I would definitely suggest creating more cards for the deck if you’d like to go that route!
Another suggestion would be to add “KABOOM” cards to the deck for students to play Kaboom!
As students draw a fraction card from the deck, have them name an equivalent fraction to that card. If they get it correct, they keep the card. If they draw a “KABOOM” card, they must put all their cards back in the deck.
I hope you can find a bright spot in teaching equivalent fractions by using some of these hands-on activities!
Don’t forget to read my blog post all about the best fraction picture books – available here!
I know teaching this concept can be difficult for students to catch on to, but don’t forget, they will have as much fun as you do, so have tons! 🙂
Which activities are you excited to try for teaching equivalent fractions? Share below!
Hey there, I’m Kelly! I I love helping teachers save time with technology and resources so they have more hours in the day to spend with family and friends. Take a look around to find new ideas that you can implement in your classroom today!
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