Fractions Decimals and Percents

Today grade 9s looked at how to compare fractions, decimals and percents. After a brief introduction and brainstorming session about what we remembered from earlier years, each group got a stack of cards with fractions, decimals and percents on them. Groups were tasked to put them in order.

There were good conversations at each table about equivalencies, and how to make comparisons. Some groups looked at numerator and denominator sizes, and others made everything into decimals and compared.

All groups next had the mission of sorting all of the cards from all of the groups into one big number line. To start this, one member from each group brought their group’s smallest value to one end of our whiteboard and decided amongst themselves which was the smallest smallest value. Another member of each group brought their largest value to the other end of our whiteboard and decided amongst themselves which was the largest largest value. From there we started to put all of the cards in order.

We had some excellent conversations and some leaders emerged to place the benchmark values of 1/2, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 in place, then order the others within the sections.

Unfortunately today was super humid, and the tape was not cooperating, so cards were falling off the wall as we worked, and as I was consolidating.

We learned about how to determine the decimal value for ninths, e.g. 4/9=0.4444 repeating. We also saw how 0.9999 repeating equals exactly 1, because it is 9/9 which is 1. A bit mindblowing.

we saw how some fractions are improper, the numerator is higher than the denominator. We looked at how to write them as mixed numbers as well, and we saw how various representations can have the same value, e.g. 8/4, 2, 6/3, 200%

It was a great way to end a short week. P.A. Day tomorrow 🙂