Sometimes my students struggle with all the interconnected ideas about fractions, decimals, and percentages. I really want them to understand that these interchangeable representations of the same number. And to know that fractions can be placed on a number line, just as they are used to doing with other numbers.
I asked my students to cut out this set of cards. Then they had to add to each card so that it had three representations of the same value. Finally, they had to draw a number line and place the cards on the line.
Both my students and I learned a lot from this activity. For my part, I learned that a few of these these particular students found drawing the number line troublesome; their first attempts weren’t evenly spaced or long enough. I learned that my class are able to translate among fractions, decimals, and percentages, though for some this is still a stuttering process. My students learned that they are able to move between the three representations for any number, even unfamiliar fractions or decimals.
The cards for this activity and a slide of instructions
are available here.
