Fractions - Add Fractions within 1 (Activity) - Presentation

In a series of engaging activities, students are invited to explore the concept of adding fractions within the number 1 using fraction strips as visual aids. The first activity presents a task where students are required to add fractions with different denominators, such as 2/7 and 5/14. They are guided to find a common denominator, in this case, 14, because it is a multiple of 7. By converting 2/7 to an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 14, students can then easily add the two fractions together. The fraction strips help students to visualise how 2/7 is equivalent to 4/14, and combining this with 5/14 results in a sum of 9/14, demonstrating how fractions can be added within the whole.

The lesson progresses with a second activity where students tackle the addition of 4/5 and 3/20. They learn to identify the lowest common multiple of the denominators, which in this case is 20. By converting 4/5 into an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 20, they can add the fractions together on the fraction strips, resulting in a sum of 19/20. This visual and interactive approach continues through subsequent activities, where students add fractions such as 1/3 and 5/9, and then move on to more complex sets of fractions. Each step reinforces their understanding of equivalent fractions, common denominators, and the process of adding fractions. The activities culminate in a discussion about the relationship between the fraction bars, the method for finding the lowest common multiple, and how to determine if the answers can be further simplified.