Description
The Hands-On Equations Fractions Learning System
Each student needs the HOE Fractions Student Kit to represent and solve the equations concretely. This kit consists of a set of 8 numbered cubes, a flat laminated scale, and a set of 33 plastic fraction blocks.
Materials needed for each student
The Hands-On Equations Fractions Learning System is a complete program with one set of student manipulatives. The program consists of two manuals encompassing 12 lessons, a set of worksheets and an answer key, a flat laminated balance, a set of 8 number cubes, and a set of 33 fraction blocks.
Materials needed for each teacher
The class set of materials includes The Hands-On Equations Fractions Learning System, as well as a HOE Fractions student kit for each student. After providing the two instructional examples for a lesson, the teacher distributes the worksheet for that lesson. Each worksheet has 8 equations, 4 from the current lesson, and 4 from prior lessons. The teacher answer key enables the teacher to quickly check student solutions.
Methodology
Hands-On Equations Fractions Class Set
This program consists of two levels encompassing a total of 12 lessons. As with the original Hands-On Equations program, students represent the fractional equation on a flat laminated scale using their game pieces, and then use “legal moves” to solve the equations. Each lesson comes with a worksheet containing 8 problems.
Unique to HOE Fractions is that students solve first for the unit fraction of the unknown. Hence, if a fractional equation has been simplified to 7/3 y = 28, they first determine the value of the unit fraction 1/3 y, namely, 4. Hence y, consisting of 3 copies of the unit fraction 1/3 y, is 12. This methodology provides students with a sense-making approach to fractional linear equations.
Each level ends with an abstract solution approach which may be presented to younger students as an enrichment lesson. For older students, the abstract solution approach provides a transition to solving these equations without manipulatives. Level II has fractional equations with negative constants.
Hands-On Equations Fractions for the Interactive Whiteboard
It is also highly recommended that the teacher obtain the HOE Fractions for the Interactive Whiteboard (Promethean, Mimio, etc.). A teacher without an interactive whiteboard can manipulate the digital game pieces from the computer keyboard. (This product is also available for the SMART Board.)
