Interactivate: Fraction Conversion

Students will learn how to convert between fractions and decimals using a computer applet and the concept of money.

Upon completion of this lesson, students will:

practice converting fractions to decimals
understand the numeric value of various equivalent representations simple fractions and decimals

Technological: Students must be able to:
- perform basic mouse manipulations such as point, click and drag
- use a browser for experimenting with the activities
Arithmetic: Students must have:
- a basic understanding of fractions and what they represent

Students will need:

decimal	Short for the term "decimal fraction", a decimal is another way to represent fractional numbers. The decimal uses place value to express the value of a number as opposed to a fraction that uses a numerator and denominator.
fraction	A rational number of the form a/b where a is called the numerator and b is called the denominator

Focus and Review

Review prior fraction material. Lead into this lesson by:

explaining to students that there are other ways of representing fractional amounts besides with fractions
asking students if they are familiar with any other way of representing fractional amounts

Objectives

Let the students know what it is they will be doing and learning today. Say something like this:

Teacher Input

Lead a discussion on decimals.
Show the students how to convert from fractions to decimals by dividing the numerator by the denominator.

Guided Practice

Open the Converter applet in a browser.
Work through a few simple conversions as a class, first guessing the answer before clicking on the button so that students can understand what the applet is doing.

Independent Practice

Have students work as partners, answering the exploration questions while using the Converter applet.

Closure

Discuss anything the students found interesting while answering the exploration questions.
Discuss why conversions between fractions and decimals are important in real life situations.
Review the steps used to convert between fractions and decimals.
Review any new vocabulary.

This lesson can be followed up by Fraction Conversion II.

Interactivate