This activity builds on the Comparing & Ordering Fractions activity I posted today, and can be used with 3rd to 6th graders. I noticed that the beams of each size could represent halves, thirds, fourths, etc., using the number of holes (excluding center hole).
Fraction Operations (Rational Numbers for 6th Graders): See photos below of setup and examples. Two each of the first 8 sizes of beams are pinned to the board with red pins and labeled with denominations. If creating mixed numbers, hole positions starting from the bottom left on orange connectors are used to show whole numbers. This creates a board that has 2 groups of whole number and fraction denominations. One of these boards can be made with each GO kit. It can be played as a game with 2 - 4 students. The 1st student uses green pins and yellow standoffs to pick a fraction or mixed number on each side of the board and picks an operation. If a fraction is picked in the location of a red pin, it can be changed out for a green pin. Other student(s) solve the math problem correctly together or separately to get the point. If they don’t, the 1st student gets the point. A timer could be used. The game can be simplified by reducing choices, using unit fractions, common denominators, etc. for students just beginning with fractions. It could be played with or without a timer.
