Funny & Fabulous Fraction Stories: 30 Reproducible Math Tales And Problems To Reinforce Important Fraction Skills

FUNNY & FABULOUS FRACTION STORIES Funny & Fabulous Fraction Stories © Dan Greenberg, Scholastic Teaching Resources 30 Reproducible Math Tales and Problems To Reinforce Important Fraction Skills by Dan Greenberg S C H O L A S T I C PROFESSIONALBOOKS New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney Funny & Fabulous Fraction Stories © Dan Greenberg, Scholastic Teaching Resources Teachers may photocopy the designated reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic, 555 Broadway, New York, 10012. Cover design by Jaime Lucero, Liza Charlesworth, and Vincent Ceci Interior design by Robert Dominguez and Jaime Lucero for Grafica, Inc. Illustrations by Jared Lee ISBN 0-590-96576-X Copyright © 1996 by Dan Greenberg. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 99999999999999999 Contents HOW TO USE THIS BOOK . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ADDING AND SUBTRACTING FRACTIONS THE BASICS Skill 9: Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators Skill 1: Picturing Fractions Funny & Fabulous Fraction Stories © Dan Greenberg, Scholastic Teaching Resources Martha Crunch, Personal Fractions Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Skill 2: Recognizing Fractions Great Artists of the World Draw Fractions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Skill 3: Drawing and Identifying Fractions Rex Roper’s Believe It or Not! . . . . . . 28 Skill 10: Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers with Like Denominators Texarkana Bernstein: The World’s Greatest Adventurer and Her Trusty Dog, Woovis (Episode 1) . . . . . . . . . . 31 Skill 11: Least Common Denominators Officer Meg O’Malley of the Fraction Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Skill 12: Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators Martha’s Brain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Skill 13: Adding Mixed Numbers with Unlike Denominators Texarkana Bernstein: The World’s Greatest Adventurer and Her Trusty Dog, Woovis (Episode 2) . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The History of Fractions: A Play . . . . 13 Skill 4: Comparing Fractions Dear Ms. Fraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Skill 5: Equivalent Fractions Louie Lewis, Fractional Private Eye . . 18 Skill 6: Introduction To Simplest Form Martha and Steve: Simplest Form. . . 20 Skill 7: Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers Joe Trella, Fraction Fella . . . . . . . . . . 22 Skill 8: Practice Simplest Form Skill 14: Subtracting Mixed Numbers with Unlike Denominators Never More, Baltimore! . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Billy Doogan, Roving Weather Man . . 43 Skill Review Skill Review Ultra Workout 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Ultra Workout, Too! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 continued on next page MULTIPLYING AND DIVIDING FRACTIONS 99999999999999999 Contents Skill 15: Multiplying Fractions by Whole Numbers Emily Taproot, Fractional Poet . . . . . 47 Funny & Fabulous Fraction Stories © Dan Greenbe