Fractions and Other Monsters

So life in Ms. Aoki's class has been a bit chaotic. We are doing fractions, and it is a continuation of what they were supposed to learn last year. Everyone seems to need help (except for a couple of good math students). Everybody needs to use the manipulatives, everybody needs to be directed to find equivalent fractions in order to get common denominators. Many are escape artists and find creative ways to avoid going through the process. They say, "It's hard!" Because I can only help a few at one time, and only very few can be peer tutors, and my adult tutor has been absent, there is a lot of room for shenanigans, pretend work, and attempts to do anything else but fractions. 

So, I am reflecting on my approach. I realize that I can't go on with this approach of self-directed (Montessori-style) discovery learning with manipulatives. I need to entice them into the joy of fractions, so I went shopping looking for a food item that I can use to divide into fractions. Soft chocolate chip cookies? Too small and crumbly. Tortillas for quesadillas? Too much trouble. Bread? Not even on all sides. Red vines? Yes! So I will try red vines, and less independence, and see if I can decrease the frustration for both them and me. 

How about this for a song? (Mulberry Bush) 

This is way we add fractions

With unlike

Denominators.

We need to find equivalent fractions

So that they both have 

Common denominators. 

Find common multiples

And use the 

Least of them.

You can use the Identity property

To multiply

The fraction in question.

Two over two, three over three

Whatever you need

To get common denominators.

Add only the numerators,

The denominator stays the same.

Don't forget simplest form

Divide with common factors

Number over number

How do you know it's simplest form? 

When the greatest common factor 

Is one. 

(A draft)