Shay Cardell
Professor of Mathematics
Central Arizona College
Winkelman, AZ
----------
> >I am wondering: how would anyone understand that 1/2 + 1/3 is
> >approximately 1 without knowing that 1/2 is 3/6 and that 1/3 is 2/6 ?
> >I guess I'm wondering if in fact knowing the algorithm is necessary to
> >understanding the sum of two fractions.
> >
> This is one of my points about find other ways to learn number sense. I
do
> this BEFORE I LET students find common denominators and add fractions.
On a
> 1-unit linear measurement I have students draw 1/2 of a unit and on
another
> 1-unit measurement of the same length they 1/3 of a unit. Then they
> visually "add" 1/2 unit + 1/3 unit and tell me whether the answer is less
> than 1 or more than 1, then whether it is closer to 1/2 or closer to 1.
My
> concern is the number of students who can correctly find common
denominators
> and add 1/2 to 1/3 but cannot tell you the sum is slightly less than 1
> without doing the procedure. Those students have learned a procedure,
not
> without number sense.
>
> Martha
> >
>
>
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