Pizza Fraction Lesson Plan

Submitted by Debbie Engelmann

Franklin School Computer Teacher

8 Meeker Street

Succasunna, New Jersey 07876

Roxbury Public Schools

Phone:  973-584-5549

E-Mail:  dengelmann@roxbury.org

 

Concept:  Students review fractions by creating an electronic pizza

Grade Level:  2

Curriculum Area:  Math

Skills Needed:  Fine motor coordination, some knowledge of fractions from real-life experiences

Skills Acquired:  Computer graphic tool skills, such as stretching and drawing lines and circles in a paint application, and a further developed knowledge of fractions

NJCCCS:  Mathematics Standard 4.6 – All students will develop number sense and an ability to represent numbers in a variety of forms and use numbers in diverse situations

Lesson Objective:  To review fractions using real-life experiences and technology to construct meaning for commonly used fractions (NJCCCS Standard 6 Number Sense Grades K-2 Indicator 1)

Time Required:  30 minutes

Materials:  “Kid Pix” computer software (or any paint program), a computer and printer

 

Activity:  Coordinate this activity with a study of fractions in your math curriculum

 

  1. Children begin at the computer using “Kid Pix” by creating a pizza using the oval tool.  Pick a brown color for the pizza crust and stretch a circle. Next, pick a red color for the tomato sauce and stretch another circle over the crust.  Finally, pick a yellow color for the cheese and stretch another circle over the red sauce.
  2. Next, children may add pizza “toppings” using the oval tool or stamp tool.
  3. Next, children use the line tool to “slice” the pizza into 8 slices.
  4. Next, children may “eat” as many slices of pizza as they want by using the paint bucket tool and picking white, and then clicking on the piece they want to eat.
  5. Finally, using the “A” tool, children must type the fraction of eaten pizza slices out of 8 total slices.
  6. Then, children pretend to send the pizzas to the printer to “bake” and take home. (See attached sample.)

 

I have used this lesson plan for the past 3 years in the computer lab for my second grade classes, and it is truly a favorite of the students.  The children come away with a concrete understanding of the meaning of fractions.

 

This lesson is based on an idea that I modified from the “Kid Pix” Teacher’s Guide.