Grade: 6

Background Information

Mathematics is a crucial component of any curriculum, equipping students with tools to make sense of the world around them. For this project, we will be focusing on a specific area of mathematics: converting between fractions and decimals. This is a fundamental skill that has applications in multiple aspects of daily life, from cooking (e.g., using 1/3 cup of flour) to finance (e.g., determining the interest rate on a loan).

Being able to convert from one form to another—from a fraction to a decimal, or vice versa—allows for flexibility in thinking. This flexibility, in turn, can enable better problem-solving strategies and help in communicating solutions. After all, it is easier to communicate a solution when you can express it in multiple ways.

Introduction

Sixth grade students will likely already be familiar with the concepts of fractions and decimals; however, they may struggle with making connections between the two. This project will focus on solidifying that understanding and then applying it to real-world examples.

To begin, we will review the concept of fractions and decimals. A fraction is a way of representing the division of two numbers, while a decimal represents a fraction that has a denominator of 10 or 100 (or any power of 10). Thus they are closely related—both are ways of representing numbers that are not whole numbers.

When converting from one form to another, we are essentially just translating the representation of the same number. For example, the fraction 1/2 is the same as 0.5 in decimal form. Converting from one form to another does not change the number itself, it simply changes the way we are representing it.

Hands-On Activity

Activity Title: The Fraction-Decimal Connection at the Grocery Store

Project Goals

The hands-on activity has two main goals:

1. Introduce and solidify the concept of converting fractions into decimals and vice-versa
2. Provide an engaging activity that encourages collaboration, teamwork, creativity and the application of mathematical concepts in a real-world context.

Detailed Description of Activity

In this activity, students will visit a grocery store to find items whose prices are listed in decimal form only. They will then "open their own grocery store" and create a catalog that lists ten items, with prices in fraction form only. In addition, they must create a fraction-to-decimal conversion chart to help their "customers" make purchases.

The activity can be easily differentiated to meet the diverse needs of the students. It also integrates other subject areas, such as English Language Arts into the creation of the catalog and final report, as well as Art when students design and lay out the catalog.

Materials

• Notebooks or loose-leaf paper for note-taking
• Pens, pencils and erasers
• Rulers
• Calculators
• Computer with internet access for price checking

Detailed Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Divide students into teams of 3 to 5.

2. Have students start by reviewing and practicing converting fractions into decimals and vice-versa, to ensure that they are comfortable with the concept. Resources for this can be found in the Resources section of this lesson plan.

3. Next, have students research online or, if it is safe to do so, visit a local grocery store and pick out 10 items that they would like to sell in their grocery store. They should record the price for each item.

4. Have teams "open their own grocery store" and create a catalog with their chosen items. However, the price of each item should be in fraction form, not decimal form. (The fractions should be equivalent to the original decimal prices.)

5. Along with their catalogs, have each group create a fraction-to-decimal conversion chart, to help "customers" read the price tags.

6. Finally, have teams create a one-page project write-up, explaining the process they went through to create their projects.

Project Deliverables

The final project should include the following components:

1. A catalog of items with the prices listed as fractions

2. A conversion chart that shows fraction-decimal equivalents

3. A one-page write-up that should contain the following sections:

   • Introduction: In the introduction, the student should provide background information on the topic, its importance in real-world contexts and provide a clear statement of the goals of their project.

   • Process: The student should explain the mathematical concept of converting between fractions and decimals. The student should detail the procedures they used, explain what methods they used to complete the tasks at hand and present their results and discuss any challenges encountered.

   • Conclusion: The conclusion should restate the main points of the project, explain what was learned and summarize any conclusions drawn from the project.

   • Annotated Bibliography: Students should include a list of sources that they consulted while working on this project, including books, websites and videos.

This project should take students approximately 12 hours to complete, and will be assessed on understanding of the mathematics, as well as collaboration, teamwork, creativity, initiative and other soft skills.