Tummyache

This activity provides a context for finding fractions of whole-number amounts.
The students will need to model and explore sharing quantities before they attempt this activity.
Asking the students to divide their class or group into categories would be a good introduction. For example, divide the group into those with blue eyes, green eyes, and brown eyes. “How many of us are there altogether? What fraction or part of the class or group has brown eyes?” Modelling ways of recording is also important at this stage, for example, 12/24 have brown eyes, 8/24 have blue eyes, and 4/24 have green eyes.
The students could model question 1 by getting into groups of four and evenly sharing counters that represent the lollies in the book, or students working on their own could fold a piece of paper into four, open it up, and then divide the counters among the four sections of paper.
For question 2, the students could adjust their groups from question 1 to make them all have an equal share.
Allow the students to investigate this and then discuss their findings for question 3. You could use the hundreds board to discover all the multiples of 4 up to 100 that would work. As an extension, the students could set their own problem for a friend to solve.
 

Answers to Activity

1. a. 24
b. Bruno: 12/24 or 1/2
Greg: 6/24 or 1/4
Jan: 6/24 or 1/4
Kate: 0
c. No, because they don’t all get the same number of lollies.
2. a. 6
b. 6/24 or 1/4
3. The 24 and the 28 packets because they can be divided evenly by 4