6th Grade Fractions: Math Help for Sixth Graders

Help With Fractions

Fraction Vocabulary

Numerator

The number on the top of the fraction. In 3 /10, three is the numerator.

Denominator

The number on the bottom of the fraction; in 4 /5, five is the denominator.

Common Denominator

When two fractions have the same denominator (like 2/3 and 1/3).

Improper Fraction

A fraction with a numerator larger than its denominator. For instance, 56/21.

Equivalent Fractions

Two fractions of equal value. An example is 1/5 = 20/100.

Fractions and Food

One simple way to visualize fractions is by dividing your food into pieces (or fractions). You can cut a pizza into eight equal slices and then write down - in fractions - how many slices each person in your family eats for dinner. If your brother eats three slices, he has eaten 3/8 of the pizza. If your mom eats two slices, she has had 2/8 of the entire pizza. Now reduce each fraction as much as you can. The fraction 2/8 is the same as 1/4, but 3/8 cannot be reduced.

When you make a sandwich, cut it into fractions and jot down how many you eat. Remember that the total number of pieces you have will be the number on the bottom of the fraction. The number on the top can vary, depending on how many pieces you eat.

Questionnaire Game

One of the ways you can practice dealing with fractions is by creating a quiz for your friends. Here's how it works: Choose a topic that several of your friends or siblings are interested in, which can range from food to movies or music.

The next step is to write down ten multiple-choice questions related to the topic. If your topic is 'what's your musical style?', then you have to create three possible answers that lead to a different 'musical style'. It's important that no answer is right or wrong, that they just indicate taste. For instance, you might have one question about what song they would rather listen to first thing in the morning; each of the answers would reflect a certain musical taste.

Scoring the Test

Once you get all the questionnaires back from your friends, it's time to calculate the answers. This is where fractions come in. You can figure out what fraction of people chose each answer. If two of the participants had the same answers, and one had something else, you will know that 2/3 of your friends like one style, and 1/3 likes something different. You can use this type of game to make decisions based on the preferences of the majority.