Lego Math

Here is a problem the students will be working on throughout the week in math.  If you get the opportunity, click on the link titled, "build with chrome."  This is a free site that allows students to build with legos.  I thought it would be a great way to help them learn more about fractions.

What are fractions?

Lego

1. Watch the videos above.
2. Go to build with chrome on the web.
3. Get to the lego building page.
4. The long skinny lego with 16 pegs will be your whole.
5. Find the lego piece that can represent ½ of your whole.  What color did you make this piece?  How do you know that this is ½ of your whole?  Cover your whole with your ½ block.
6. Find the lego piece that can represent ¼ of your whole.  What color did you make this piece?  How do you know that this is ¼ of your whole.  Cover your whole with your ¼ block.
7. Find the lego piece that can represent ⅛ of your whole.  What color did you make this piece?  How do you know that this is ⅛ of your whole.  Cover your whole with your ⅛ block.
8. Find the lego piece that can represent 1/16 of your whole.  What color did you make this piece?  How do you know that this is 1/16 of your whole.  Cover your whole with your 1/16 block.
9. Now figure out how many ¼ blocks will cover a ½ block.  
10. Figure out how many ⅛ and 1/16 will cover a ½ block too.
11. Now determine how many eighth blocks it takes to cover a ¼ block.  How many 1/16 blocks does it take to cover a ¼ block?
12. Cover a ⅛ block with 1/16 blocks.  How many did it take?
13. Now build with your blocks. Create something that uses a total of 6 wholes.  You don’t have to just use the whole blocks.  You can also use the ¼ blocks, ⅛ blocks, etc.  Remember four ¼ blocks equals one whole.  
14. Create your own design using as many blocks as you would like.  You need to keep track of the blocks that you are using, because you will have to tell the total amount that you used to build your design.
15. Create a 16 inch line a large sheet of paper.  Divide it into sixteen equal parts.  Place a one at the end tick mark and a 0 at the beginning tick mark.  Use the color you used for your whole lego block to label each fraction on you number line.  
16. Create another 16 inch line below the one above.  Divide it into 8 equal parts.  Place a one at the end tick mark and a 0 at the beginning tick mark.  Use the color you used for your whole lego block to label each fraction on you number line.  
17. Create another 16 inch line below the one above.  Divide it into 4 equal parts.  Place a one at the end tick mark and a 0 at the beginning tick mark.  Use the color you used for your whole lego block to label each fraction on you number line.  
18. Create another 16 inch line below the one above.  Divide it into 2 equal parts.  Place a one at the end tick mark and a 0 at the beginning tick mark.  Use the color you used for your whole lego block to label each fraction on you number line.  
19. Create another 16 inch line below the one above.  Divide it into 1equal part.  Place a one at the end tick mark and a 0 at the beginning tick mark.  Use the color you used for your whole lego block to label each fraction on you number line.  
20. Look at all of these fraction lines and write down all of the different things you notice about them.  How are they the same?  How are they different?  How do these lines compare to your lego blocks?