Math Beyond Workbooks

• skills involved: problem solving, calculating fractional parts, ordering fractions, cooperative group skills


• materials needed: a "fact sheet" and question cards for each group (to be made ahead of time by the instructor)

This activity is based on an exercise in Contemporary's GED Test 5: Mathematics book (p. 87). It is a good example of how to get a lot of mileage from a "worksheet". Students work together to answer the questions, and then they line up all of the answers (most of which are fractions) in order from least to greatest. When all of the slips are in order, they are turned over and if they are in the correct order, they will spell out a secret message.

1. Make a copy of the following "fact sheet" for each group.



There are 6 women and 9 men in Martin's math class. Last season the Penguins Softball Team played 24 games and won 18. Ellen bought a coat on sale for $60. This was $30 off the original price. The Jacksons are driving from Center City to Westville. They stop to eat after 175 miles. They still have another 125 miles to go. Carmen takes home $1200 a month. She spends $300 a month for rent, $450 a month for food, and $150 a month on car payments.




2. Write the following statements on index cards (or print them out and cut up the slips of paper). Write the letter (or question mark or blank space) that follows the question on the back of the card. The answers are noted here for the teacher's use, so if you'd like to print out a list that can be cut up for students' use, click here.



1. What fraction of the math class is women? [H] (2/5)



2. What fraction of the math class is men? [blank] (3/5)



3. One night, three students were absent from math class. What fraction of the class was absent? [S] (1/5)



4. What fraction of the games did the Penguins win? [U] (3/4)



5. What fraction of the games did the Penguins lose? [T] (1/4)



6. What was the original price of the coat? [N] ($90)



7. What fraction of the original price did Ellen save? [blank] (1/3)



8. What fraction of the original price did Ellen pay? [F] (2/3)



9. What is the total distance from Center City to Westville? [?] (300 miles)



10. What fraction of the drive did the Jacksons complete when they stopped to eat? [T] (7/12)



11. What fraction of the trip did the Jacksons have left to complete after they ate? [A] (5/12)



12. What fraction of Carmen's income does she spend for rent? [N] (1/4)



13. What fraction of Carmen's income does she spend on car payments? [A] (1/8)



14. What fraction of Carmen's income does she spend on food? [T] (3/8)



15. Carmen saves $120 every month. What fraction of her income does she save? [W] (1/10)





3. Make a pile of the question slips. (It doesn't matter if they are in order or not.) Students take turns turning over a question and reading it to the group.



4. They work together to answer the question, referring to the "fact sheet" when necessary, and they write their answer on the slip of paper, below the question.



5. When all of the questions have been answered, students work together to line all of the slips up in order across the table, from least to greatest.



6. When all of the slips are in order, the students flip them over to reveal a secret message. (The secret message is: WASN'T THAT FUN?) If they made any mistakes in the order, they will see where they went wrong and can correct themselves.

Like most of the activities in this site, this activity can be adapted to fit many different worksheets. Just write the individual questions on slips of paper, and write letters on the back that will spell out a message when the answers are arranged in ascending order.