Fraction App-tivities

Are you looking for some activities to reinforce your students' learning about fractions?  I've been working with a few 2nd grade teachers on this standard: 2.G.A.3 - Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths.  Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape. Here's a few ideas to have your students creating fractions and explaining their fraction learning with the iPads.

1. Choose one of the following apps to create images to represent the fractions:

Doodle Buddy - Use the shapes tool to draw circles & rectangles.  Students then use the crayon tool to partition the shapes into two, three, and four equal shares.  Students can even use the text feature to type the vocabulary word to match the picture (halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc.).  Save these images to the camera roll to use within another app.

 
Skitch:

Take pictures of your classroom shape manipulatives.  Use the shape and line tools to partition circles and rectangles.  Save the images to the camera roll to use in another app.

Geoboard app:

Use the app to create squares and rectangles.  Then use the rubber bands to partition the shape into fourths, halves, and thirds.  Screenshot these images to use in another app (Book Creator, 30 Hands, or ChatterPix).

2. Choose one of the following apps to add voice to the images to explain fractions using the key vocabulary terms:
ChatterPix - Use the images created in Doodle Buddy, Skitch, or Geoboards apps in this app.  The students can make their fraction speak by adding a mouth.  Then the students can describe the shares using the vocabulary words (halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc.)  and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths.

30 Hands - Students would create a fractions video clip using the pictures created in the other apps.  Students narrate each fraction image using the key vocabulary terms.

3. Use one of the following apps to create a picture showing the fractions and their vocabulary terms: 
Popplet - Use images of fractions created in Doodle Buddy, Skitch, or GeoBoard Apps.  Add vocabulary words to identify fractions.  Use several different images to create a fractions web.

Word Clouds - Create a word cloud showing the key vocabulary terms from the lesson or unit.
Book Creator - Students can create a fractions iBook using the images created from the ideas above.  Students could also draw and speak directly in this app.
4. Compile the student fraction app-tivities into a bigger project such as a book, created with Book Creator, or an imovie at the end of the unit.

Telling Time on the iPads

Our first grade standard for telling time is tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks (1.MD.B.3).  One way we practiced on the iPads was in the Explain Everything app.  I sent the students a blank clock face in the Showbie app.  My students opened the blank clock in the Explain Everything app.  Then I would tell them a time and they would create the hands on the clock to show the correct time.  We also sang "What does the Clock Say?" as we practiced telling and writing time.

I found this blank clock face as a freebie on TPT.  Click here to grab a copy for yourself.

Measurement Apps

As we begin to work on measurement in class, I have tried out a few free measurement apps.

Measure This app by Clever Goats Media
In this free app, students are given several different measurement tasks to perform which allows them to practice measurement terms such as smallest, biggest, least, and most.  This app allows students to practice measuring items with a ruler.  Here are a few screenshots from within the app.
Students select the item that is the smallest or biggest.

Students can practice finding the group of objects that has the least and most.

Students can arrange objects by length from longest to shortest.

Students can measure height and length by moving the ruler to the different objects on the screen.

Measure Length - Tiny Chicken app by TapToLearn Software
In this free app, students use a clear ruler to measure the animals on the screen.  The students select a unit with which to measure.  This app allows you to measure with centimeters, inches, or millimeters.  Then you move the ruler to measure the given animal.  Students tap on the correct measurement at the bottom of the screen.  Here are a few screenshots from within the app.

Happy Measuring!  Do you guys know of any more measurement apps?

Telling Time Apps

We are working on telling time in class.  I have found a few good FREE apps for practicing reading clocks that we use in our iPad center.

Telling Time - Digital Clock by Photo Touch by Grasshopper Apps
In this free app, students click the digital clock from the audio prompt. As the clocks are matched correctly, more clocks will appear on the screen each time.  This app is adjustable for difficulty levels in the settings, as you can turn on and off certain times to meet the needs of your students. Here are a few screenshots from the app.

Tell Time - Little Matchups Game by Grasshopper Apps 
In this free app the students match the digital to the analog clocks.  As the students correctly match the clocks, more clocks will appear on the screen at a time.  This app also allows you to adjust the difficulty level in the settings.  You can turn certain times and the audio hints on or off.  Here are some screenshots from the app.

Wake the Rooster by Telling Time: Tiny Chicken by TapToLearn Software

In this free app, students need to set seven correct alarms to wake the rooster.  The students move the arms of the clock to the correct time.  This app will become progressively harder as the correct time is set by the students.  Here are a few screenshots from the app.

Telling Time Quiz by Innovative Mobile Apps

In this free app students, students select the clock that shows the given time.  More clocks will appear on the screen as the correct time is selected.  This app has 18 levels for the students to master and unlock.  Here are a few screenshots from the first two levels.

If you know of any more good, free telling time apps please let me know.

Groups of Objects on the iPads

We have been working on the Common Core State Standard 1.NBT.A.1 - Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120.  In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.  I decided to have the students create and count their own groups of objects between 1-120 on the iPads.  I let the students pick different manipulatives to use for this project such as blocks, links, counters, buttons, etc from my math manipulatives in the classroom.  The students counted out four different groups of objects and took a photo of their groups with the iPad camera.  Some of my students chose to use the Popplet app and some of them choose to use the Pic Collage app to showcase their different groups.  Here are some of their finished products.

Equality of Equations on the iPads

We have been working on equality of equations in math, CCSS 1.OA.D.7 - understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false.  I created a QR code task card activity for my students to use in practicing this skill.  My students love everything about QR codes. I had the early finishers create their own equations for everyone else to solve for equality on the iPads.  Here are some of the student created equations.

 

 We used the Doodle Buddy app to create our equations and saved them to the camera roll.  They submitted their finished products to me in the Showbie App.

A few students decided to use the PicCollage app to create their equations.

Then I had a few students who decided they wanted to add their voice to their equations.  They uploaded their equations into the Explain Everything app and the Tellagami app.

From the Showbie App, I uploaded the student made equations to Dropbox.  Then I created a QR code that linked to each problem.  We used the student created equations to practice this skill again. 

The students LOVED solving the problems created by themselves and their own classmates.  

This activity was a huge hit that we will be repeating!  My students were totally able to create the problems for our task cards.  Why didn't I think of this before?!

To download a copy of our student made QR code equality of equations task cards click the picture below.  

QR Code Task Cards

My first graders have enjoyed QR code task cards. After completing several activities made by other teachers, I decided to create one myself.  I began by creating the actual task cards themselves.  I made 12 different problems for my students to solve and created a recording sheet for their answers.

I then saved the task cards as JPEGs and uploaded them to my dropbox.  In dropbox, I clicked the share link button on each image to get the URL.  I copied each URL into the Kaywa QR code generator website to create the QR codes to link to each task card.  I previously blogged about using this website to create QR codes.  Click here for a post with a teacher sheet on how to use this website to create the codes.

I'm so excited to try this activity out with my class.