An Equivalent Fractions Game
Do your middle school math students like playing math games as much as my 6th-graders do?? If so, they’ll love playing “Go Fish” to help practice identifying equivalent fractions.
This equivalent fractions game is great for 4th, 5th, or 6th grade math, but can also be helpful for equivalent fraction review for higher grades.
The fraction cards are handy for other activities, like fraction war!)
Playing Equivalent Fractions Go Fish
The cards used for this math game are sets of equivalent fraction cards. So when they play, your math students need to determine whether they have the fraction that’s equivalent to the fraction students are “fishing” for.
For example, if a student asks for a particular fraction, like 4/6, the other students have to determine whether any of their cards are equivalent to 4/6.
Equivalent Fractions Game Instructions:
1. Students play in groups of 3 or 4.
2. Each student is dealt 5 – 7 cards, and the rest of the deck is placed face down.
3. Player 1 asks another player for a fraction that’s equivalent to one in their own hand.
- If the other player has an equivalent fraction, they give it to the ‘asker’ and the ‘asker’ goes again.
- If they do not, the ‘asker’ must choose from the pile (‘go fish”). If they pick the card equivalent to the fraction they asked for, they may ask again.
- If they don’t pick card equivalent to the fraction they asked for, then the next player takes their turn.
4. Once a player has 4 equivalent fraction cards in their hand, they put them down on the playing surface.
5. Play continues in this way until all cards have been used. The winner is the player with the most sets of equivalent fractions.
Notes From Playing Equivalent Fractions Go Fish
When we played equivalent fractions ‘Go Fish’ the other day, the students had a great time and did a really good job.
In the first class, I didn’t require students to write down the lowest terms of the fractions in their hands, so it took some of them a little longer to simplify all of their fractions when another player asked for a certain fraction.
These students commented that the game really made them think and that it was good when someone made a mistake, because they were able to recognize that a mistake had been made! Good thinkers!
I required later classes find the lowest terms of their fractions and record them on notebook paper (hiding their answers from the other players!), and it definitely helped them to play the game more smoothly.
Overall, a successful game!
What are your favorite math games or activities to help students practice with equivalent fractions?
Interested in more about fractions?
Check out the Fractions: From Foundations to Operations program.
Resources to Practice Simplifying Fractions
