Factory Museum

Grade 4 took a hands-on approach to demonstrating their fraction know-how Monday. After a discussion about museums and what you find in them when you tour, students created their own mini museums of fractions in living form using a variety of materials – from weights to coins to puzzle pieces. The fraction exhibits at student desks even included signs to spell out the fractions the displays were representing, just as an artist’s information appears on a card next to artwork in a gallery. The students visited their partner’s museum, jotting down notes to guess the mystery fraction. Curator Mrs. Beverly Silverman’s rule was that every display needed to include a mystery fraction. Partners then switched roles of viewer and curator to explain their own exhibits. The students visited all the museums and had fun while indicating to the teacher their understanding of fractions. This creative, interactive lesson allowed for differentiated instruction while calling for individual thought and peer collaboration.