By the time students get to dividing fractions they’ve already had a fair amount of interaction with fractions, and many students have a fear or dislike for fractions. I feel that dividing fractions is a topic that can help give students some confidence with fractions because it’s not too hard. All students have to do is flip the second fractions and then multiply across. I love teaching this topic because even reluctant students can be successful quickly.
So, if you’re looking for new ways to teach and practice dividing fractions, check out these 8 easy-to-use activities!
Just like most topics, once students understand the concept they need lots of practice. That’s where fun practice activities come in! Students will be a lot more engaged if you use some games and activities instead of traditional worksheets.
This list of activities will get your students working and having fun. These activities include digital fractions activities, paper-based resources, and activities available in both paper and digital formats. You can use one, or even combine them together to make a choice board activity.
- Dividing Fractions Digital Escape Room
- Dividing Fractions Mazes (digital & paper-based)
- Dividing Knockout Game
- Dividing Fractions Paper Chains
- Dividing Fractions Task Cards (digital & paper-based)
- Fishing Online Game
- Kit Kat Problem
- Dividing Fractions Quizizz
Dividing Fractions Digital Escape Room
If you haven’t tried an escape room with your students, you should know that students love them. The most common response I get from teachers is that really simple- their students love escape rooms. In this digital escape room activity, students get to practice dividing fractions and solving a mystery.
To complete, students solve a series of math problems. Then, after each set of questions students must use their answers to crack a code. This activity is done completely online through Google Slides and can be used on many learning platforms. Students are so much more motivated to divide fractions with the added fun of solving a mystery.
Dividing Fractions Maze (Paper and Digital Versions)
We’re big fans of using math mazes to get students the practice they need. We have a wide variety of maze topics for 6th grade, and this set of 3 dividing fractions is a perfect way for your students to practice.
Students work their way through the maze by dividing fractions correctly. Using mazes will break down some walls for students and encourage them to try during practice time. Having the added challenge of finding their way along the path motivates students to keep working
One of the best features of this set of three mazes is that they can be printed or used online. You can share them with your students as a interactive Google Slides, or you can pass out copies to students. Whatever your classroom looks like, mazes are a great addition.
The dividing fractions problems in these mazes are simple and don’t require students to use big numbers. They work great as a way to start class and you can use them again later in the year to review dividing fractions.
Want to try out a free math maze today? Sign up for the Maze of the Month club and get a free maze on middle school math concepts sent right to your inbox each month. Each maze has 2 versions- a printable & a digital version built in Google Slides (perfect for whatever your classroom looks like!) Plus, you’ll get an adding and subtracting integers maze right away.
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Dividing Knockout Game
Knockout games are a whole class review game that get the whole class involved. To play, you simply present this dividing fractions game on a projector and play with the class. You can also play this game remotely in your video conference if you are teaching remotely. By sharing your screen, students can see the game board and play along.
Then, students choose a question by selecting an icon from the game board. Then, you click to reveal the question to the whole class and students work to find the answer. They keep track of their points for correct questions. Some questions have special bonuses, which students really get a kick out of.
This game gives you an opportunity to informally assess how students are doing with dividing fractions. You can see if they are forgetting to flip the second fraction or not simplifying by having them show you their work on a personal whiteboard. If you want an engaging way to review dividing fractions with the whole class, then check this knockout game out.
Dividing Fractions Paper Chains
Paper chains work well as partner activities. To complete, students put a series of dividing fractions problems and answers in order to basically complete a puzzle. As the teacher, you walk around the room and give students pointers and let them know if they need to fix something. If nothing is wrong, then students get to glue their paper chain together.
I use the dividing fractions paper chain as the activity we do right after learning the steps. Working with a partner and having a fun activity at this point in the learning seems to get them motivated. They also get excited to hang-up their final product around the room for a display. I once had my intervention students combine their paper chains from multiple topics into a giant paper chain in the hallway. It turned into a fun and visual reminder of all the work they’d done.
Dividing Fractions Task Cards
Task cards are very versatile, and this set of dividing fractions task cards can be used for partner activities or for whole class review. There are a mix of vocabulary questions, basic problems, and word problems that will get students dividing fractions.
I like to use task cards to play games like the target game with the whole class. This task card set includes a paper version and a digital version, so you can use them in a variety of different circumstances.
Fishing Online Game
If you’re looking for a silly online practice game, then this game will work for you. It’s a quick practice and students get to “fish” while they’re practicing. Students love these kinds of games that add a little video gaming to their math practice. This game only uses basic problems and I’d use it with my intervention class to get them a little motivated to practice dividing fractions.
Kit Kat Problem
If you want to take this topic a little further, then check-out this three-task math problem. It has a lot of different ways of using Kit Kat candy bars to explore fractions, and the very last one is for dividing fractions. Three-Act math problems go deeper and push kids to use what they know to guess what will happen and then draw conclusions after the answer is revealed. Plus, this looks like a fun way to add candy to math class.
Dividing Fractions Quizizz
This fun game gets students practicing while they play. Basically, Quizizz games like this one look like a game but they’re very similar to a quiz. It’s the perfect way to see what students know in a fun environment. Quizizz also allows you to customize game play to best fit your class. You can play a live game (similar to Kahoot), play a live game in teams, or have students complete on their own schedule using the “homework” setting. (I also turn off the timer so speed isn’t factored into students’ scores).
In this particular game students will practice dividing fractions and working with mixed numbers. You can always make the Quizizz quiz shorter by making your own copy and deleting some questions. For example, when I use it at the end of class for a quick check, I usually only do 5 questions.
Get Students Engaged with Dividing Fractions
The best way for students to cement this topic into their brain is for them to get a lot of repetitions. They can get those repetitions by getting a lot of practice. Having a variety of fun activities will increase students’ time on task and you’ll see them improve their ability more quickly. Choose one of these activities and get your students engaged in their practice of dividing fractions.
All of our resources for practicing dividing fractions are available at a discount in this Dividing Fractions Activity Bundle. You’ll find all our Math Idea Galaxy resources for dividing fractions in one place and get a great deal.
Thanks so much for reading. Until next time!
