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by
John Crotty and Joseph Cummins
The computer can become a valuable asset in conceptualizing operations involving fractions as well as demonstrating comparison of fractions and the reducing of fractions to lowest terms. By the use of programmed models, this unit attempts to aid the teacher in the teaching of this most troublesome area.
By using programmed graphical models size comparisons are easily made in the ordering of fractions. Common denominators through the use of graphical models are readily apparent in addition and subtraction of fractions. Also the concept of equivalent fractions can be easily generated by means of programmed models. The concept of multiplying can also be enhanced by graphical models. Division, as shown by means of graphical models can be seen as follows; 1/4 / 1/2 really means how many 1/2’s are there in 1/4. This language is advantageous in teaching what division that involves fractions means.
With the type of student we come upon in an Applied Mathematics course the use of algorithms in the teaching of an operation such as division of fractions does not accomplish the goal of student mastery of the concept being presented. The student does not see the meaning of the steps in the algorithm and does not draw relationships between the steps. In short. the student does not understand the why or the how of division.
Using the computer, programming graphical models, and using the computer in conjunction with drill materials, it is believed that those instructors teaching fractions will have more success than they are presently experiencing.
In an Applied Mathematics course, one-fourth of the course is a unit dealing specifically with fractions. At the present time, the way in which the course is set up, in order to go on to the next unit .students must first pass a test on the material which was covered that marking period. It is evident by the extremely large numbers of students who have failed the unit on fractions before finally passing it, as well as the extremely large number of students who never passed the unit on fractions that a new approach is necessary.
This past school year at Richard C. Lee High School 182 students began courses in Applied Mathematics and of these, 65 still have not passed the unit on fractions. This large percentage definitely bears out the fact that students need help with fractions.
We will use the “golden rectangle” as our graphical model. We strongly believe that visualization is an essential tool in teaching and that this is especially true with those we deal with in an Applied Mathematics course. When these students see our pictorial models, it is strongly felt that they will understand the whys involved in the arithmetic of fractions and hopefully they will become proficient in the use of fractions. The computer will be the catalyst in getting many students to finally be able to work effectively with fractions.
The program that follows is very explicit and can be easily followed by the teacher and with a minimal amount of explanation to the student. It is hoped that many teachers will use our program in the teaching of fractions. It is strongly believed by the authors that the results will be very positive.
- 1 REM THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS
- 2 REM WHO ARE WORKING WITH FRACTIONS BY ALLOWING THEM TO SIT
- 3 REM AT THE COMPUTER, AND BY FOLLOWING A SIMPLE SET OF
- 4 REM INSTRUCTIONS, VISUALLY SEE THE MEANING OF A FRACTION.
- 5 REM COMPARISON OF FRACTIONS, REDUCING FRACTIONS, AS WELL AS
- 6 REM THE BASIC MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS INVOLVING FRACTIONS
- 7 REM IT IS STRONGLY BELIEVED THAT THIS VISUAL PRESENTATION
- 8 REM WILL GREATLY AID THE TEACHER IN THE TEACHING OF FRACTIONS
- 9 REM AND THE STUDENT IN THE LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING OF FRACTIONS
- 10 REM THE PROGRAM WAS RUN ON A HEWLETT PACKARD COMPUTER
- 11 REM WHICH HAD A UNIQUE SUBROUTINE LIST. THE FOLLOWING ARE
- 12 REM THE SUBROUTINES IN OUR PROGRAM WHICH ARE FOUND ON THE
- 13 REM SUBROUTINE LIST.
- 14 REM
- 15 REM ****** * * *** ****** ******* * ******** ***
- 16 REM * CALL( 1, A, B, C, D) X-Y DIGITAL PLOTTER-PLOTTING *
- 17 REM * A. PEN CONTROL. A=O. PLOTTER MAKES DOT AT *
- 18 REM * CALLED POINT, LIFTS PEN A0. PLOTTER MOVES TO*
- 19 REM * CALLED POINT, NO MARK A0 PLOTTER DRAWS *
- 20 REM * STRAIGHT LINE TO CALLED POINT FROM PRESENT *
- 21 REM * POSITION, LEAVES PEN DOWN. *
- 23 REM * ABSOLUTE B,O, ADDRESS 10 REM * RELATIVE *
- 24 REM * C. X-AXIS COMPONENT OF CALLED POINT. *
- 25 REM * ->=X>=9999, X INTEGER *
- 26 REM * D: Y-AXIS COMPONENT OF 10 REM * CALLED POINT. *
- 27 REM * 0>=Y>=9999, Y INTEGER *
- 28 REM * CALL(2,A,B,C,D) X-Y DIGITAL PLOTTER-PRINTING
- 29 REM * A:
- 30 REM * B: PROJECTION OF A ON Y AXIS
- 31 REM * C: PROJECTION OF D ON X AXIS
- 32 REM * D: HEIGHT OF CHARACTER
- 33 REM * CALL(3,A(1,1),B) OSCILLOSCOPE DISPLAY:
- 34 REM * REGENERATION ROUTINE.
- 35 REM * A(1,1):
- 36 REM * MATRIX B: TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS TO BE
- 37 REM * REGENERATED
- 38 REM * CALL(50,A) RUNS CALL(1,...) AND CALL(2,...) ON
- 39 REM * OSCILLOSCOPE
- 40 REM * CALL(3,...) MUST BE IN EFFECT
- 41 REM * A: CHOICE PARAMETER — A =0 PLOTS X-Y
- 42 REM * DIGITAL PLOTTER. A>0 PLOTS TO OSCILLOSCOPE
- 43 REM *
- 44 REM **********************************************
- 45 REM
- 46 REM THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF MAJOR PROGRAM VARIABLES
- 47 REM
- 48 REM *********************************************
- 49 REM
- 50 REM D= DENOMINATOR N= NUMERATOR
- 51 REM X0 = INITIAL X COORDINATE OF DENOMINATOR
- 52 REM RECTANGLE.
- 53 REM Y0 = INITIAL Y COORDINATE OF DENOMINATOR
- 54 REM * RECTANGLE
- 55 REM * Y1 = HIGHEST COORDINATE OF DENOMINATOR
- 56 REM * RECTANGLE
- 57 REM *
- 58 REM *********************************************
- l01 CALL (5O, - 1 )
- 102 DIM U[15, 200]
- 103 CALL (3,U[1. 1]. 6000)
- l08 PRINT “BIG Gus WELCOMES YOU TO FRACTION CITY”
- 109 PRINT
- 110 PRINT “TYPE THE NUMBER NEXT TO THE SECTION YOU WANT”
- 112 PRINT “ (1) PICK A FRACTION “
- 113 PRINT “ (2) WHICH FRACTION IS LARGER”
- 114 PRINT “ ( 3 ) REDUCING FRACTIONS “
- 115 PRINT “ (4) ADDING FRACTIONS”
- 116 PRINT “(5) SUBTRACTING FRACTIONS”
- 117 PRINT “(6) MULTIPLYING FRACTIONS”
- 118 PRINT “ (7) DIVIDING FRACTIONS “
- 120 PRINT
- 121 PRINT “ YOUR CHOICE IS “
- 122 INPUT B
- 130 IF B=1 THEN 1000
- 131 IF B=2 THEN 2000
- 132 IF B=3 THEN 3000
- 133 IF B=4 THEN 4000
- 134 IF B=5 THEN 5000
- 135 IF B=6 THEN 6000
- 136 IF B=7 THEN 7000
- 137 PRINT “ IN ORDER FOR THIS PROGRAM TO WORK “
- 138 PRINT “ YOU HAVE TO GIVE GUS A NUMBER “
- 139 PRINT “ FROM 1 TO 7 “
- 140 GOT0 110
- 1000 REM **************************************************
- 1001 REM
- 1002 REM **************************************************
- 1003 REM * *
- 1004 REM * THIS SECTION DEFINES A FRACTION *
- 1005 REM * *
- 1006 REM **************************************************
- 1010 LET V=2
- 1013 GOSUB 8O10
- 1020 LET X0=0
- 1030 LET Y0=2416
- 1040 LET X1=4181
- 1050 LET Y1=5000
- 1097 LET S1=7500
- 1098 LET S2=5700
- 1099 LET S3=890
- 1100 LET S4=1440
- 1101 LET S5=2840
- 1107 LET S6=8402
- 1108 LET S7=5000
- 1109 LET S8=9999
- 1112 LET A=0
- 1113 GOSUB 8070
- 1120 GOSUB 9900
- 1130 IF Q1=1 THEN 1010
- 1140 GOSUB 9910
- 1150 IF Q2=1 THEN 110
- 1160 GOSUB 9920
- 1170 GOTO 9999
- 2000 REM ***************************************
- 2001 REM
- 2002 REM ***************************************
- 2003 REM *
- 2004 REM * THIS SECTION COMPARES FRACTIONS
- Z005 REM *
- 2006 REM ***************************************
- 2007 REM
- 2008 REM *** CHOOSE THE FRACTIONS ***
- 2009 LET V=2
- 2O10 GOSUB 9415
- 2071 REM
- 2072 REM ***************************************
- 2074 REM * PLOT THE FIRST FRACTION
- 2075 REM *
- 2076 REM ***************************************
- 2077 REM
- 2078 REM *** SIZE THE DENOMINATOR RECTANGLE ***
- 2080 LET X0=0
- 209O LET Y0=6000
- 2100 LET X1=2100
- 2110 LET Y1=7500
- 2115 REM
- 2126 REM *** VALUES FOR FIRST FRACTION ***
- 2130 LET N=N1
- 2140 LET D=D1
- 2175 REM
- 2176 REM *** POSITION THE NUMERAL ***
- 2180 LET S1=3200 2185 LET S2=7700
- 2190 LET S3=676
- 2195 LET S4=1094
- 2200 LET S5=6206
- 2215 REM
- 2216 REM *** POSITION THE FRACTION BAR ***
- 2220 LET S6=4000
- 2225 LET S7=7500
- 2230 LET S8=5000
- 2231 REM
- 2232 REM *** PLOT THE FIRST FRACTION ***
- 2233 LET A=0
- 2234 GOSUB 8070
- 2241 REM
- 2242 REM
- 2243 REM ********************************* ************
- 2244 REM *
- 2245 REM * PLOT THE SECOND FRACTION
- 2246 REM *
- 2247 REM *********************************************
- 2248 REM
- 2250 REM *** SIZE THE DENOMINATOR RECTANGLE ***
- 2270 LET Y0=1000
- 2290 LET Y1=2500
- 2295 REM
- 2306 REM *** VALUES FOR SECOND FRACTION ***
- 2310 LET N=N2
- 232O LET D=D2
- 2355 REM
- 2356 REM *** POSITION THE NUMERAL ***
- 2365 LET S2=-2700
- 2380 LET S5=1206
- 2385 REM
- 2386 REM *** POSITION THE FRACTION BAR ***
- 2405 LET S7=2500
- 2411 REM
- 2415 REM *** PLOT THE SECOND FRACTION ***
- 2416 GOSUB 8070
- 2421 REM
- 2422 REM
- 2423 REM *********************************************
- 2424 REM *
- 2425 REM * FIND EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS
- 2426 REM *
- 2427 REM *********************************************
- 2428 REM
- 2430 GOSUB 8455
- 2435 REM
- 2436 REM
- 2437 REM ********************************************
- 2438 REM *
- 2439 REM * PLOT THE FIRST EQUIVALENT FRACTION
- 2440 REM *
- 2441 REM ********************************************
- 2442 REM
- 2445 REM *** SIZE THE DENOMINATOR RECTANGLE ***
- 2450 LET X0=5000
- 2460 LET Y0=6000
- 2470 LET X1=7100
- 2480 LET Y1=7500
- 2495 REM
- 2496 REM *** EQUIVALENT FRACTION VALUES ***
- 2500 LET N=N3
- 2510 LET D=C3
- 2545 REM
- 2546 REM ***POSITION THE NUMERAL ***
- 2550 LET S1=8000
- 2555 LET S2=7700
- 2570 LET S5=6206
- 2585 REM
- 2586 REM *** POSITION THE FRACTION BAR ***
- 2590 LET S6=8800
- 2595 LET S7=7500
- 2600 LET S8=9999
- 2601 REM
- 2605 REM *** PLOT FIRST EQUIVALENT FRACTION ***
- 2606 GOSUB 8070
- 2612 REM
- 2613 REM **********************************************
- 2614 REM *
- 2615 REM * PLOT SECOND EQUIVALENT FRACTION *
- 2617 REM **********************************************
- 2618 REM
- 2619 REM ***SIZE THE DENOMINATOR RECTANGLE ***
- 2625 LET Y0=1000
- 2630 LET Y1=2500
- 2636 REM
- 2646 REM ***VALUES FOR SECOND EQUIVALENT FRACTION ***
- 2650 LET N=N4
- 2660 LET D=C3
- 2695 REM
- 2696 REM ***POSITION THE NUMERAL ***
- 2705 LET S2=2700
- 2720 LET S5=1206
- 2735 REM
- 2736 REM *** POSITION THE FRACTION BAR ***
- 2745 LET S7=2500
- 2755 REM
- 2756 REM *** PLOT THE SECOND FRACTION ***
- 2760 GOSUB 8070
- 2765 REM
- 2766 REM *** CONTINUE THIS SECTION ***
- 2770 GOSUB 9900
- 2780 IF Q1=1 THEN 2010
- 2785 REM
- 2786 REM *** TRY ANOTHER SECTION ? ***
- 2790 GOSUB 9910
- 2800 IF Q2=1 THEN 110
- 2810 GOSUB 9920
- 2820 GOTO 9999
- 3000 REM **************************************************