Teaching Fractions: The Tootsie Roll Is the New Pie

theodp writes "Following up on a WSJ story, data visualization author Stephen Few illustrates why using lines or bars may be sweeter than pie when it comes to teaching kids fractions. 'Although the metaphor is easy to grasp (the slices add up to an entire pie),' explains Few, 'we know that visual perception does a poor job of comparing the sizes of slices, which is essential for learning to compare fractions. Learning that one-fifth is larger than one-sixth, which is counter-intuitive in the beginning, becomes further complicated when the individual slices of two pies — one divided into five slices and other into six — look roughly the same. Might it make more sense to use two lines divided into sections instead, which are quite easy to compare when placed near one another?' So, is the Tootsie Roll the new pie?"

Comments

Start a classroom war

[Anonymous Coward]

The pie chart is counter intuitive? Anyone who has ever fought over pizza slices knows very well that 1/5 is larger than 1/6, even kids.

Here's a simple classroom script to teach kids about fractions:

1) Buy 2 pizzas, slice one in 8 pieces, the other in 12 pieces.

2) Take 20 students in the classroom and tell them to choose a piece from any of the pizzas.

3) Watch as war ensues

Re:Start a classroom war

[SJHillman]

Anyone who fought over pizza knows that not all 1/8ths are created equal.

Re:Start a classroom war

[ohieaux]

When asked if he wanted his pizza cut into 4 or six slices: "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." - Yogi Berra