Physical Activity in the Classroom

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Every day we see how physical activity helps students’ overall performance. In the classroom, we try to give, what we call, brain breaks in between lessons or activities. One brain break we do as a class is called, “Numerator, Denominator”. The teacher calls out the words numerator (the students stand up, because the numerator is the top number of a fraction) and denominator (the students squat down because the denominator is the bottom number of a fraction. We start to say the words faster and faster and sometimes say the same word twice in a row. If the students squat when they should be standing, or vice versa they are eliminated. The last student standing wins. The game takes 5 minutes or less. It is a great way to get the students moving and helps with reinforcing math vocabulary.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:

3.3(A) represent fractions greater than zero and less than or equal to one with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 using concrete objects and pictorial models, including strip diagrams and number lines.

3.3(D) compose and decompose a fraction a / b with a numerator greater than zero and less than or equal to b as a sum of parts 1 / b.