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INT TRODUCT TION TO THE CON NCEPT O MULTIPLICAT OF TION IN FRAC CTIONS
Alapa Ste ephen Oche efu
National Com N mmission for Colleges of Education (N r NCCE), Gar Abuja Ni rki, igeria

<alapasteve e@yahoo.co om> Ab bstract Experience h shown th the concept Fractio is abstra and diffic to E has hat on act cult co onceive, esp pecially amo pupils/s ong students who speak Eng o glish as a second s la anguage. Fr ractions and any part o a whole a perceived as equal. As a d of are re esult, further arithmetic operations on fraction are conside r ered difficul For lt. in nstance, the result of m multiplying t two or more whole num e mbers produ uces a bi igger numbe than any o the initial numbers us in the mu er of sed ultiplication. This . is in contras with the results obt s st tained when two or m n more fraction are ns multiplied an the result b m nd becomes sm maller than an of the init fractions This ny tial s. paper attemp to use p pts practical ac ctivities to justify the multiplicati j ion of raction concept and expl lains a signi ificant differ rence betwee fraction a an en and fr or rdinary part of a whole. Introduc ction The know wledge I am only able to narrate c m could easily be forgotten and lost to history, th n he knowledg I only am able to car out with ge m rry hout having a firm control of the the eory behind it could not assist me to be innovat but any knowledge that results from practic experienc t o tive cal ce will enab me to inn ble novate, inven and impro upon it. No matter h nt ove how difficult and comple t ex a concept could appe initially, if a child ha been allow to form a personal o ear as wed opinion of th he and itated to try out his/her understandi practical then such a child wi ing lly, ill concept a be facili remembe and impro on the co er ove oncept. Ther are numer re rous challeng confront ges ting youths a all over the world in taking a car reer in scien nces and sc cience educa ation. Lack of financial k ce s, olitical will o the part o the societ on of ty rewards for scientists and scienc educators lack of po ative attitude of the learn are som of the challenges. This paper focu on one o e ners me uses of and nega the facto responsib for the learners' ne ors ble egative attitu in takin career in science an ude ng n nd science e education Lack of p proper and c clear unders standing of the concep behind an pt ny scientific theory. Th author be c he elieves that t these challen nges could b resolved i learners ar be if re made to understand the concept practically and know where the concept ca be applied. ts w an Despite the importan of fractio in our daily life, it is one of the m t nce on o many topics learners foun nd as a chall lenge in prim mary and sec condary scho (SMASE Nigeria Baseline Su ools urvey, 2006).

aper, activiti that are c ies carried out to explain the concept of multiplicati in fractio o e f ion on In this pa will be described. Th paper con d he nsiders challe enges in mu ultiplying fra actions of the same and o e of different denominato ors.
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SEA AMEO RECSAM M

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ology Methodo The practical method adopted is the use of paper folding and shading out the are of interes d g g eas st. The meth the aut hod thor conside applicable to learne in prima and juni secondar ers ers ary ior ry schools. The author has success sfully tried t method i primary s the in schools in Nigeria and i N in training teacher-train in Niger The mate t ners ria. erials to be u used are sim mple, affordab and easil ble ly available in any sch e hool environ nment. The clear conce of fracti being d ept ion different from m ordinary part of a whole must be given to the le n earners befo practical activity o ore on cation - A p of a who can form a fraction of the whole i the whole is subdivide part ole f if ed multiplic equally in to such par n rts. The pre evious know wledge of the learner cou include: e uld Ability to fold papers o Ability to count o Knowledg of plane shapes (Squa Rectang \etc) ge s are, gle,

Multiplic cation of Fractions with the Same D h Denominato ors As show in Figure 1, a sheet of duplicatin paper is folded into t wn o ng f two equal pa along th arts he length of the paper, and then the fraction of one of the parts in rela f e f ation to the e equal parts o of the whol is le
1 , th is the res of one a his sult action. Then fold the sa n ame paper in two equal nto 2

parts alon the width of the pap then aga the fracti of one o the parts i relation th ng h per, ain ion of in he equal par of the wh rts hole is
1 , thi is the resu of the sec is ult cond action. After the se econd folding g, 2

how man equal part can one g out of the whole? Th ny ts get e here are now four equal parts. Then if w one of th hese equal pa is taken, what fractio will it be of the total equal parts? The fractio arts , on e ? on will be
1 1 1 1 , that is, (Note tha the word at Multiplicat tion means t number o the of = x 4 2 2 4 1 1 x is request ting to know the numbers of times a w 2 2 1 1 x gives the resu of dividin ult ng 2 2

times an event takes place, there efore

whole is being divide in into tw equal plac Therefor ed wo ces. re

a whole i into two equ parts twic and from the diagram below, if o divides a whole pape ual ce m m one er into two equal parts twice it resu into fou equal part and only one out of t four equal ults ur ts the haded twice ( parts is sh
1 1 1 1 ), hence one can con nclude that = x 4 2 2 4

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A whole pape er Stage 1

Firs division of th whole paper into st he r tw equal parts along the leng wo gth age Sta 2

Second division of the w d whole paper into two e equal parts alon the width ng Stage 3

After t second division, the whol paper the le now co ontains four eq parts and o qual only one of these parts belon to the first a the ng and second divisions Sta 4 age

Figure 1. Multiplica . ation of Fract tions with Same Denom minators

e, onclude that Therefore we can co

1 1 1 x = . 4 2 2

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Example of Multipli e ication of Fr ractions with Same Den h nominators Similarly as shown in Figure 2, y, , equal par two times rts s.
1 1 x c be shown by folding a whole pa can n g aper into fou ur 4 4

A whole pape er Stage 1

Firs division of th whole paper into st he r fo equal parts along the leng our s gth Sta 2 age

Second division of the w d whole paper into four equal parts alo the width e ong Stage 3

After the second div r vision, the who paper ole now co ontains sixteen equal parts and only one d of th hese parts belo to the first a the ong and second divisions d St tage 4

. of ation of Frac ctions with S Same Denom minators Figure 2. Example o Multiplica

e, onclude that Therefore we can co

1 1 1 x = 4 4 16 6

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Multiplic cation of Fractions with Different D h Denominato ors Figure 3 shows the p procedure fo multiplyin fractions with differe denomin or ng ent nators, that i is,
3 4 x 5 7

A whole paper Stage 1

Firstly, divide the whole into five equal pa along the h e o arts horizontal side and select three ou of the five eq parts to ob ut qual btain

3 5
Stage 2

Secondly, div the same whole into sev equal vide ven parts along the vertical side a select four out of the e and r seven equal par to obtain rts

nt mber of equal p parts on the pap and select per Thirdly, coun the total num the total nu umber of the eq parts that a shaded twice to obtain qual are

4 7
Stage 3

12 35
Stage 4

Figure 3. Multiplica . ation of Fract tions with D Different Den nominators

e, onclude that Therefore we can co

4 12 3 = x 7 35 5

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Example of Multipli e ication of Fr ractions with Different D h Denominato ors Similarly as shown in Figure 4, y, ,
2 2 can be shown by folding a piece of paper into fiv n ve x 5 3

equal par and then shading two of its parts. This is fo rts o ollowed by f folding the p piece of pape er on the oth side into three equal parts and th shading t of its pa . her o l hen two arts

A whole pape er Stage 1

F Firstly, divide the whole into five equal par along the ho rts orizontal side and s select two out of the five equ parts to obta ual ain

2 5
Stage 2

Secondly, div the same w vide whole into thre equal ee parts along the vertical side a select two out of the p and o hree s th equal parts to obtain

Thirdly, count the total num t mber of equal pa on the paper and select arts the total num mber of the equ parts that ar shaded twic to obtain ual re ce

2 3
Stage 3

4 15
Stage 4

. of ation of Frac ctions with D Different Den nominators Figure 4. Example o Multiplica

e, onclude that Therefore we can co

2 2 4 = x 5 3 1 15

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Conclusi ion In conclu usion, the a author is co onvinced tha pupils/stu at udents would have form a prope med er concept of multiplic cation of fra action after performing the above activities severally wit g th different fractions. These activiti will assis pupils/stud T ies st dents to dem mystify the a abstract natur re on ain ltiplication in fraction re n esults into a fraction sma aller than an ny of fractio and expla why mul of the in nitial fraction The auth also predicts that af several activities, pu ns. hor fter upils/studen nts will com to realize that by mult me tiplying the numerators and place th result ove the product he er of the de enominators produce th same ans s he swer as obt tained from the activiti ies. From th he activities it can be deduced tha In any g s, at given fractio the numb below (D on, ber Denominato or) gives the total numb e bers in whic the whole has been equally di ch n ivided, while the numbe er above (N Numerator) gives the num g mber selected out of the equal parts. d Referenc ce 1. C Cramer et al., (1997a, 1997b). The R Rational Num mber Project: Fraction Le essons for th he Middle Grade M es. 2. C Cramer, K., & Bezuk, N. (1991). Arit thmetic Teac cher. 3. C Corwin, Russ sell, & Tiern (1990). " ney, "Seeing Frac ctions unit 4. M Gardner (2005), Vu Milo r ulgar fraction and 2/nth tables ns 5. N National Cou uncil of Teac chers of Math hematics (ht ttp://illumina ations.nctm.o org)

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