Hershey Fractions

The objective of this activity is that student will be able to take a whole and divide into fractional parts and be able to problem solve on how to divide up the bar evenly among their group memebers.

Materials: Hershey chocolate bar for each group, notepaper and pencils

Activities/Procedures:
Divide the class into cooperative groups with 3,4 or 6 in a group for lower
elementary students, any number for upper elementary students. (Remind the
students that they will be using the chocolate bar for answering questions and lots of touching will make it melt.)
Use these questions as a hand out or to guide the activity.

1. 
   Before you open the candy bar estimate how many pieces it is divided into.
   Estimate? Actual? How many rows? How many columns?
2. 
   What addition or multiplication problem do you see using the above
   information? Write the problem and a picture below.
3. 
   Break off the first column of the candy bar. How many pieces did you take?
   What fraction of the candy bar did you take?
4. 
   If we use each column to stand for one so that the candy bar has 4 sections,
   and we take one section, what fraction do you take?
5. 
   Break off another column. How many pieces have you taken all together? What fractions of the candy bar is gone?
6. 
   Can you think of a different way to say that? * Hint: Look at the two piles.
7. 
   Break off another column. How many pieces have you taken all together?
   What fractions of the candy bar is gone?

This is a cooperative learning strategy. The students are working in small groups of students to work together for the achievement of a common goal.