Source: Cyberchase: "A Fraction of a Chance"
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
National K -12 Subject:
Lesson Plans Using this Resource:
In this video segment from Cyberchase, Wicked and Digit are following clues left by Motherboard to help them free the CyberSquad. To get the next clue from Grubby, they must use a fraction to describe their share of a box of worms. In doing so, they learn to identify the denominator as the number of parts that make up a whole and the numerator as their share of the parts.
Download and ShareHere are some Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions for using this video in a math lesson.
What is Frame, Focus and Follow-up?
Frame: If you bought a pack of gum with three pieces in it and ate two of the pieces, what fraction of the pack have you eaten? To solve this, you are finding a fractional part of a set. When you write the fraction, what does the bottom number, or denominator, mean? What does the top number, or numerator, mean?
Focus: As you watch this video segment, notice how Digit figures out what fraction of the box contains worms. How does he determine the bottom number of the fraction? How does he determine the top number?
Follow Up: How much of Grubby’s box contained worms? How much of the box was empty? Into how many parts was the box divided? If the box was full except for one section, what fraction would describe how much of that box contained worms?
GRUBBY: Grubby's Wacky's Worms!
DIGIT: It's Grubby! C'mon.
GRUBBY: What's your share?
DIGIT: Grub, it's me - Digit! Motherboard sent me for the UVO!
GRUBBY: Prove it!
DIGIT: Prove it...how?
GRUBBY: These are yours. The box has 5 slots. 3 slots are filled with a worm - 2 slots are empty. So, heh, what's your share of the worms.
WICKED: Let's see... there are one-two three-four-five slots. But only three worms.
DIGIT: Hmmm... We don't have a full box of worms. There's only a fraction of 'em left.
WICKED: So what's our share?
DIGIT: Okay. Five worms in a full box but only three in the box now. Ah-ha! Here's our fraction: threefifths! Just like the Sphinx said!
WICKED: Excuse me Tin Man, but I don't get it. What's our share?
DIGIT: Well, when we had the fraction onesixth...the bottom number - six - was the number of parts that made up the whole - all six cones. So this time, there's a five on the bottom, so the five is the number of parts that make up the whole - and the number on top - three – is our share of 'em!
WICKED: Digit, my little propeller pal, I think I've underestimated you.
DIGIT: Gee thanks, Wicky!
WICKED: Our share of the worms is threefifths!
GRUBBY: Congratulations! You found your share of the whole in the top number - the numerator!
WICKED: So hand over the UVO!
GRUBBY: It isn't here.
DIGIT: What?! Where is it?
GRUBBY: Motherboard never told me. She just gave me the last clue.
DIGIT: Another clue. Why am I not surprised? Okay, Grub, what is it?
GRUBBY: Go to Penguia.
DIGIT: Penquia.
GRUBBY: Find Emperor Lake.
DIGIT: Emperor Lake.
GRUBBY: Go to the top of Gentoo Glacier.
DIGIT: Okay, the top of the Gentoo Glacier.
GRUBBY: Locate the Amulet of Amagansett.
DIGIT: The Amulet of Amagansett. Anything else?
GRUBBY: Four over seven.
DIGIT: Is that another fraction?
GRUBBY: It is...and that's all I know.
Loading Standards
Connections
Print Connections
