Source: Cyberchase: “Shari Spotter and the Cosmic Crumpets”
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Reclaiming the Power
(Video)
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In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad has to help Shari Spotter make a batch of Cosmic Crumpets in order to give the masters at Frogsnorts their power. The recipe they have is for four crumpets, but they need to make eight crumpets. Everything in the recipe has to be doubled, including some tricky fractions which Shari and the CyberSquad find they must convert from improper fractions to mixed numbers.
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: Fractions usually describe amounts that are less than one whole. Are there any fractions you know that describe amounts that are more than one whole? Sometimes you may see a fraction that has a larger numerator than its denominator. This is called an improper fraction and represents a quantity larger than one whole. It can be converted to a mixed number, which includes a whole number and a fraction together.
Focus: In this segment, the CyberSquad has to double a recipe that includes fractions of cups. Notice which fraction gives them the most trouble when they double it. Why do you think this fraction is so hard for them to deal with? Watch how Digit helps the rest of the squad convert it to something that is easier to understand. He uses the fraction 4/4. What is 4/4 the same as?
Follow Up: What fraction was the most difficult for the CyberSquad to understand? How did Digit convert the improper fraction to a mixed number? If a candy bar has 8 sections, and you were given one whole bar and half of another, how would you write that total amount as an improper fraction? How would you write it as a mixed number?
MATT: So? That could happen to anyone! Hanky?
SHARI: Thanks.
MATT: I-I'm Matt, by the way.
SHARI: Shari..Shari Spotter. I go to Frogsnorts, a special school for sorcerers.
MATT: Cool!
SHARI: Look, I don't have time to chat. I need to bake another batch of crumpets or I'm in big, big trouble.
MATT: Can I help?
SHARI: Sure. Here's the recipe.
MATT: Two cacklefruit, one-third cup goblin toe nails, three-fourths cup of dragon drool. Yuck! What kind of crumpets are these?
SHARI: Magic crumpets. Unfortunately, this recipe is for four crumpets - and I need eight!
MATT: No problem, just make a double batch. Look. The recipe calls for two cacklefruit, right? Two plus two is four. So you need four Cacklefruit instead of two.
SHARI: Yes I know, and the one-third cup of Goblin toe nails doubled is...
MATT: One-third plus one-third...is two-thirds.
SHARI: That's what I thought but what happens when you double three-fourths of a cup of dragon drool, huh?
MATT: Three-fourths and three-fourths is ...six fourths. Whoa!
SHARI: That's my problem. How can you have a fraction that's bigger on the top than it is on the bottom? I don't get it.
MATT: You think maybe it's a mistake?
SHARI: Matthew, you can't have mistakes in magic. It's dangerous! Oh, my...I have to get back to Frogsnort's before anyone notices I'm missing! I'm done for!
MATT: Wait...! We can figure this out.
SHARI: You mean you'll come help me with the recipe?
MATT: Well, sure...but can my friends Inez and Jackie come, too? They'd kill me if I went to Frogsnorts without them... and I'm sure they'd really like to meet you.
SHARI: Inez? Jackie? Your...girl friends?
MATT: No!! I mean, yes...they're girls... and they're my friends...but not my...girlfriends.
JACKIE/INEZ: Ewwwwwwww and double ewwww!!
JACKIE: Who could possibly eat this stuff?
MATT: Guys, you don't really eat it. It gives the master sorcerers their power.
SHARI: And unless we make eight new crumpets from this concotion fast... the masters will be powerless, and I'll be expelled from Frogsnorts!
INEZ: But this recipe is for four crumpets - not eight!
DODIE: Don't be troubled. Each ingredient just gets doubled.
DIGIT: Two cacklefruit plus two cacklefruit is four cacklefruit. Yoikes!
MATT: I got 'em!
SHARI: Oh! Isn't Matthew just super?
JACKIE: Matthew?
SHARI: Matthew's been such a help. You're so lucky to have him as a friend! I'm so glad we met, too. Promise to show me how you do your hair?
JACKIE: Oh...Okay.
SHARI: Super!
JACKIE: Okay, so maybe she's not so bad...
INEZ: Okay. The next ingredient is one-third cup goblin's toe nails.
MATT: One-third plus one-third equals two-thirds.
DIGIT: Two-thirds cup of goblin's toe nails, comin' atcha...
INEZ: Last ingredient: three-fourths cup of dragon drool. And three-fourths doubled is...
JACKIE: Six-fourths. Yikes! What kind of fraction is that? The number on top is larger than the number on the bottom!
SHARI: That's my problem! That fraction is top heavy! How can a fraction look like that?
JACKIE: I don't know but I can tell you what three fourths of a cup of dragon drool looks like. It's just three one fourth cups... like this.
INEZ: So, six fourths must be six one fourth cups!
MATT: Digit, give me six one fourth cups of dragon drool!
DIGIT: Wish I could help ya but, there is no dragon drool!
JACKIE: I've never collected dragon drool before.
SHARI: It's really quite simple.
INEZ: You sure about this, Shari?
SHARI: Absolutely! I've done it a number of times.
INEZ: No, I mean...sure about him!
SHARI: Danforth? He's a baby. Barely wakes up once a week!
INEZ: What if today's the day?
MATT: Jax, use your one-fourth cup measure and--
JACKIE: And get next to that dragon's mouth six times? I don't think so!
MATT: Okay, okay, let's try another way. Here are six one-fourth cups. One-fourth...two-fourths ...three-fourths...four fourths.
DIGIT: Wait! Isn't four fourths the same as a whole cup?
MATT: Six fourth cups is one whole cup with two one fourth cups left over! Digit you're a genius.
INEZ: So six fourth cups is the same as one whole cup and two one fourth cups.
JACKIE: Too bad we don't have a full one-cup measure to go along with this one-fourth measure...then we'd only have to be near Danforth three times!
DIGIT: It's your lucky day, Earthlies! A one cup measure!
DIGIT: Here's the first time! One whole cup of dragon drool!
MATT: You're up, Jax.
JACKIE: Oh, man...Ewwww...ewww...and double ew! There...yech! One-fourth cup more!
INEZ: I'll get the last one-fourth!
MATT: Cool! One whole cup from Didge... plus one-fourth cup from Jax... plus one-fourth cup from Inez... equals six fourths!
SHARI: We did it!! Oh, Matthew, you're so brilliant.
INEZ: Oh, brother!
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