Thanksgiving Fractions

Fractions are a concept that I have always had a difficult time completley understanding. I am a very visual and hands on learner and as I grew up it was very difficult for me to understand how fractions worked because I was never really given any good manipulatives. With Thanksgiving and many other holidays that are coming up I was thinking about how math could be incorporated. Many families and friends come together for different types of celebrations and at these celebrations they prepare food by using recipes. Many times recipes use various fractions to measure specific quantities of ingredients that needed to be included. It is also very possible that recipes need to be adjusted to fit the needs of the group that is being served. All of this involves manipulating and using fractions. Using measure cups and spoons is also a great way for a hands-on visual learner to recognize the difference between the size of the fraction and how the fractions relate together as you follow through on the recipes. I think it would be a really neat project for students to work together with a group, find a recipe, and then produce that recipe for a class project. Students are working with fractions as they are following the recipe and they can see that there are real word examples of when they will be using fractions. It could also turn into a neat project if the students planned a dinner for their group, the class, their grade, and the school to really practice manipulating fractions. It may also show them what school cooks go through to plan meals for the entire school.