First, I gave each student 5 strips of paper - multiple colors to make it more fun, but all the same size. Then I let them work with the strips to create equal parts. We started with 1/2, 1/4/, 1/8, 1/3, 1/6 - all in that order. Through this, students practice how to break apart a whole. The thirds and sixths can get tricky and it really challenges some of them!

Next, we started working with addition problems using the strips to help us along the way! I would give them an addition problem: 9/6 + 3/6 + 1/6. My students would grab their sixth strips since that is the common denominator. Students would them count out 13 parts of the sixths. There were 5 unused, so we covered those up with red markers.
After seeing the answer represented by the strips, they were able to give their mixed number answer by seeing the 2 wholes and 1/6 left!
This strategy can easily be used for subtracting fractions as well! Several students can easily follow a procedure for this concept, but I think giving students the hands-on materials that they made really help solidify their thinking. What ways do you teach adding and subtracting fractions?
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