On Friday in Mrs. Mize’s math class, students came together and shared of their experiences using fractions in the kitchen. The students were assigned to find a recipe online or use a family favorite recipe that included fractions, identify the original serving size amount, divide to find how the ingredients would change for just one serving, then multiply to find the amount needed to increase the serving size from the original. The purpose was for the students to learn how multiplying and diving fractions in relation to ingredients and in relation to changing serving size is a necessary skill for navigating and creating in the kitchen. The students were also able to relate this project to the current chapter they are studying through the use of proportions. Students saw that, in order to change serving size, it required an equivalent ratio for each individual ingredient, and that if you did not increase or decrease one ingredient in relation to the size change, the final product would not taste right because the proportion would be off.

Each student had an opportunity to share the name of their dish, how many servings they made, and what they learned about working with fractions as it relates to cooking. Many students were able to recognize that serving size was not indicative of the actual number the final dish made, and that, depending on the unit, the number of servings would not necessarily match up to the number of people needing to be served.

“This project was a lot of fun to facilitate because the students were so engaged and ended up learning much more than I originally imagined. It was amazing to see the connections they made to what we have learned in class in the way of fractions and proportions and use their imagination and experiences to find applications. This project is a must-do for years to come,” said Mrs. Mize