A didactic sequence for the initial study of fractions

Abstract

The present study is focused on the mathematical object of fractions. A didactic support sequence was elaborated and implemented as the first formal approach to its study for students in the third year of elementary level school, using, as a means, accessible manipulative materials to be used in the classroom. In order to identify the theoretical elements that served as a guide for the design of the activities and the manipulative materials, analyzes were carried out from the epistemological and didactic approaches. The didactic sequence consists of three parts: the first is based on the previous notions that the student has about fractions, using their experiences with daily life; in the second part it is contextualized, trying to formalize the object, going from a middle to a half; Finally, the use of numbers to represent fractions is introduced, making use of figural representations. It was applied to 6 students. It was concluded that the process of building their knowledge about fractions, starting with ½, associating it with their experiences, and using manipulative materials, allowed students to outline the concept of fractions and arrive at its numerical representation, giving meaning to the numerator and denominator.