#2966. Fun With Fractions.

, level: all
Posted Mon Nov 3 05:24:31 PST 2003 by Leigh Oden (theohioodens@aol.com).
Oden Academy Home School, Mansfield OH USA
Materials Required: Electric non stick skillet, flour, cooking oil, water, salt, & rolling pin, lg bowl, fork
Activity Time: approx 1 hour 15 minutes
Concepts Taught: Addition of fractions

Everyone knows that fractions can be tough to master. I wish that my teachers had taken us into the kitchen to learn them. Here is my recipe for home made flour tortillas. It will make about a dozen. I had my son double the recipe.

Single recipe is,
3 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Oil
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Teaspoon salt

I had my son write it out as follows.

3 Cups of flour + 3 Cups of flour = ______ Cups of flour.

1/3 Cup of oil + 1/3 Cup of oil =_____ Cup of oil.

1 Cup water + 1 Cup water = _____ Cups of water

1 Pinch salt + 1 pinch salt =____ Pinches of salt.

Mix your flour with the oil until flour just starts coming together. In the warm water disolve the salt then add to the flour. Mix until most of the flour is mixed in. Turn dough mix onto a clean counter and knead for about 3 minutes. It should look smooth and elastic. Let dough rest for 30 minutes. Then form small balls of dough, about the size of a golf ball. Have student flatten with the heal of their clean hand. Take the rolling pin to flatten into about a 6-8 inch tortilla. Don't worry if they aren't round. Mine sometimes come out looking like Texas! Have the electric skillet heated to a medium heat. Cook tortillas in skillet on both sides until they start to brown. Serve with melted butter and salt. You could also take it a step farther by having your studens divide their tortilla in 1/2, 1/4 or 1/3. Then they get to eat their work.