Denominators Path

Middle school students focus a lot of time on learning fractions. And it’s tied into many of the other topics they learn, like decimals, ratios, and percentages. So building a solid intuition for fractions is key to covering the preceding topics with more confidence and ease.

But there are many aspects of fractions that aren’t as immediately intuitive. One of those concepts is understanding common denominators. With this game, I’ve tried to make the steps you take to turn denominators into common denominators more visceral and engaging.

Fractions are turned into 3D equivalents by dividing up sections into planks that form the path the player has to cross. The number of planks in adjacent sections need to be the same to fit correctly (otherwise they’re too big or too small). Players are then able to change the number of planks in a section by either multiplying or dividing the number of planks by any number. This makes the intuition for common denominators a lot more concrete and tangible.

Kids also find the game exhilarating to play because you have to solve the sections fast enough before the dragon catches up to you. And they find it satisfying to come up with strategies and solutions on their own through the visual feedback from the game.

Click here to play the game