Name the whole before the fraction
Use two different-sized paper wholes to separate a fraction name from the amount it describes.
Open questions & materialsOne difficulty. A clear next step.
Choose the idea behind a learner’s mistake. Each 12–15 minute route starts with three quick checks, then a worked example, selected practice, and a fresh transfer task.
Whole, unit, and position
Start here when a learner cannot yet explain what one whole or one fraction step means.
Count spaces on a number line
Walk the equal spaces between 0 and 1 to connect a fraction denominator to distance, not tick marks.
Open questions & materialsKeep the unit when crossing one
Extend one steady fraction step past 1 and connect improper fractions to whole-number landmarks.
Open questions & materialsEquivalence and comparison
Use a stable whole to compare part sizes, rename amounts, and choose a useful benchmark.
Split every part, keep the amount
Repartition shaded strips to explain why equivalent fractions multiply both counts by the same factor.
Open questions & materialsMore equal pieces, smaller pieces
Compare unit fractions and same-numerator fractions with equal wholes to challenge whole-number denominator reasoning.
Open questions & materialsUse a benchmark, then justify
Sort fractions around one half and one, then recognize when a shared benchmark does not settle a comparison.
Open questions & materialsAddition and subtraction
Keep the amount through a trade and use equal units to combine unlike fractions.
Trade one whole before subtracting
Exchange one whole for fractional parts, keep the total value, and explain mixed-number subtraction with same denominators.
Open questions & materialsEstimate before finding equal units
Use a benchmark estimate to catch denominator-addition errors, then combine or subtract equivalent fractions.
Open questions & materialsMultiplication and division
Connect products to area and scale, then distinguish equal sharing from counting unit-fraction groups.
Find the overlapping part of a whole
Build a two-direction area model to connect fraction multiplication with overlap and square units.
Open questions & materialsPredict what a multiplier will do
Compare a positive multiplier with 1 to predict whether a length shrinks, stays the same, or grows.
Open questions & materialsShare one fractional amount equally
Split a unit fraction among a whole number of people and keep each share tied to the original whole.
Open questions & materialsCount how many unit fractions fit
Measure a whole-number amount with a unit-fraction scoop and explain why the number of groups can exceed the starting number.
Open questions & materialsOriginal tasks, connected to the curriculum
These Fraction Classroom tasks use paper, simple models, and explanations to make a particular difficulty visible. They are original teaching materials. The linked standards describe the intended mathematical work; they do not certify the materials or predict a learning outcome.
The teaching structure draws on Illustrative Mathematics’ work connecting fraction strips and number lines. Our questions, examples, and teacher responses are written for these packs, rather than reproduced from that lesson.