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Fraction Classroom · 2.0.0 · Student pages

Name the whole before the fraction

Use two different-sized paper wholes to separate a fraction name from the amount it describes.

Anonymous group code: __________   Date: __________

Quick diagnosis

Try all three. Explain with words, a sketch, or objects.

d1. A 12 cm strip and an 8 cm strip are each folded in half. Are the two halves the same length? Explain.

d2. A strip has four equal parts and three are shaded. What is the whole, and what fraction is shaded?

d3. One ribbon is cut into three unequal lengths. Is every piece 1/3 of the ribbon? Why?

Worked examples

Study the example that matches the difficulty. Keep the other for a second session.

w1. Mia shades 1/2 of a 12 cm strip. Sam shades 1/2 of an 8 cm strip. Compare their shaded lengths.

  1. Label each entire strip as one whole.
  2. Divide each whole into two equal lengths.
  3. Measure a half of each: 12 ÷ 2 = 6 and 8 ÷ 2 = 4.
  4. Compare the lengths using the original whole labels.

Worked example: Mia shades 6 cm; Sam shades 4 cm. The fraction names match, but the amounts differ.

w2. An 8-square rectangle is one whole. A student shades 2 squares and calls it 2/2. Repair the label.

  1. Outline all 8 equal squares as the whole.
  2. Use 8 as the number of equal parts in that whole.
  3. Count the 2 shaded parts for the numerator.
  4. Group the rectangle into four equal groups of 2 to see 1/4.

Worked example: 2/8, or 1/4, of the whole is shaded.

Practice

For a short session, choose three tasks. Use the others for a second try or follow-up.

p1. Fold a strip into four equal parts. Shade one part and outline the whole. Name the shaded fraction.

p2. Two same-sized rectangles are each one whole. One shows 2/4 shaded; the other shows 1/2. Compare the shaded amounts.

p3. A small cake and a large cake each have 1/4 left. Can you tell whether the remaining amounts are equal from the fraction labels alone?

p4. A 16 cm ribbon is one whole. Four equal sections are marked. How long is 1/4 of this whole?

p5. A tray has 8 equal compartments. The whole tray is one whole and 2 compartments are filled. Name the filled fraction.

p6. Draw two different-sized rectangles. Shade 1/2 of each. Write one sentence about their fraction names and one about their shaded areas.

Transfer check

Try one independently. Save the other for a later check.

t1. A poster says: “Lee ate 1/2 of a sandwich; Noor ate 1/4, so Lee ate more.” What information must be checked before agreeing?

t2. A 6 cm piece is 1/2 of one ribbon and 1/3 of another. How long is each whole ribbon? Explain with copies of the piece.