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      Find a unit fraction of a quantity using representations

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use representations to find a unit fraction of a quantity.

      Key learning points

      1. The whole has been divided into __ equal parts and there are __ in each part.
      2. Use representations of sets of objects to divide them into equal parts.
      3. Count how many objects are in each equal part.

      Keywords

      • Representation - A representation is a way of showing an idea or concept. One concept can be be shown by multiple representations.

      Common misconception

      Pupils confuse the fraction part of each whole with the value of the number of items in each part.

      Progressively build from looking at the size of each part in relation to the whole using bar models to start with. After pupils are secure with this, introduce the quantities and be clear to distinguish between the value and size of each part.

      Teacher tip

      Ensure clarity with your language when talking about the number of items in each part and the size of each part in comparison to the whole. For this lesson, we refer to the number of items as the value of the part, and the fractional part we refer to as each part's size in comparison to the whole.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the value of each part?

      An image in a quiz
      $$ \frac{1}{3} $$
      $$ \frac{1}{4} $$
      Correct answer: $$ \frac{1}{5} $$
      $$ \frac{1}{6} $$

      Q2.
      Which image shows $$ \frac{1}{6} $$ shaded?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q3.
      12 = 4 ×

      Correct Answer: 3

      Q4.
      12 ÷ 2 =

      Correct Answer: 6

      Q5.
      20 ÷ = 5

      Correct Answer: 4

      Q6.
      Tick the equations this bar model represents.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: 15 = 3 × 5
      15 ÷ 3 = 5
      Correct answer: 15 ÷ 5 = 3
      Correct answer: 3 × 5 = 15
      15 ÷ 5 = 5

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the value of each part?

      An image in a quiz
      $$ \frac{1}{5} $$
      $$ \frac{1}{6} $$
      Correct answer: $$ \frac{1}{7} $$
      $$ \frac{1}{8} $$

      Q2.
      Look at the image and complete. Each part is one-__________ of the whole.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: half
      quarter
      fifth
      sixth

      Q3.
      Look at the image. Each part is one-__________ of the whole.

      An image in a quiz
      two
      quarter
      fifth
      Correct answer: sixth

      Q4.
      One-__________ of the whole is shaded yellow.

      An image in a quiz
      two
      Correct answer: quarter
      fifth
      sixth

      Q5.
      One-quarter of 20 is equal to ___

      An image in a quiz
      three
      four
      Correct answer: five
      six

      Q6.
      One-third of 24 is equal to ___

      five
      six
      seven
      Correct answer: eight

      To help you plan your 5 maths lesson on: Find a unit fraction of a quantity using representations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...