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Year 3

Identifying equal parts in a whole in different contexts

I can identify the number of equal or unequal parts in a whole in different contexts.

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New
New
Year 3

Identifying equal parts in a whole in different contexts

I can identify the number of equal or unequal parts in a whole in different contexts.

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A non-unit fraction labels more than one out of the number of equal parts in the whole.
  2. A fraction is made from equal parts of the whole.
  3. Parts can be different shapes and still be the same size.
  4. When counting different objects that make a whole, the objects can be of unequal size.

Keywords

  • Equal - Equal means exactly the same amount or value.

  • Unequal - Unequal means not exactly the same amount or value.

Common misconception

Pupils may find the concept of different shapes (and sizes, for number of objects) a little confusing.

Show pupils images where parts are different shapes (area fractions - parts of a whole shape) but can easily be seen to be the same size.


To help you plan your year 3 maths lesson on: Identifying equal parts in a whole in different contexts, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

In this lesson, pupils will look at equal and unequal parts of a whole. Pupils will have experience of differentiating between finding the fraction of the area of a shape and the fractions of a number of objects.
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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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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the denominator of the fraction shaded?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 6, six
Q2.
What is the numerator of the fraction shaded?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 5, five
Q3.
What fraction of the shape is shaded?
An image in a quiz
$$ \frac{4}{8} $$
Correct answer: $$ \frac{4}{7} $$
$$ \frac{3}{6} $$
Q4.
What fraction of the shape is shaded?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: $$ \frac{3}{6} $$
$$ \frac{1}{4} $$
$$ \frac{2}{5} $$
Q5.
Jacob shades $$ \frac{5}{8} $$ of the stars. How many stars are left unshaded?
An image in a quiz
$$ \frac{3}{6} $$
$$ \frac{4}{8} $$
Correct answer: $$ \frac{3}{8} $$
$$ \frac{3}{5} $$
Q6.
Sofia shades $$ \frac{5}{9} $$ of the shape yellow and $$ \frac{2}{9} $$ green. The rest she shades red. How many parts does she shade red?
An image in a quiz
1
Correct answer: 2
3

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these sentences is correct?
An image in a quiz
four-eighths are shaded
Correct answer: five-ninths are shaded
the parts ae unequal
Q2.
Which of these sentences is correct?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: four-sevenths are shaded
three-quarters are shaded
the parts are unequal
Q3.
Which of these statements are true?
An image in a quiz
There are eight equal parts
Five parts have been shaded
Correct answer: $$ \frac{6}{10} $$ is shaded
Correct answer: One part represents one-tenth
Q4.
What fraction of frogs are on the lily pad?
An image in a quiz
$$ \frac{6}{7} $$
$$ \frac{5}{8} $$
$$ \frac{6}{10} $$
Correct answer: $$ \frac{5}{7} $$
Q5.
True of false? $$ \frac{4}{7} $$ of the shape is shaded.
An image in a quiz
True
Correct answer: False
Q6.
Jacob works out the fraction of shapes that have an odd number of sides. What would the numerator of his fraction be?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 4, four

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