Represent unit fractions in different ways

I can represent unit fractions in different ways.

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Year 3

Represent unit fractions in different ways

I can represent unit fractions in different ways.

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Slide deck

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Lesson details

Key learning points

You can represent fractions with a picture.
You can represent fractions with symbols.
You can represent fractions with names.

Keywords

Half - A half is one equal part of a whole that has been divided into 2 equal parts.
Third - A third is one equal part of a whole that has been divided into 3 equal parts.
Quarter - A quarter is one equal part of a whole that has been divided into 4 equal parts.
Fifth - A fifth is one equal part of a whole that has been divided into 5 equal parts.

Common misconception

It is very common for children to generalise the linguistic pattern of adding the suffix of 'th' to create fraction names even though there are special cases mentioned in the slides.

Make good use of your learning wall here and display the names prominently paired with their fractional notation. Inject some fun by making a game of it: say incorrect fraction names during your own explanations and get the children to correct you.

Encourage the children to be ambitious with their own representations. Discussions is key here! Share good and incorrect examples and discuss them as a class reassuring children that incorrect representations are fantastic learning tools.

Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).