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🧮 Fractions Made Easy

Ngā Hautau — Parts of a Whole

🍕 What is a Fraction?

A fraction represents a part of a whole. When we cut a pizza into 4 equal pieces and eat 1 piece, we've eaten ¼ (one quarter) of the pizza. Fractions are everywhere — in cooking, music, time, and everyday life!

📐 Parts of a Fraction

The Parts

3 ← Numerator (how many parts you have)

4 ← Denominator (total parts in the whole)

Remember: The Denominator is Down below!

👁️ Seeing Fractions

½

¼

⚖️ Equivalent Fractions

Same Value, Different Look

Some fractions look different but have the same value:

½ = 2/4
½ = 3/6
¼ = 2/8

Rule: Multiply or divide both top and bottom by the same number!

➕ Working with Fractions

Adding Fractions (same denominator)

Just add the numerators:

1/4 + 2/4 = 3/4

Adding Fractions (different denominator)

Find a common denominator first:

1/2 + 1/4 = 2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4

Multiplying Fractions

Multiply tops together, bottoms together:

1/2 × 1/3 = 1/6

🌍 Fractions in Real Life

Where Do We See Fractions?

  • 🍕 Sharing food equally
  • 🎵 Music (half note, quarter note)
  • ⏰ Time (half past, quarter to)
  • 📏 Measuring (½ cm, ¾ cup)
  • 💰 Money (half price, third off)

✏️ Activities

Activity: Shade the Fraction

Draw a shape (circle or rectangle) and divide it equally. Shade the fraction:

  1. Shade ¾ of a shape
  2. Shade 2/5 of a shape
  3. Shade ⅔ of a shape

Activity: Solve These

  1. 1/3 + 1/3 = ____
  2. 3/4 - 1/4 = ____
  3. 1/2 × 1/2 = ____

My answers:

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

Curriculum Links

  • Mathematics: Number — fractions, decimals, percentages

Tip: Use physical manipulatives (fraction tiles, pizza cut-outs) before moving to abstract.