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Year 3

Compare and order unit fractions by looking at the denominator

I can compare and order unit fractions by looking at the denominator.

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New
New
Year 3

Compare and order unit fractions by looking at the denominator

I can compare and order unit fractions by looking at the denominator.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When the whole is the same, the greater the number of equal parts, the smaller each equal part is.
  2. When the whole is the same, the smaller the number of equal parts, the larger each equal part is.
  3. When comparing and ordering unit fractions, the greater the denominator, the smaller the fraction.
  4. When comparing and ordering unit fractions, the smaller the denominator, the larger the fraction.

Common misconception

Children will often fall into the trap of thinking that a greater denominator creates a bigger fraction.

Ensure the children have good access to fraction walls to reinforce the fact that the greater the denominator the smaller the fraction. Fraction walls that can be dismantled and arranged are very useful for this.

Keywords

  • Whole - The whole is all of a group or number.

  • Part - A part is a section of the whole.

  • Denominator - A denominator is the bottom number in a fraction. It shows how many equal parts a whole has been divided into.

  • Unit fraction - A unit fraction is a fraction where the numerator is 1

The estimating of the fraction of liquid in the glass could be used as a great whole class demonstration. Have some fun with a range of fractions and get the children to stand up when they think you've poured that amount in. You can then lead discussion with the different opinions.
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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which inequality symbol goes into the gap? 6 ___ 11
Correct answer: <
>
Q2.
Which inequality symbol goes into the gap? 3 + 30 ___ 15 + 16
<
Correct answer: >
Q3.
Which inequality symbol goes into the box to show which glass is fuller?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: <
Q4.
Which of the following is the definition of a division bar?
The number of equal parts that a whole has been divided into.
The number of selected equal parts.
Correct answer: A line to show that a whole has been divided into equal parts.
Q5.
What fraction of the whole is the shaded part in the image?
An image in a quiz
$$ \frac{1}{5} $$
$$ \frac{1}{3} $$
$$ \frac{1}{4} $$
Correct answer: $$ \frac{1}{2} $$
Q6.
What fraction of the whole is the shaded part of the image?
An image in a quiz
$$ \frac{1}{6} $$
$$ \frac{1}{7} $$
$$ \frac{1}{10} $$
Correct answer: $$ \frac{1}{8} $$

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is special about the parts that a denominator tells us the whole has been split into?
They are all square.
Correct answer: They are all equal.
They are separate.
Q2.
Which inequality symbol goes into each of the boxes to show which glass is more full?
An image in a quiz
<
Correct answer: >
=
Q3.
Fill in the correct word from the choices below to complete this sentence: one-half is __________ than one-third which is __________ than one-quarter.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: greater
smaller
Q4.
Which inequality symbol completes this statement? $$ \frac{1}{3} $$ $$ \frac{1}{4} $$
Correct Answer: >
Q5.
Which inequality symbol completes the ordering of these fractions? $$ \frac{1}{5} $$ $$ \frac{1}{3} $$ $$ \frac{1}{2} $$
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: <
Q6.
Which inequality symbol completes the ordering of these fractions? $$ \frac{1}{5} $$ $$ \frac{1}{9} $$ $$ \frac{1}{15} $$
Correct Answer: >