Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 6

Explain how to multiply two non-unit fractions

I can explain how to multiply two non-unit fractions.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 6

Explain how to multiply two non-unit fractions

I can explain how to multiply two non-unit fractions.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. An area model can represent multiplication of two non-unit fractions.
  2. When you multiply two fractions you can multiply the numerators and multiply the denominators.
  3. A fraction is in its simplest form when there is no common factor of the numerator and the denominator.

Keywords

  • Represent - To represent something means to show something in a different way.

Common misconception

Pupils procedurally multliply the denominators and add the numerators, or vice versa. Pupils may also only mutliply the denominators and not the numerators or again vice versa.

Ensure pupils connect the area model to the equations and continue to visualise the magnitude of each fraction. Often mistakes are made when pupils follow a procedure with little awareness for whether their answer makes sense mathematically.


To help you plan your year 6 maths lesson on: Explain how to multiply two non-unit fractions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Finding a fraction of a fraction is actually quite a common context that can be found in everyday life. For example, taking a portion of cereal from an already opened box. You might like to use examples first without fractional quantities to clarify the magnitude of the anticipated product.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
copyright

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

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Select the correct symbol which would make this equation correct.
An image in a quiz
>
<
Correct answer: =
Q2.
Tick the product of: $${1} \over {4}$$ × $$ {1} \over {6}$$
$$ {1} \over {10}$$
$$ {1} \over {2}$$
Correct answer: $$ {1} \over {24}$$
$$ {1} \over {3}$$
Q3.
Tick the product of: $${1} \over {5}$$ × $$ {1} \over {6}$$
$$ {1} \over {11}$$
Correct answer: $$ {1} \over {30}$$
$$ {2} \over {11}$$
$$ {2} \over {30}$$
Q4.
Tick the missing digit for the denominator.
An image in a quiz
3
Correct answer: 4
5
6
7
Q5.
What is the value of the missing denominator?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 3
Q6.
Tick the possible digit pairs that would satisfy this equation.
An image in a quiz
1 and 10
2 and 20
Correct answer: 2 and 10
Correct answer: 4 and 5
3 and 9

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Tick the equation that matches this image.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: $$ {2} \over {5}$$ × $$ {1} \over {4}$$ = $$ {2} \over {20}$$
$$ {2} \over {5}$$ × $$ {1} \over {3}$$ = $$ {2} \over {15}$$
$$ {2} \over {3}$$ × $$ {1} \over {4}$$ = $$ {2} \over {12}$$
$$ {2} \over {5}$$ + $$ {1} \over {4}$$ = $$ {3} \over {9}$$
Q2.
Tick the equation that matches this image.
An image in a quiz
$$ {3} \over {4}$$ × $$ {1} \over {4}$$ = $$ {3} \over {16}$$
Correct answer: $$ {3} \over {4}$$ × $$ {1} \over {5}$$ = $$ {3} \over {20}$$
$$ {3} \over {4}$$ × $$ {1} \over {5}$$ = $$ {3} \over {9}$$
$$ {3} \over {4}$$ + $$ {1} \over {5}$$ = $$ {3} \over {9}$$
Q3.
Tick the product of: $$ {3} \over {5}$$ × $$ {1} \over {6}$$
$$ {3} \over {11}$$
Correct answer: $$ {3} \over {30}$$
$$ {4} \over {11}$$
$$ {4} \over {30}$$
Q4.
Tick the product of: $$ {4} \over {6}$$ × $$ {2} \over {3}$$
$$ {6} \over {9}$$
$$ {10} \over {18}$$
Correct answer: $$ {8} \over {18}$$
$$ {10} \over {9}$$
Q5.
What is the missing denominator which would make this equation correct?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 12
Q6.
What could the missing fraction be?
An image in a quiz
$$ {1} \over {3}$$
$$ {2} \over {6}$$
Correct answer: $$ {2} \over {3}$$
$$ {1} \over {4}$$
$$ {1} \over {6}$$