Fair Shares: Diving into Equal Parts!

Mathematics Grades 4th Grade 1:36 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn about equal parts of a whole and how to identify if a shape is divided fairly into fractions, just like sharing a pie!

Video Resource

Cutting shapes into equal parts | Math | 3rd grade | Khan Academy

Khan Academy

Duration: 1:36
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Equal Parts
  • Fractions as parts of a whole
  • Numerator and Denominator

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify whether a shape is divided into equal parts.
  • Students will be able to explain that fractions represent equal parts of a whole.
  • Students will be able to relate equal parts to the denominator of a fraction.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students about their experiences sharing food with friends or family. Discuss the importance of sharing fairly and what 'fair' means in terms of portion sizes. Introduce the idea that fractions are about equal shares.
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the Khan Academy video 'Cutting shapes into equal parts'. Ask students to pay attention to how the video explains equal parts and fractions.
  • Discussion (10 mins)
    After the video, discuss the example of the pie. Ask students to explain why some pieces were not 1/4 of the pie, even though there were four pieces. Focus on the concept of 'equal size' pieces.
  • Interactive Exercise (15 mins)
    Provide students with pre-drawn shapes (circles, squares, rectangles) divided into different numbers of parts. Some should be divided into equal parts, and some should not. Students should identify the shapes that are divided into equal parts and write the fraction that each part represents.
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review the key concepts of equal parts and fractions. Emphasize that fractions only represent equal parts of a whole. Preview future lessons on fractions.

Interactive Exercises

  • Shape Sort
    Provide students with a worksheet containing various shapes divided into different numbers of pieces. Some will be equally divided, others not. Students should circle the shapes divided into equal parts and write the fraction representing one of those parts.
  • Drawing Equal Parts
    Give students shapes (circles, squares, rectangles) and ask them to divide each shape into equal parts, representing fractions like 1/2, 1/4, and 1/3.

Discussion Questions

  • What does it mean for something to be divided into equal parts?
  • Why is it important for parts to be equal when we're talking about fractions?
  • Can you think of other examples where we need to divide things into equal parts in real life?

Skills Developed

  • Critical Thinking
  • Problem Solving
  • Visual Discrimination

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which shape is divided into equal parts?

Correct Answer: A square divided into four equal squares

Question 2:

What does 'equal parts' mean when we talk about fractions?

Correct Answer: Parts that are the same size

Question 3:

If a pie is cut into 4 equal slices, what fraction represents one slice?

Correct Answer: 1/4

Question 4:

What part of a fraction tells us the number of equal parts the whole is divided into?

Correct Answer: Denominator

Question 5:

A chocolate bar is broken into unequal parts. Can these parts be represented accurately with fractions?

Correct Answer: No

Question 6:

Which of these is NOT a real-world example of when we use equal parts?

Correct Answer: Organizing toys by color

Question 7:

What would you call a shape that is divided into 2 equal parts?

Correct Answer: Halves

Question 8:

Why is it important that the parts are equal when sharing a pie?

Correct Answer: So everyone gets the same amount

Question 9:

If you have 3 equal pieces of a shape, what fraction can represent one piece?

Correct Answer: 1/3

Question 10:

In the fraction 1/4, what does the number 4 represent?

Correct Answer: The number of equal sized pieces in the whole

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Fractions represent ________ parts of a whole.

Correct Answer: equal

Question 2:

The bottom number of a fraction, which tells us the total number of equal parts, is called the ________.

Correct Answer: denominator

Question 3:

If you cut a shape into four equal pieces, each piece is ________ of the whole.

Correct Answer: 1/4

Question 4:

A shape divided into 2 equal parts is divided into ________.

Correct Answer: halves

Question 5:

The top number of a fraction, showing how many pieces we have, is called the ________.

Correct Answer: numerator

Question 6:

A pie cut into unequal slices doesn't show ________ shares.

Correct Answer: fair

Question 7:

If a shape is divided into three equal parts, each part is called a ________.

Correct Answer: third

Question 8:

Equal parts are important so everyone receives the ________ amount.

Correct Answer: same

Question 9:

To create accurate fractions, always ensure the pieces are the ________ size.

Correct Answer: same

Question 10:

A pizza divided into eight equal slices has each slice representing ________ of the pizza.

Correct Answer: 1/8

Educational Standards

4.N.3.1:Represent and rename equivalent fractions using fraction models (e.g., parts of a set, area models, fraction strips, number lines). 4.N.3.3:Use models to order and compare whole numbers and fractions less than and greater than one, using comparative language and symbols.

Teaching Materials

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