Fraction Fun: Turning Whole Numbers into Fractions!

Mathematics Grades 4th Grade 1:34 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn how to write whole numbers as fractions using pictures and numbers! We'll explore how many parts make up a whole and use that to create fractions.

Video Resource

Writing whole numbers as fractions

Khan Academy

Duration: 1:34
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Whole numbers can be written as fractions.
  • A fraction represents parts of a whole.
  • The denominator of a fraction tells us how many equal parts make up a whole.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to represent whole numbers as fractions using visual models.
  • Students will be able to identify the numerator and denominator in a fraction representing a whole number.
  • Students will be able to explain why a whole number can be written as a fraction.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by reviewing what a fraction is (parts of a whole). Ask students to share examples of fractions they see in everyday life (e.g., half a pizza, a quarter of a dollar).
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the Khan Academy video "Writing whole numbers as fractions." Instruct students to pay attention to how the instructor uses rectangles to represent whole numbers and fractions.
  • Guided Practice (10 mins)
    After the video, work through a similar example on the board. For example, draw 3 whole circles. Divide each circle into 4 equal parts. Ask students: "How many total parts are shaded? What fraction represents the shaded parts?" Guide students to write the whole number 3 as the fraction 12/4.
  • Independent Practice (10 mins)
    Provide students with worksheets containing similar problems. Students should draw models to represent whole numbers as fractions. Include problems where the whole numbers are divided into different numbers of parts (halves, thirds, fourths, etc.).
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review the key concepts. Have students explain in their own words how to write a whole number as a fraction. Ask: What does the bottom number (denominator) of the fraction tell us? What does the top number (numerator) tell us?

Interactive Exercises

  • Fraction Art
    Provide students with blank paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a picture representing a whole number as a fraction. For example, they could draw 2 pizzas, each divided into 8 slices, and then write the fraction that represents the total number of slices (16/8).

Discussion Questions

  • Can a whole number be written as more than one fraction? Explain why or why not.
  • What happens to the fraction if you divide each whole into more parts (e.g., from halves to fourths)? Does the value change?

Skills Developed

  • Fraction Representation
  • Problem-solving
  • Visual Modeling

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which fraction shows the number 3 as a fraction if each whole is divided into 2 equal parts?

Correct Answer: 6/2

Question 2:

If you have 2 whole squares, and each square is divided into 4 equal pieces, how many pieces do you have in total?

Correct Answer: 8

Question 3:

What does the bottom number (denominator) of a fraction tell you?

Correct Answer: How many equal parts are in ONE whole

Question 4:

Which of these fractions is equal to the whole number 4?

Correct Answer: 8/2

Question 5:

You have 1 whole pie. You cut it into 6 equal slices. What fraction represents the whole pie?

Correct Answer: 6/6

Question 6:

If you have 5 whole apples and cut each into 2 equal pieces, how many pieces do you have?

Correct Answer: 10

Question 7:

What fraction represents 2 whole sandwiches, if each sandwich is cut into 3 equal parts?

Correct Answer: 6/3

Question 8:

Which of the following does NOT represent a whole number as a fraction?

Correct Answer: 2/4

Question 9:

The top number of a fraction is called the:

Correct Answer: Numerator

Question 10:

If a rectangle is divided into 5 equal parts, what fraction represents one of those parts?

Correct Answer: 1/5

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

If you have one whole pizza cut into 8 slices, then the pizza can be represented by the fraction _/_.

Correct Answer: 8/8

Question 2:

The bottom number of a fraction is called the ___________.

Correct Answer: denominator

Question 3:

The top number of a fraction is called the ___________.

Correct Answer: numerator

Question 4:

If you have 2 whole cookies, each cut into halves, you have a total of ___ halves.

Correct Answer: 4

Question 5:

The fraction 6/3 represents the whole number ___.

Correct Answer: 2

Question 6:

The fraction 4/2 represents the whole number ___.

Correct Answer: 2

Question 7:

A whole number can be written as a ___________.

Correct Answer: fraction

Question 8:

If you have 3 whole circles, and each is divided into 4 equal parts, there are a total of ___ parts.

Correct Answer: 12

Question 9:

The fraction 10/5 is equal to the number ___.

Correct Answer: 2

Question 10:

When writing a whole number as a fraction with a denominator of 1, the numerator is the _______ number.

Correct Answer: whole

Educational Standards

4.N.3.1:[Objective] Represent and rename equivalent fractions using fraction models (e.g., parts of a set, area models, fraction strips, number lines). 4.N.3.3:[Objective] 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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