National curriculum content

• Recognise, find, name and write fractions 1/3, ¼, 2/4 and ¾ of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity
• Write simple fractions for example, ½ of 6 = 3 and recognise the equivalence of 2/4 and ½

Lesson objectives

1. Understand the denominators of unit fractions
2. Compare and order unit fractions
3. Understand the numerators of non-unit fractions
4. Understand the whole
5. Compare and order non-unit fractions
6. Fractions and scales
7. Fractions on a number line
8. Count in fractions on a number line
9. Equivalent fractions on a number line
10. Equivalent fractions as bar models

What we want children to know

• Explore making and recognising equal and unequal parts
• Understand the concept of a whole as being one object or one quantity
• Understand halving is splitting a whole into two equal parts
• Introduce the language numerator and denominator
• Extend knowledge of the whole and halves to recognising quarters of shapes, objects and quantities
• Explain what each of the digits represents in a fractional notation
• Understand of a third and three equal parts to find a third of a quantity
• Understand the concept of a unit fraction by recognising it as one equal part of a whole
• Understand that the denominator represents the number of parts that a shape or quantity is split into
• Explore the equivalence of two quarters and one half of the same whole and understand they are the same
• Begin to understand that fractions can be larger than one whole

What skills we want children to develop

• Use knowledge to solve reasoning and problem solving questions such as:

   

  What comes next?

  5 ½, 6 ½, 7 ½, ….., …..

  9 ½, 9, 8 ½, …., ….

   

  What do you notice?

  ¼ of 4 = 1

  ¼ of 8 = 2

  ¼ of 12 = 3

  Continue the pattern. What do you notice?

   

  Odd one out

  Which is the odd one out in this trio:

  1/2                 2/4                 1/4

  Why?

   

  Mathematical talk

• How many equal parts has the shape/object/length been split into?
• What is the value of the whole? What is the value of the whole? What to do you notice?
• How many quarters make a whole?
• Can you shade 1/3 in a different way? How do you know that you have shaded a 1/3?
• Why do we call them a unit fraction? Where can we see the unit?
• Give me an example of a unit fraction and a non-unit fraction.