What does it mean to partition a shape?

Partitioning is breaking a shape into equal-sized parts.

A third is one piece of a whole partitioned into three pieces.

Do all partitions need to have the same shape?

No; the partitions need to have the same size, but they can have different shapes.

Do you think you can partition a straight line?

Yes, you would partition the line into equal-length pieces.

If three equal-sized cakes are partitioned, one in halves, one in thirds, and one in fourths, which cake has the biggest pieces?

The cake divided into halves would have the biggest pieces.

How do you show a fraction on a number line?

You partition the space from 0 to 1 into equal-sized pieces.

The numerator represents the number of parts we have or the number of spaces we have traveled away from 0 on the number line.

What is a denominator?

The denominator represents the number of pieces the whole is partitioned into, or the number of spaces between 0 and 1 on the number line.

Does the size of the object we are partitioning affect the value of the fraction?

No. Fractions are showing the part-whole relationship, so the value of the fraction [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] is the same whether it represents one part of a cake partitioned in two pieces or one part of an apple partitioned in two pieces.

Which fraction will have larger spaces between 0 and 1 on the number line, [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] <i>or</i> [ggfrac]1/4[/ggfrac]?

[ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] will have larger spaces because the whole is partitioned into fewer pieces with [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] than with [ggfrac]1/4[/ggfrac].

Intro to Fractions Using the Number Line

LESSON MATERIALS move

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What you will learn from this videoWhat you will learn

We'll learn that a fraction represents PART of a whole.
That a fraction can be represented as a point on a number line between 0 and 1.
And we'll discover that this knowledge can help us plan a trip, share a meal, and even play music.

Discussion Questions
- Before Video
  What does it mean to partition a shape?ANSWER
  - Partitioning is breaking a shape into equal-sized parts.
  What is a third?ANSWER
  - A third is one piece of a whole partitioned into three pieces.
  Do all partitions need to have the same shape?ANSWER
  - No; the partitions need to have the same size, but they can have different shapes.
  Do you think you can partition a straight line?ANSWER
  - Yes, you would partition the line into equal-length pieces.
  If three equal-sized cakes are partitioned, one in halves, one in thirds, and one in fourths, which cake has the biggest pieces?ANSWER
  - The cake divided into halves would have the biggest pieces.
- After Video
  How do you show a fraction on a number line?ANSWER
  - You partition the space from 0 to 1 into equal-sized pieces.
  What is a numerator?ANSWER
  - The numerator represents the number of parts we have or the number of spaces we have traveled away from 0 on the number line.
  What is a denominator?ANSWER
  - The denominator represents the number of pieces the whole is partitioned into, or the number of spaces between 0 and 1 on the number line.
  Does the size of the object we are partitioning affect the value of the fraction?ANSWER
  - No. Fractions are showing the part-whole relationship, so the value of the fraction [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] is the same whether it represents one part of a cake partitioned in two pieces or one part of an apple partitioned in two pieces.
  Which fraction will have larger spaces between 0 and 1 on the number line, [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] or [ggfrac]1/4[/ggfrac]?ANSWER
  - [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] will have larger spaces because the whole is partitioned into fewer pieces with [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac] than with [ggfrac]1/4[/ggfrac].
Vocabulary
- Fraction DEFINE
- Numerator DEFINE
- Denominator DEFINE
- Number line DEFINE
- Partition DEFINE
- Equal Parts DEFINE
- Halves DEFINE
- Thirds DEFINE
- Fourths DEFINE
- Sixths DEFINE
Reading Material
Practice Word Problems
Practice Number Problems
Lesson Plan
Teacher Guide
Assessment
Online Quiz Game Quiz PDF Exit Ticket