COMPARING FRACTIONS
How can you tell which fraction is bigger?
The best way to figure out which fraction is bigger is to draw it or try to imagine it. For Example, the diagram below has three fifths (3/5) shaded on one pie and one fifth (1/5) shaded on the other pie, it is easy to see that 3/5 is bigger than 1/5.
If you can use common sense to find the answer, then GO FOR IT!! For Example, we know that half (½) is going to be bigger than two fifths (2/5). We know this because 1 is equal to half of 2 and 2.5 is equal to half of 5, not 2.
The use of a number line will help to show how the fractions would look when placed upon it. The diagram below is representing one third (1/3) and two thirds (2/3) on a number line from 0 to 1.
The use of a number line will help to show how the fractions would look when placed upon it. The diagram below is representing one third (1/3) and two thirds (2/3) on a number line from 0 to 1.
Another way to figure out which fraction is bigger is to consider the denominator, the smaller the denominator the bigger the pieces!! This trick only works if the numerators are the same. The example below demonstrates that five sevenths (5/7) is greater than five eighths (5/8) as the pieces are bigger.
Activity - Shapes and Fractions
Materials Needed:
*Card/Paper
*Mathematics book
*Lead pencil
*Coloured pencils
*Scissors
*Glue
Step 1 - In a group, choose a shape that your group can work with, this shape needs to be able to represent something different for each group member that can be shared or divided. So as an example, if you choose a rectangle, each group member will create their own object like, a block of chocolate, a wall of bricks, a slab of lasagna and a rectangle cake. Each object must be cut into equal size pieces and each should have a different amount of pieces compared to the other objects. For example, the chocolate might have 8 pieces to make the whole, the bricks might have 20 to make a wall, the lasagna might have 4 slices to make the slab and the cake might have 6 pieces to make the whole.
Step 2 - The group members are then to compare and share their objects with the group, they can keep some of their own if they wish to, however must share part of their object. The aim of this activity is to have 1 WHOLE shape, in this case a rectangle that is made up of pieces of lasagna, cake, bricks and chocolate. So each group member is to have 1 or more pieces of the other group members objects.
Step 3 - Paste your WHOLE object in to your mathematics book and record the fraction amounts that you have of the different pieces.
Step 4 - Compare and answer the following questions:
Who has the most and least chocolate pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least bricks and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least lasagna pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least cake pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Try this game out, for practice with comparing fractions:
http://au.ixl.com/math/year-3/compare-fractions
Materials Needed:
*Card/Paper
*Mathematics book
*Lead pencil
*Coloured pencils
*Scissors
*Glue
Step 1 - In a group, choose a shape that your group can work with, this shape needs to be able to represent something different for each group member that can be shared or divided. So as an example, if you choose a rectangle, each group member will create their own object like, a block of chocolate, a wall of bricks, a slab of lasagna and a rectangle cake. Each object must be cut into equal size pieces and each should have a different amount of pieces compared to the other objects. For example, the chocolate might have 8 pieces to make the whole, the bricks might have 20 to make a wall, the lasagna might have 4 slices to make the slab and the cake might have 6 pieces to make the whole.
Step 2 - The group members are then to compare and share their objects with the group, they can keep some of their own if they wish to, however must share part of their object. The aim of this activity is to have 1 WHOLE shape, in this case a rectangle that is made up of pieces of lasagna, cake, bricks and chocolate. So each group member is to have 1 or more pieces of the other group members objects.
Step 3 - Paste your WHOLE object in to your mathematics book and record the fraction amounts that you have of the different pieces.
Step 4 - Compare and answer the following questions:
Who has the most and least chocolate pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least bricks and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least lasagna pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Who has the most and least cake pieces and what are the fraction amounts?
Try this game out, for practice with comparing fractions:
http://au.ixl.com/math/year-3/compare-fractions