TOPIC 1 · GRADE 3 FOUNDATION

Equal Parts and Unit Fractions

Understand what numerator and denominator mean by sharing wholes fairly.

MA.3.FR.1.1

BIG IDEA

A fraction is one number. The denominator names how many equal parts make a whole; the numerator counts how many of those equal parts we have.

WHAT TO KNOW

  • Equal parts must have equal size, even when their shapes look different.
  • A unit fraction has numerator 1, such as 1/3 or 1/8.
  • A larger denominator means smaller pieces when the wholes are the same size.

WATCH OUT

Three pieces do not automatically mean thirds; the three pieces must be equal in size.

TRY IT

Change the number of equal slices and shade different amounts.