TOPIC 3 · GRADE 3 FOUNDATION
Fractions on Number Lines and Beyond One
See fractions as distances and build improper fractions past one whole.
MA.3.FR.1.2–1.3BIG IDEA
Each step on a fraction number line is one unit fraction. Repeating enough steps reaches one whole and can continue beyond it.
LEARN IT WITH A STORY
Walk a trail in fourth-size steps
Imagine every trail section is 1/4 mile. Four steps reach mile 1; five steps reach 5/4 miles; eight steps reach mile 2.
- 1Divide every whole-number interval into the denominator's number of equal spaces.
- 2Begin at 0 and count one unit-fraction distance per step.
- 3Keep counting past 1: fractions are numbers and can be greater than one.
Draw and explain
Draw a 0–2 number line in thirds. Mark 1/3, 3/3, 4/3, and 6/3.
FRACTION WORD BANK
Tap a word, then turn the card
Say the word aloud before revealing its meaning. Tap again to return to the word.
WATCH AND NOTICE
Fractions on a number line | 3rd grade | Khan Academy
Pause when a model appears. Name the whole, denominator, numerator, and fraction before the teacher explains it.
Open on YouTube ↗WHAT TO KNOW
- The denominator tells how many equal intervals lie between consecutive whole numbers.
- A fraction such as 5/4 means five steps of size 1/4.
- Fractions can equal or exceed one; they are not limited to part of one shape.
WATCH OUT
Tick marks are points; the spaces between them are the equal fractional intervals.
TRY IT
Move a point beyond one and watch improper and mixed-number names agree.