2nd grade · Math · Unit 8 of 16
Fractions of a Whole
Equal parts: halves, thirds, fourths and more
What your child practices
A fraction names equal parts of one whole. Children read unit fractions such as 1/4 and 1/8, learn that more equal parts means smaller parts, and name fractions like 3/4 from a picture. All wholes are cut into 10 or fewer equal parts.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 2.G.A.3 · partitioning circles and rectangles into halves, thirds and fourths
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- The bottom number tells how many equal parts.
- The top number tells how many parts we mean.
- 1/4 is one of four equal parts.
Example: A pizza has 3 equal slices. What fraction is one slice? There are 3 equal parts. One slice is 1 of 3. Answer: 1/3
Fractions of a Whole in Arizona
In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 8 of 16 in 2nd grade Math, after Numbers to 1000 and before Skip Counting.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Source: Arizona Department of Education
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What fraction of the shape is shaded?
- 2/5
- 2/4
- 3/5
2/5
Hint: Count all the equal parts: 5. Then count the shaded ones: 2.
Question 2
A pizza is cut into 7 equal slices. What fraction is one slice?
🍕- 1/8
- 7/1
- 1/7
1/7
Hint: One slice is one of the equal parts.
Question 3
1/6 means one of how many equal parts?
- 6
- 5
- 7
6
Hint: The bottom number tells how many equal parts make the whole.
Question 4
2/4 of a bar is shaded. What fraction is NOT shaded?
- 2/3
- 4/6
- 2/4
2/4
Hint: 4 parts in all, and 2 are shaded. The rest are 2.
Question 5
Which fraction is one third?
- 1/3
- 1/5
- 1/4
1/3
Hint: One third is 1 of 3 equal parts.
Question 6
What fraction of the shape is shaded?
- 2/4
- 3/4
- 2/5
2/4
Hint: Count all the equal parts: 4. Then count the shaded ones: 2.