3rd grade · Math · Unit 4 of 16
Fractions
Parts of a whole
What your child practices
Naming fractions of a shape, a set and a number line, knowing what the top and bottom numbers mean, and comparing fractions by the size of their parts.
New York State Learning Standards learning standard: NY-3.NF.1; NY-3.NF.2; NY-3.NF.3 · unit fractions, fractions on a number line, and comparing fractions
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- The bottom number says how many equal parts make a whole.
- The top number says how many parts we have.
- With the same bottom number, the bigger top number is more.
Example: A pie has 4 equal slices. Amir eats 1. What fraction did he eat? The whole is 4 equal parts. He ate 1 part, so 1/4. Answer: 1/4
Fractions in New York
In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 4 of 16 in 3rd grade Math, after Division and before Patterns & Equations.
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.
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 apples are green?
🍎🍎🍎🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏- 5/9
- 5/8
- 3/8
- 5/10
5/8
Hint: There are 8 apples in all, so the bottom number is 8. 5 of them are green: 5/8.
Question 2
A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. Ravi eats 7 slices. What fraction of the pizza did Ravi eat?
🍕8 slicesanswer box
7/8
Hint: The pizza has 8 equal slices, and Ravi eats 7 of them: 7/8.
Question 3
Which is more: 4/8 or 5/8?
- 4/8
- 5/8
- They are the same
5/8
Hint: The parts are all the same size (eighths). 5 parts is more than 4 parts.
Question 4
What fraction is shaded?
- 3/5
- 4/5
- 3/6
- 2/5
3/5
Hint: The top number counts the shaded parts (3). The bottom number counts all the equal parts (5). So it's 3/5.
Question 5
In 1/3, what does the 3 tell you?
- How many of the parts are shaded
- How many wholes there are
- How many equal parts make the whole
How many equal parts make the whole
Hint: The bottom number (denominator) tells how many equal parts the whole is cut into. The top number (numerator) tells how many of those parts we are counting.
Question 6
Which is bigger: 1/3 or 1/4?
- 1/4
- They are the same
- 1/3
1/3
Hint: The more parts a whole is cut into, the smaller each part. 1/3 has the fewest parts, so its part is the biggest.