Big Ideas:
The fraction name represents the number of equal shares.
A unit fraction is one of the equal shares that represents the whole.
This lesson builds on students' work with partitioning wholes into equal shares. This task uses a party scenario where students need to partition wholes into equal shares and name the unit fractions. Students are presented with different party foods to partition. They will write the unit fractions in word and numerical form. By thinking of various ways to partition wholes, students will continue to build their conceptual knowledge of fractions, including the meaning of the denominator. The mathematical concepts in this lesson build toward students' future work with naming, comparing, and equivalent fractions.
Vocabulary: equal shares, unit fraction, numerator, denominator
Special Materials:
Cookie Cake, Jello, and Sandwich Images (Additional Resources)
Lesson plan