What is a fraction?

130 miles ÷ 2 hours = 65 miles per hour

135 miles ÷ 2 hours = ? miles per hour

6 pies ÷ 3 people = 2 pies per person

2 pies ÷ 3 people = ? pies per person

What is a fraction?
2 pies ÷ 3 people = ? pies per person

Guess and check:

pies per person x people = pies

0 x 3 = 0
1 x 3 =3

Answer is between 0 and 1. We need some new

numbers!

1
 Cut each pie into 3 pieces

Each person now gets 2 of the 6 pieces

But what is each of the pieces?

Unit Fractions

Is this 1 unit shown 3 times?

Or 1 unit broken into 3 pieces?

1/3 is the number that multiplied by 3 gives 1

2
1/n is the number
that multiplied by n gives 1.

1
⋅n =1
n

It takes 3 “one thirds” to make 1.

2/3 means 2 of “what it takes 3 of to make 1.”

A fraction is a point on a number line.

0 1/3 2/3 3/3 4/3 5/3 6/3 7/3 8/3

3
 Expanding the number system
A fraction is a number; not two numbers.

They were developed to answer questions

that can’t be answered with whole
numbers.

We want fractions to behave just like whole

numbers.

2/3
The denominator tells us our noun - what we
have.

The numerator tells us our adjective - how

many we have.

2 dogs + 3 hats = ???

2 fifth + 3 fourths = ????

4
 Equivalent Fractions
3 pies and 2 people.

What if we divide each pie into 6 pieces?

How many pieces does each person get
altogether?

a an
=
b bn

for any nonzero

whole number n

5
 Addition and Subtraction
4 sevenths + 2 sevenths = 6 sevenths

7 ninths - 5 ninths = 2 ninths

If we have the same fractional unit, we count,

add and subtract fractions like whole
numbers

Different fractional units

Convert to equivalent fractions with like
units.

Teachers and students must understand

why this must be done, before they learn
the algorithm.

6
 More Fraction Basics 6.2
A mixed number is a whole number plus a
fraction.

The mixed number 21/8 is an abbreviation

for 2 + 1/8.

An improper fraction is a fraction a/b where

a≥b

Conversions
3 _ is how many halves?

Area Model:

7
 Another Area Model

Measurement Model
Convert 14/5 to a mixed number.

Draw a number line. Mark off fifths.

10/5 gets us to 2
Then 4/5 more gets us to 14/5

14 10 4 4 4
= + = 2+ = 2
5 5 5 5 5

8
 391
= What mixed number ?
12

Note: 391÷12 = 32 R7

391 (12 × 32) + 7 7

= = 32
12 12 12

Fraction Division Equivalence

2 pies ÷ 3 people = ???

= 2/3 pies per person

a
a ÷b =
b

9
 Adding with unlike denominators
See example 2.4 page 140

What would you say to a student who does

the following:

1/3 + 2/5 = 3/8

Problems to Try 6.1, 6.2

Read 4A – pp 42-69
Page 137 HW set 24 – 2c, 3, 4b

Read 6.2
Read 5A – pages 33-43
HW Set 25 - 3ab, 4

10
 Multiplication of Fractions
What does it mean to multiply
fractions?

How can we define

multiplication of fractions in a
way that is consistent with our
definition of multiplication of
whole numbers?

6 x _ or _ x 6
We want them to have the same value.

We can think of this as 6 groups of _.

We often read _ x 6 as 1/2 of 6.

11
 How much is 3/7 of 4/5?
Imagine a rectangular cornbread. Imagine
that it has been sliced into 35 equal pieces

3/7 of 4/5 of the cornbread =

3/7 of 4/5 of 35 pieces =
3/7 of 28 pieces =
12 pieces =
12/35 of the original cornbread

Fraction as Area
Consider 1/2 x 1/3

Start with a 1 inch square:

12
Divide it into 3 equal horizontal pieces
and shade one them. This is 1/3 of the
square.

Divide the square vertically into 2

equal pieces. Shade _ of the 1/3.

13
The blue shaded area represent _ of 1/3 of the square. Its
area is 1/6 of the square.

The blue shaded region is a rectangle of width _ and height

1/3.

Our area formula is length times width or

_ x 1/3 = 1/6

Your Turn: Draw a rectangle array

model to represent

2/3 x 4/5

14
 Division of Fractions
Yours is not to reason why, just invert and
multiply. (O.P.)

If you believe in things that you don’t

understand, then you suffer (S.W.)

Division of Fractions
How did we define division of whole
numbers?

6÷2=?

2x?=6

15
2 3
÷ =?
5 7
3 2
? × =
7 5

3 2
× =
7 5

16
 7 3 2
× × =
3 7 5

2 7 3 2
× × =
5 3 7 5
2 3
÷ =?
5 7

17
So

2 3 2 7
÷ = ×
5 7 5 3

WHY?

Model Drawing Practice

Read 5A – pages 56-59

Page 60 – Problems 1-8

18
 Problems to Try
as time permits

Read 5A pages 33-60

HW Set 26 – (1,2), 5, 9,11

HW Set 27 – 3, 4, 5b, 6

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