Fractions - Find a third - Presentation

In this engaging lesson, students will delve further into the concept of thirds, a fundamental aspect of understanding fractions. The session starts by encouraging pupils to recall the meaning of a 'third' and to articulate this understanding by completing a stem sentence. Through discussion, they will explore the idea that when a whole is divided into three equal parts, each part represents one third of the whole. The lesson includes various activities where students apply their knowledge by working with manipulatives such as cubes to visually and practically find one third of different quantities, reinforcing their comprehension of division into equal parts.

The lesson's activities are designed to build fluency and reasoning skills in handling fractions. For instance, students are presented with real-life scenarios like sharing gingerbread men, where they must calculate how many are left after a third is taken away. They practice calculating a third of different numbers, using cubes or counters to aid their understanding. Additionally, the lesson challenges students to think critically with reasoning tasks, such as determining the length of a stick when cut into thirds or deducing a mystery number based on its third's value. Independent work further consolidates their learning, as students cut out problems, draw models, and use manipulatives like cubes to find and prove their answers, culminating in a thorough exploration of finding a third.