Fractions - Find a third - Starter

In a Year 3 mathematics lesson, students are introduced to fractions and specifically how to find one third of a quantity. The lesson starts with a practical example where Tia has 6 flowers and decides to pick one third to give to her mum. Students are asked to calculate how many flowers Tia picked. This real-world application helps children to visualise and understand the concept of dividing an amount into three equal parts. Additionally, the children are encouraged to use comparison symbols (<, >, or =) to compare the sums of number sentences, fostering their understanding of numerical relationships and equality. For example, they would determine whether the sum of 4 + 3 + 5 is less than, greater than, or equal to the sum of 5 + 4 + 3.

The lesson also includes a 'Fluent in Four' revision segment, where students practice their arithmetic skills by solving subtraction problems and working with place value to understand the composition of numbers. For instance, they would calculate the difference between 876 and a mystery number to result in 282. Additionally, they are tasked with identifying whether fractions of shapes have been divided into equal parts, marking a cross if the division is not equal. This exercise helps to reinforce the concept of fractions and equality within shapes. Students are also given a task to identify what fraction of a shape has been coloured in, enhancing their ability to recognise and work with fractions visually.