Equivalent fractions; solve fraction problems - Teaching Presentation - Year 4

This presentation provides three days of teaching that cover the objectives:

• Identify equivalent fractions, including decimals.
• Revise finding non-unit fractions of amounts.
• Solve fraction word problems.

It includes starter activities, whole class teaching, group activities, practice sheets and mastery questions. It can be used on a variety of interactive whiteboards.

Day 1 Teaching
Show a 0–2 line marked in eighths. Children count along the line in eighths. Remind children to say the equivalent fractions: one quarter, one half and three quarters. Count to 2. Repeat with a line marked in sixths, noting equivalent thirds. Repeat with a line marked in fifths. Repeat with a line marked in steps of 0.1. Again, note equivalents. Finally show a 0–1 line marked in 0.01s with 0.1s labelled. Mark on 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 above the line and the equivalent decimals under the line (0.25, 0.5, 0.75).

Day 2 Teaching
Write: 36 ÷ 3, 1/10 of 120, 45 ÷ 5, 1/3 of 36, 120 ÷ 10, 1/5 of 45. Children discuss which questions have the same answers and why, e.g. Dividing by 5 and finding a 1/5 give the same answer. Sketch a bar model diagram to show how we find 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, etc. of £45. Repeat to find thirds of 36, then tenths of 120.

Day 3 Teaching
Write a word problem (see teaching document). Children read it and discuss in pairs how to solve it. Take feedback. Make a sketch of the cake or draw a bar model to help. Agree we find 1/8 of 32, then multiply by 3 to find 3/8. This comes to 4/8 altogether, so half of 32 buttons are left. Repeat with a second problem

This teaching is part of Hamilton’s Year 4 Decimals and Fractions block. Each Hamilton maths block contains a complete set of planning and resources to teach a term’s worth of objectives for one of the National Curriculum for England’s maths areas.