This displays groups of different coloured kittens and asks students to find fractions of the group to match kittens with their mothers.

• Ask students which facts they used to find the fraction of 20. Students may suggest repeated addition, or multiplication / division facts that they recognise from their two, five and ten times tables. Allow students access to materials such as counters only if they can’t use basic facts.
• You could ask students to create other fraction problems from this slide.

This displays some fraction pieces that depict fractions greater than 1. Students are asked to match each picture with an improper fraction and a mixed number.

• Ask students to show how they worked out which improper fraction and which mixed number went with each picture.
• It is important that students understand that the improper fraction and the mixed number are of equal value and are just two ways of describing the same fraction.

This displays the Getting started on page 145 of the Student Resource Book.

• Encourage students to find as many fractions as they can in the picture. You could ask them how they would record the fraction to practice vocabulary such as numerator, denominator, fraction bar equal parts and whole.
• This is a good picture to use to point out the difference between fractions of sets and fractions of regions.

This displays several diagrams that represent fractions of shapes. Students will need to use fractional thinking to determine the fraction shaded.

• Students sometimes rely on counting strategies to determine fractions because often all the equal sized parts are shown. Students with this misconception might decide since the first example has two parts, one of which is shaded, it should be named ½. This activity asks students to divide the shape into a number of equal sized parts that make the whole, before they name the fraction shaded.
• Teachers may like students to vote yes or no either by a show of hands or more privately in writing. Students can then justify their choice with a partner or in a mixed group with opposing views or in whole class discussion.

This displays some items on sale and asks students to choose which one is the best buy.

• The price of both these items is actually the same, so it is important to ask students why they made the choice they did. Students will often pay attention only to the fraction and decide that the ¼ price must be cheaper than the ½ price. On the other hand, students who have calculated the actual price may still have a preference, but the reason could be unrelated to the price.

This displays a number line between 0 and ½ and a fraction wall.

Students are asked which fraction goes in each box on the line by using the fraction wall to work out which fractions are bigger than other fractions.

• Teachers may prefer to use pieces of string or ribbon with the 0 and ½ marked so that students can experiment to determine where the fractions might be. Pegs with each fraction marked in vivid work well and allow students to peg the fractions to the line.
• It is important that students understand that as you move right on a number line the value of the fractions (and numbers) gets bigger.
• A blank number line can be introduced along with a wider range of fractions as students become more confident.
• An appreciation of fractions on a number line is particularly helpful for understanding concepts related to distance, length and various types of scale.

This first sheet at this displays a set of 8 cats that live in Granny Crinkle’s barn. Students are asked questions that are intended to lead to them discovering that 3/8 + 5/8 = 1 whole.

The second sheet gives the students an opportunity to write equations for other fractions that add to make a whole.

• You could ask students to make up their own examples of fractions that add to a whole – perhaps using a fraction wall for reference.