Third graders learn to judge a fraction at a glance by comparing it to one-half, a handy benchmark, and sort common fractions into greater-than-half and less-than-half.
Students will be able to…
You ate 3 of 8 pizza slices. More or less than half? Comparing a fraction to one-half answers it fast. How does that comparison work?
Project this and sort each fraction into greater than or less than one-half — tap a fraction, then tap where it belongs.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
You ate 3 of the 8 slices of a pizza. Did you eat more or less than half? A quick comparison to one-half answers it. How?
Students sort fractions by the half benchmark.
Students compare numerator to half the denominator.
Students build a sorting card set.
Students reflect on the benchmark.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (Grade 3).
Compare two fractions by reasoning about their size and justify the conclusions.
Understand a fraction 1/b as one part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts.
Compare two fractions with different numerators and denominators using a benchmark like 1/2.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students write six fractions, mark each as more or less than half, and draw one to prove it, so the benchmark becomes a quick mental check. A printable benchmark-fractions worksheet is in the Mathematics library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.