Big Ideas: A fraction represents the division of a whole into equal shares. The denominator is represented by the number of segments on a number line between two whole numbers.
This lesson builds on students' work with partitioning area models of wholes into equal shares. This task requires students to recognize whether number lines were partitioned correctly, justify their reasoning, and partition number lines on their own. Students will be building the foundations of fraction sense on a number line by representing, partitioning, and labeling equal shares. The mathematical concepts in this lesson build toward students' future work with composing, decomposing, and identifying specific fractions on number lines as well as future work with comparing and equivalent fractions.
Vocabulary: number line, line segments, fraction, numerator, denominator, halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, eighths

Big Ideas: A fraction describes the division of wholes into equal shares. Equal shares have the same area or amount, but do not have to be the same shape.
This lesson builds on students' work with partitioning circles and rectangles into two, three, and four equal shares. This task uses a scenario in which students share a birthday cake. Students will be presented with kids who each want to share their cake differently and asked to justify which kids are sharing equally. Students will be building their foundational knowledge of fractions by representing, labeling, and justifying equal shares. The mathematical concepts in this lesson build toward students' future work with naming fractions, comparing fractions, and equivalent fractions.
Vocabulary: fraction, equal shares, halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, eighths

In this lesson students will break circles and rectangles into two equal parts.

In this lesson students will recognize if a shape is divided into equal shares.

In this lesson students will recognize equal shares of an identical whole do not need to have the same shape.

Students will write and say each part of equal shares as a unit fraction of the whole.