World of Tan 27 - Sharing

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2
Children you might like to:
  • List all the different instances when you use fractions.
  • Think about how you met fractions in school and what you have been taught. What can you remember?
  • Convince someone that a quarter is bigger than a fifth. (hint: think of sweets)
  • Take a line make it half as big again. Draw a shape on dotty paper - now make that half as big again.
Parents you might like to:
  • Explain in what contexts you use fractions at work and in the home.
  • Investigate the fractional parts of a pound before the decimalisation of our currency in 1972.
  • Convince someone a quarter is bigger than a fifth.
  • Investigate the idea of ratio when mixing water and squash or when sharing out meals/ sweets etc.
  • Explore the use of fractions within the context of time.
Teachers you might like to:
  • Explore the Tangram to explain and illustrate the 'sixteenths' family of fractions.
  • Consider the differing ways of re' presenting fractional quantities.
  • Explain why "we turn one fraction upside down and multiply out"
  • Investigate mixing liquids/ sharing sweets in differing ratios.
  • Develop the vocabulary of fractions and illustrate the different members of the fraction family - vulgar fractions, improper fractions, decimal fractions, etc.
  • Halve a square in as many different ways as possible.

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.