Math lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 60 minutes
Fractions of an amount
Fractions
England: Y3 FractionsEngland: Y4 FractionsEngland: 11+ Fractions
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Fractions of an amount.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Find a half, third or quarter of a number; Division facts
Leads to: Percentage of an amount; Fractions of amounts with measures and money; Find 50%, 25%, 10% and 5% of an amount
Materials: Fraction strips or a fraction wall, Paper strips to fold, Number lines, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Find a half, third or quarter of a number; Division facts). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What is 1/4 of 8? → 2Prompt: Share 8 into 4 equal groups.
- 24 ÷ 12 = ? → 2Prompt: Think of the multiplication fact.
- What is 1/2 of 20? → 10Prompt: Share 20 into 2 equal groups.
Hook · 6 min
- Cut a pizza or a strip of paper unevenly and ask whether the pieces are really halves or quarters.
- Share the objective: Fractions of an amount. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What is 2/5 of 55?
- Step 1: 55 ÷ 5 = 11
- Step 2: 11 × 2 = 22
- Answer: 22
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What is 2/3 of 12? → 8Prompt: Find 1/3 first: divide by 3.
- Nia has 42 minutes of screen time this week and has used 2/3 of it. How many minutes has Nia used? → 28Prompt: What is 1/3 of 42?
You do: independent practice · 17 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- What is 2/3 of 36? → 24Prompt: Find 1/3 first: divide by 3.
- Isla has 70 minutes of screen time this week and has used 2/5 of it. How many minutes has Isla used? → 28Prompt: What is 1/5 of 70?
Watch out for
- Thinking a bigger denominator means a bigger fraction (1/8 > 1/4).
- Adding the denominators when adding fractions (1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Find a half, third or quarter of a number.
- Use concrete materials: fraction strips or a fraction wall.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Percentage of an amount; Fractions of amounts with measures and money; Find 50%, 25%, 10% and 5% of an amount.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-3.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder