Teaching article
Put a fraction on a line with zero and one
Partition the interval between zero and one into equal lengths and locate the fraction within it.
Mark the unit interval before locating any fraction. Equal subdivisions give the position its meaning; a dot placed vaguely near the centre does not by itself show understanding of the fraction.
To hand: A clearly labelled zero-to-one line.
- Name the unit interval.
- Divide it into four equal intervals.
- Mark one quarter and one half.
Partition the interval, then place the point
Mark zero and one before locating the fraction. Equal intervals matter more than placing a point near the middle by eye.
On this line, one quarter is one of four equal intervals from zero, and one half is two.
Count equal intervals, not only tick marks. Which interval represents the whole unit?
Supply a pre-partitioned line.
Resources
- Maths Puzzle Generator — Choose arithmetic or missing-number questions only when they match the number relationship being explored.
Further reading
Read next
- An estimate should have a reason behind it
- Zero belongs in the collection story
- Number-line addition: what does each jump mean?
Explore Number, operations and fractions. Browse all teaching articles.