An Introduction to

Fractions!
Defining, visualizing, comparing and
finding equivalent fractions
 Fractions
• A fraction is part of a whole number.
• Can you think of examples of
fractions?
• The following numbers are all
fractions:
1/2, 3/7, 6/10, 4/99
 Definitions of Fractions
• A fraction is a way of representing
division of a 'whole' into 'parts'. It
has the form
Numerator
Denominator
 Numerators and
Denominators
• Numerator is the number of parts chosen
and the
• Denominator is the total number of parts.
• Another way which fractions are
represent is in the form or a/b, where a
and b are whole numbers, and the number
b is not 0. In this example, a is the
numerator and b is the denominator.
 Representation of
Fractions

• In this example 3 of the 7 parts of

the pie chart are shaded. Therefore
the numerator is 3 and the
denominator is 7.
 Now You Decide:
• How many of the pieces are in the circle?
• How many pieces are shaded in?
• What fraction could be used to represent the amount of the circle
which is shaded in?
 Comparing Fractions
• When comparing fractions, you will be given two
fractions to compare as in the example below:
• You are to choose which of the two fractions is
the larger.
• Keep this in mind as you make your choice - the
larger the numerator the larger the fraction and
the larger the denominator the smaller the
fraction. If the denominators are the same, the
fraction with the larger numerator is larger and if
the numerators are the same, the fraction with
the larger denominator is smaller.
 Visualizing the fraction
• One method is to visualize the
fractions, as pictured below in red:
 Discussion of two
fractions
• As you can see 1/4 is less than half the circle
while 5/6 is more than half the circle - so 5/6 is
larger.
• Here, the idea of the least common denominator
or LCD is used. LCD is an idea we have discussed
that can be used in comparing fractions. The LCD
is the smallest number that both 4 and 6 will
divide into evenly. 12 is the LCD for the fractions
1/4 and 5/6 because both 4 and 6 divide evenly
into 12.
 Now You compare:
• Which is greater 2/7 or 1/11 ?

• Which is less 6/11 or 22/51 ?

• Which is greater 1/2 or 4/8 ?

• What do you notice about the last pair of

fractions we compared?
 Equivalent Fractions
• Fractions are equivalent if they represent the same amount of the
whole or the same value
• Why are these two fractions equivalent? Can you think of more
equivalent fractions?
 More Equivalent
Fractions
• Is this fraction equivalent to 2? How
can you tell? 3
 Why do you think fractions are
useful?
• If Jimmy at 3 of the 9 pieces of pizza how much
of the pizza did he eat?
• If Rieta drove 2 of the 5 miles to school how
much of the trip to school has she traveled?
• If Andy read 22 of the 55 pages in his book how
much of the book has he read?
• Can you think of other examples of fractions?
 Exploring Fractions on
the Internet
• A great site to compare and find
equivalent fractions:
• Virtual Manipulative: Fractions
GREAT!
TRY
AGAIN
THEY
ARE
EQUAL!
 According to the Ohio Department of Education’s content standards for middle
school math, 6th graders should be able to explain why a number is rational and recognize that
the expression a/b can represent a parts of size 1/b and use models and pictures to represent
the ideas of ratios. This idea of fractions can be difficult for 6th graders to comprehend
because they are comfortable working with whole numbers. Therefore, this PowerPoint
presentation was designed to define fractions, compare fractions, and discuss equivalent
fractions through class discussions, application of fractions to the real world, and the use of
visual images to illustrate fractions.
When presenting each slide to the class, I will ask them questions in order to get
them involved in the lecture. For example, I will ask “What is a fraction?” and “Can you think of
any examples of fractions?” In addition, I will ask the students to relate their new knowledge
of fractions to the real world by asking them to think of any examples of fraction they might
encounter in their lives. Finally, this presentation is full of pictures which will help students
visualize and understand fractions. These pictures are especially useful when comparing
fractions and studying equivalent fractions. Students can see for themselves why one fraction
is greater than the other or why two fractions are equal.
This lesson was designed to present information about fractions, which meet the
content standards for Ohio, in an organized manner. This presentation also will appeal to
students because the information will be presented both visually and verbally. Finally, the
presentation will get students actively involved in the lesson by having them discuss fractions
and visualize fractions throughout the lesson.
 References
Interactive Math Lessons, Tutorials, and Games Online: Fractions, Decimals,
Percents, and Integers. (n.d.) Retrieved on August 1, 2005, from

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/math_resources_3.php
Middle School Math. (n.d.) Retrieved on August 1, 2005, from

http://www.kenton.k12.ky.us/TR/msmath.htm