🍕 Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares
Class 3 Maths · Unit 6 of 12 · about 100 minutes
Introduces fractions through fair sharing: halves, quarters and three-quarters of a whole shape, then of a small collection. Children learn that equal parts are required, read and write ½ and ¼, and find half or a quarter of a group of objects. Formal fraction notation beyond quarters is left for Grade 4.
What your child will learn
- Students will be able to identify and make a half of a shape, checking that the two parts are equal, and write it as ½.
- Students will be able to identify and make quarters and three-quarters of a shape and write ¼ and ¾.
- Students will be able to find half and a quarter of a small collection of objects by sharing equally.
- Students will be able to compare half and quarter of the same whole and explain which is bigger.
Lessons in this unit
- Halves: Cut or fold a whole into two equal parts, name each part a half, write ½, and check that unequal parts are not halves. Shapes only.
- Quarters and three-quarters: Fold a whole into four equal parts, name one part a quarter (¼) and three parts three-quarters (¾), and see that a quarter is half of a half. Shapes only.
- Half and quarter of a group: Find half of a collection by sharing into 2 equal groups and a quarter by sharing into 4 equal groups, using counts that divide exactly (even numbers up to 20 for halves; 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 for quarters).
- Which is bigger: half or quarter?: Compare half and quarter of the same whole using pictures, explain that more equal parts means smaller parts, and use the idea in fair-share stories.
Key words
- whole
- The full thing before it is cut or shared.
- half / halves
- One of 2 equal parts. Two halves make a whole.
- quarter / one-fourth
- One of 4 equal parts. Four quarters make a whole.
- three-quarters
- Three of the 4 equal parts.
- equal parts
- Parts that are exactly the same size.
Help your child at home
What to watch for
- Any two pieces are halves, even if unequal.
- Help: Halves must be equal. Fold and match: do the two pieces lie exactly on each other?
- ¼ is bigger than ½ because 4 is bigger than 2.
- Help: More cuts make smaller pieces. Cut a roti into 4: each piece is smaller than when cut into 2.
- Half of 12 is 2 (the bottom number of ½).
- Help: Half means share into 2 equal groups. 12 marbles → 6 and 6. Half of 12 is 6.
- A quarter is bigger because 4 is more than 2.
- Help: Look at the pieces, not the numbers. Cutting into 4 makes smaller pieces than cutting into 2.
Try this at home
- Fold a paper roti so the two pieces lie exactly on each other: 2 equal parts, so each is ½
- Fold a paper twice to make quarters
- Half of 12 pencils: share into 2 equal groups, count one group
- Two equal rotis cut differently
Quick questions to ask aloud
- True or false: A square folded from corner to corner makes two halves.
Show answer
True. The fold makes two triangles that are exactly the same size. Two equal parts are halves. - A square is cut into 4 equal parts and 3 parts are coloured. What fraction is coloured? (¾ / ¼ / ½)
Show answer
3 out of 4 equal parts are coloured. That is three-quarters, ¾. - Riya has 12 marbles. She gives half of them to Arjun. How many marbles does Arjun get?
Show answer
Half means 2 equal groups. 12 marbles make groups of 6 and 6. Arjun gets 6 marbles.
Frequently asked questions
What will my child learn in "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares" (Class 3 Maths)?
Your child will be able to: identify and make a half of a shape, checking that the two parts are equal, and write it as ½.; identify and make quarters and three-quarters of a shape and write ¼ and ¾.; find half and a quarter of a small collection of objects by sharing equally.; compare half and quarter of the same whole and explain which is bigger..
How does MangoMindz teach "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares"?
In 4 short parts (Halves, Quarters and three-quarters, Half and quarter of a group, Which is bigger: half or quarter?). Each part has a picture-based lesson read aloud by Mango Teacher, a quick check, and a quiz built from common mistakes children make, with Mango, a study buddy, for questions.
How long does "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares" take?
About 100 minutes in total, spread over 4 parts of 15–25 minutes each.
How can I help my child with "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares" at home?
Work through a small example together, such as: Fold a paper roti so the two pieces lie exactly on each other: 2 equal parts, so each is ½; Fold a paper twice to make quarters. Then ask a quick question aloud: True or false: A square folded from corner to corner makes two halves.
What mistakes do children often make in "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares"?
Any two pieces are halves, even if unequal. Fix: Halves must be equal. Fold and match: do the two pieces lie exactly on each other? ¼ is bigger than ½ because 4 is bigger than 2. Fix: More cuts make smaller pieces. Cut a roti into 4: each piece is smaller than when cut into 2. Half of 12 is 2 (the bottom number of ½). Fix: Half means share into 2 equal groups. 12 marbles → 6 and 6. Half of 12 is 6.
Is "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares" free on MangoMindz?
Yes. Every lesson part and quiz in "Halves, Quarters and Fair Shares" is free on MangoMindz, with no ads.