Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 4

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Define a fraction as an equal part of a whole.
• Name the numerator and denominator.
• Show fractions using diagrams.
• Compare fractions with the same denominator.
• Solve simple fraction word problems.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces Grade 4 learners to the fundamental concept of fractions. In South Africa, the idea of sharing is deeply ingrained in our culture, from sharing a meal with family to a gatsby with friends. Fractions are the mathematical way of talking about this sharing. They help us describe parts of a whole, whether it's a part of a loaf of bread, a portion of a team in a soccer game, or a slice of time in an hour. Understanding fractions is a crucial building block for more advanced mathematics and is essential for everyday tasks like cooking, shopping, and measuring.

Lesson notes

What is a Fraction? A fraction is a number that represents a part of a whole. The whole can be a single object (like a pizza or a chocolate bar) or a collection of objects (like a bag of marbles or a class of learners). The most important rule about fractions is that the whole must be divided into EQUAL parts. If the parts are not equal, we cannot call them fractions. Imagine you have one vetkoek. If you cut it into two equal pieces, each piece is one half (1/2). If you cut it into four equal pieces, each piece is one quarter or one fourth (1/4). [Image suggestion: A circular vetkoek shown whole, then another shown cut into two perfect halves, and a third shown cut into four perfect quarters.] The Parts of a Fraction: Numerator and Denominator A fraction is written with two numbers, one on top of the other, separated by a line.

Numerator / Denominator Denominator: This is the bottom number. It tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into.

Think: Denominator is Down.

Numerator: This is the top number. It tells us how many of those equal parts we are talking about or that we have.