K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Make Thirds (1/3)

πŸ–– The Three-Way Split! Chopping things into two pieces is easy. Chopping things into three identical pieces requires serious skill!

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 182 of 186

Concept

What if three friends want to share a pie? Halves won't work. We need Thirds!

🎯 The Rules of Thirds: 1. You must slice the shape into exactly THREE equal parts. 2. The math word for "Three pieces" is Thirds. 3. A single piece is called "One-Third"! (Written as 1/3).

* The bottom number (3) means "It was chopped into three total pieces!" * The top number (1) means "You get one piece!"

Fun Trick: To split a circle into Thirds, you have to draw a giant "Y" shape inside of it! (Like the peace sign without the bottom line).

Try it

Slice the Y into the pie!

Instructions: Decide if the shape shows Thirds! (Three equal pieces).

Problem 1: A long rectangle is chopped by two lines to make 3 equal square parts. * Does it show Thirds? (Yes / No).

Problem 2: A circle is chopped down the middle to make 2 equal parts. * Does it show Thirds? * Answer: ________

Problem 3: A square is chopped into 3 parts. The middle part is huge. The side parts are skinny. * Does it show Math Thirds? (Remember the equal rule!). * Answer: ________

Problem 4: What does the bottom number of 1/3 (the 3) tell you? * Answer: The totally number of _____ parts the whole thing was chopped into.