In the last lesson, you learned to draw fractions as bar models.
Another way to draw fractions is using area models. 😁
Tip: The word model just means a drawing that explains something. 👍
Here's an area model, or drawing, of the fraction 7/8:
In fraction area models, fractions are drawn as the area of a shape like a rectangle or circle.
Here are some fraction area models for halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths.
Let's learn with an example:
Draw a fraction area model to represent the fraction 5/6.
👉 The first step is to draw a rectangular or a circle.
It doesn't matter whether you use a rectangle or a circle.
The steps are the same for any shape. 🤓
Let's use a rectangle:
👉 Next, look at the denominator of the fraction you want to model, or draw.
Tip: The denominator describes how many equal parts the whole is divided into. It's the bottom part of the fraction.
The denominator of 5/6 is 6. 😁
✅ That means you divide the rectangle into 6 equal parts.
You can divide it horizontally only, vertically only, or a combination of both.
It doesn't matter how you divide the shape. Just make sure each part has the same area. 😺
👉 Next, look at the numerator of the fraction you want to model.
Tip: The numerator describes the number of parts you have. It's the top number.
The numerator of 5/6 is 5. 😁
✅ That means you should color or shade in 5 out of the 6 parts of the rectangle.
Tip: It doesn't matter which 5 parts you will color or shade. 🤓
That's it!
You've created a fraction bar model for 5/6! 😃
Let's say you were given this fraction area model.
Can you tell what fraction it models? 🤔
Here's how to turn fraction area models into fractions:
👉 First, count how many parts the model is divided into.
The circle is divided into 8 equal parts.
✅ That means the denominator of the fraction is 8.
👉 Next, count how many parts of the model are colored or shaded.
Three parts of the model is colored.
✅ That means the numerator of the fraction you are looking for is 3.
👉 The last step is to combine the numerator and the denominator.
The fraction area model represents 3/8!
Great job! Now you're ready for some practice. 😺
You'll learn more and remember for longer.