Guided Practice with Halves and Thirds
Learn
Now that you know what halves and thirds are, let's practice identifying them together! In this lesson, we will work through problems step by step.
Remember:
- Halves means 2 equal parts. Each part is 1/2 (one half).
- Thirds means 3 equal parts. Each part is 1/3 (one third).
- The parts must be equal (the same size)!
How to Check if Something is Split Correctly
- Count the parts. How many pieces are there?
- Check if they are equal. Are all the pieces the same size?
- Name the fraction. If there are 2 equal parts, each is a half. If there are 3 equal parts, each is a third.
Examples
Example 1: Is this shape split into halves?
Step 1: Count the parts. There are 2 parts.
Step 2: Are they equal? Yes! Both parts are the same size.
Step 3: Name the fraction. YES, this is split into halves! Each part is 1/2.
Example 2: Is this circle split into thirds?
Step 1: Count the parts. There are 3 parts.
Step 2: Are they equal? Yes! All three wedges are the same size.
Step 3: Name the fraction. YES, this is split into thirds! Each part is 1/3.
Example 3: Is this rectangle split into halves?
Step 1: Count the parts. There are 2 parts.
Step 2: Are they equal? NO! One part is bigger than the other.
Step 3: This is NOT split into halves because the parts are not equal.
Practice
Try these problems. For each one, decide if the shape is split into halves, thirds, or neither.
Problem 1
A pizza is cut into 2 equal slices. What fraction is each slice?
Show Answer
Each slice is 1/2 (one half) of the pizza.
Problem 2
A sandwich is cut into 3 equal pieces. What fraction is each piece?
Show Answer
Each piece is 1/3 (one third) of the sandwich.
Problem 3
Maya folds a paper into 2 parts, but one part is bigger. Is the paper split into halves?
Show Answer
NO. For halves, both parts must be equal (the same size).
Problem 4
A rectangle has a line across the middle. There are 2 equal parts. What is each part called?
Show Answer
Each part is called a half, or 1/2.
Problem 5
A pie is cut into 3 slices that are all the same size. How many thirds are in the whole pie?
Show Answer
There are 3 thirds in the whole pie. 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 1 whole pie.
Problem 6
Tim colors 1 part of a shape that is split into 2 equal parts. What fraction did Tim color?
Show Answer
Tim colored 1/2 (one half) of the shape.
Problem 7
A flag has 3 equal stripes. What fraction is each stripe?
Show Answer
Each stripe is 1/3 (one third) of the flag.
Problem 8
Sara ate 2 thirds of a cookie. How many thirds are left?
Show Answer
1 third is left. The cookie had 3 thirds. 3 - 2 = 1 third remaining.
Problem 9
Which is bigger: 1/2 of a cake or 1/3 of the same cake?
Show Answer
1/2 is bigger! When you split something into fewer parts, each part is larger. 2 parts means bigger pieces than 3 parts.
Problem 10
A cracker is broken into 2 pieces, but they are NOT equal. Can we call each piece a half?
Show Answer
NO. We can only call each piece a half if both pieces are the same size (equal).
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see how well you understand halves and thirds.
1. How many equal parts make halves?
Show Answer
2 equal parts make halves.
2. How many equal parts make thirds?
Show Answer
3 equal parts make thirds.
3. If parts are not equal, can we use fraction names like halves or thirds?
Show Answer
No! Parts must be equal to use fraction names.
Next Steps
- Practice finding halves and thirds in real life (food, paper, toys)
- Try drawing your own shapes and splitting them into halves or thirds
- Move on to the Word Problems lesson to apply what you learned