Fair Share Bakery

Little levels (ages 4 to 6)

1. Share the cookies Six, then eight cookies between two friends.
2. Three friends Six, then nine cookies between three friends.
3. Cut it fair Pick the cut that makes halves, the bar cut into quarters, and the cake that shows a half.
4. Is it fair? Say whether two plates are fair, then move cookies to fix the unfair ones.
5. Pizza party Eight slices for four friends, six for three.

Big levels (ages 7 to 9)

1. Halves and quarters Fold a paper square once, then twice; color a quarter, then two quarters.
2. Leftovers Share 7 between 3, 11 between 4 and 9 between 2, and find the remainder.
3. Thirds Cut a bar into thirds, color one and two thirds, compare a third with a half.
4. Half of a group Color half, a quarter and a third of twelve cupcakes.
5. How many boxes? Pack 24 muffins into boxes of 6, 20 into bags of 5, 18 onto plates of 3.

The big ideas

• Fair means the same. Sharing fairly means every person gets the same number. Dealing one at a time, round and round, always ends fair.

• Halves, quarters and thirds are equal parts. A half is one of two equal pieces, a quarter one of four, a third one of three. The pieces have to be the same size, or they are not halves, quarters or thirds.

• More pieces means smaller pieces. A third of a bar is smaller than a half of the same bar, because the bar was cut into more pieces.

• Sometimes there is a remainder. Seven cookies shared by three friends gives two each with one left over. The leftover is the remainder.

• Sharing into equal groups is dividing. Twenty-four muffins in boxes of six fill four boxes: 24 divided by 6 is 4. Half of twelve is six: 12 divided by 2.

Try it at home

1. Snack sharing Share a bowl of grapes between everyone at the table by dealing them out one at a time. Is there a remainder?
2. Toast fractions Cut a slice of toast into halves, then quarters. Then cut another into thirds and compare a third with a quarter.
3. Paper folding Fold a square of paper in half, then in half again. Open it: four quarters. Can you fold it into eighths?
4. Egg box packing Count out eighteen small things and pack them into groups of six, then groups of three. How many groups each time?

Ask after playing

• If three friends share ten cookies, how many does each get, and how many are left?
• Which is bigger, a half of a pizza or a quarter of it? Why?
• How would you share one cookie between two people?