Fair Share Bakery

The big ideas

What the levels teach, in grown-up words.

• 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

Quick experiments that match the game.

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?