Sweet Summer Fractions

Just like her friends, Madelyn loves summer! She enjoys the warm weather, going to the beach, and playing outside, but her favorite part of summer is eating her favorite food….watermelon!

Madelyn watches her uncle cut the watermelon in different ways. When she sees a whole circular slice of a watermelon, she gets an idea! Madelyn can use the watermelon to practice what she has been learning in math class…comparing fractions!

She decides to challenge herself by writing the fractions first and deciding which is bigger. Then she can check her work using her favorite food! Can you help her?

Let's start with the fractions \(\Large\frac{1}{5}\) and \(\Large\frac{1}{8}\). Madelyn remembers the super rule she learned in school. When the numerators are the same, she can compare the denominators.

The denominator that is smaller is the bigger fraction because the whole is divided into fewer parts. That makes the parts bigger! Madelyn says that \(\Large\frac{1}{5}\) is the bigger fraction. Do you think she is right?

Let's check! Her uncle helps Madelyn cut the watermelon slice to show the fractions. One watermelon slice is cut into 5 parts, and one is cut into 8 parts. Which fraction gives her the bigger part? Madelyn was right! \(\Large\frac{1}{5}\) is the bigger fraction.

Let's try comparing two more fractions. Madelyn writes \(\Large\frac{2}{6}\) and \(\Large\frac{2}{4}\). How do you compare fractions? Look at the numerators first! They are the same, so we can use our super rule. The denominator that is smaller is the bigger fraction. Madelyn knows which fraction it is! Do you?

Madelyn writes a less than symbol because \(\Large\frac{2}{4}\) is the bigger fraction. Let's see what that looks like with the watermelon slices! Madelyn was right! \(\Large\frac{2}{4}\) is bigger than \(\Large\frac{2}{6}\)!

Madelyn wants to compare two more fractions before eating her favorite summer treat. She writes \(\Large\frac{2}{5}\) and \(\Large\frac{1}{2}\). Madelyn notices right away that the numerators are not the same. She can't use her super rule to figure this one out.

She can imagine the fractions in her head! She knows that \(\Large\frac{1}{2}\) would divide the watermelon right down the middle. If she divides another watermelon circle into 5 pieces, would 2 pieces be bigger than one half? Madelyn thinks for a minute, and then asks you! What do you think?

One half is the bigger fraction! The fractions look like this. \(\Large\frac{2}{5}\) is close to \(\Large\frac{1}{2}\), but it's the smaller fraction. We found the bigger fraction!

Madelyn enjoyed comparing fractions with you! She remembered the super rule and was able to picture the fractions in her head when the numerators were different. What she will enjoy even more is eating half of this watermelon! Yum!