Multiple Numerators Student Activity

Before doing this activity, introduce the vocabulary of numerator and denominator. The numerator is the number on top of the fraction bar that represents a part of a whole. The denominator is the number below the fraction bar that shows the number of pieces or partitions in a whole. Numerator looks a little like “number” (how many) and denominator may remind some students of “name”, particularly if they are familiar with other languages, such as French or Spanish. The denominator gives the fraction its name (eg. fifths), and the numerator tells you how many parts of the whole there are (three-fifths).

In this activity, students will identify the given fractions and fraction pictures by both number and word names. Students can also use spider maps for this assignment, although the template provided uses a T-Chart. Depending on the level of complexity, have students fill in different columns, such as providing them with a few shapes and a few fraction word names and having students fill in the blanks.