A Decomposing Fractions Activity for 4th Grade

One of the best ways to engage students with math concepts is through hands-on activities. Students love working with their peers and collaborating with them to achieve a shared goal. This is why puzzles make great math resources!

This set of 15 puzzles has been created by our dedicated teacher team to help your students explore the different ways that a fraction can be decomposed. Decomposing a fraction means breaking it apart into smaller fractions. Each puzzle contains four pieces that need to be matched together:

• Piece 1 – The focus fraction
• Piece 2 – A visual representation of the focus fraction
• Piece 3 – An addition number sentence that decomposes the focus fraction
• Piece 4 – A different addition number sentence that decomposes the focus fraction

The resource features fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths and tenths.

This resource downloads as a full-color PDF or editable Google Slides file. It includes:

• Instruction page
• 15 x decomposing fractions puzzles
• Answer key

We recommend printing the puzzles on cardstock to increase the durability of the resource. Place the cards together in a large envelope or ziplock bag for safekeeping. All you need to do is pull out the resource and that’s your lesson on decomposing fractions taken care of!

Ways to Use This Decomposing Fractions Activity

Looking for some ideas to adapt this resource when decomposing fractions with your 4th graders? Here are a few suggestions from our teacher team:

1. Lesson Warm-Up – Have the class sit in a circle with the decomposing fractions puzzles spread out in the center. Have pairs of students take turns to move into the center of the circle and place some of the puzzle pieces together. Continue until all the puzzles have been completed.
2. Math Center Activity – Set up the puzzles at a math station. Students can work on them individually or in groups as a free-choice or rotation activity during your math lesson on decomposing fractions.
3. Timed Challenge – Have students work on the puzzles individually. As an added incentive, have them time themselves to see how it takes to complete all of the puzzles correctly.

Download to Decompose Fractions

Use the Download button above to access the easy-print PDF of the editable Google Slides version of this decomposing fractions activity. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)

As this resource contains an answer sheet, you may wish to print only one copy and remove the answer sheet before making further copies.

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This resource was created by Cassandra Friesen, a teacher in Colorado and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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