Visualize Fractions with the

Fraction Number Line

The Fraction Number Line is great for helping kids get a visual of fractions.

On this page you'll find:

• Fraction Number Line Concentration Game.  
• Links to other fraction activities in the right-hand column. Also you can go to the main fraction games page.
  
• Several printable number lines to get students familiar with the most common fractions encountered in school.
  

Scroll down toward bottom of the page to print number line worksheets.

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Fraction Number Line Concentration

Skill: Visualizing fractions on the number line

Number of players: 2

What you need: game cards

Preparation: Print off game cards

Object of the Game: Be the player with the most fraction pairs at end of the game.

How to Play: 

• Choose a player to give the cards a good shuffle and then deal the cards face down in equal rows in the middle of the players.

• The first player turns over any two cards one at at time, trying to match a fraction card with a number line card of the same value.   If the two cards are a match (as pictured below), the player picks up the cards and puts them in their discard pile next to them.

• If Player 1 turns over a matching pair of cards, their turn continues repeats the process by turning over two more cards. 
  
• The player's turn ends when the two flipped cards are not a match.
• Player two follows the same procedure.
• The game is over after all the cards have been picked up and placed in the players' discard piles.
• Each player counts the number of cards in their discard pile. 
  
• The winner is the player with the most cards!
  

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More Fraction Number Activities

Ordering Fraction Activity: Online  Drag and Drop the fractions to their correct positions.  Click next when done to go to new number line.

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Printable Number Lines

You can print the number lines off below and use them in the classroom or at home. This is a great hands-on way to help students experiment and visualize fractions.

Skills: Equivalent fractions , Reducing fractions...

thirty-seconds, sixteenths, eights, fourths, halves

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Fraction Number Line Tasks

Below, you'll find several hands-on fraction number line activities that can be enjoyed by one student, a small group of students, or a classroom.

Preparation:

• Print off and cut out fraction number lines for each student.
• Print out and out fraction rectangles for each student.

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Fraction Number Line

Task #1: 

Plot 5/12 on the Fraction Number Line  

The number line above goes between the numbers zero and one.

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Step-by-Step:

• Have students identify the denominator of the fraction in question. For this particular task, they should know it's 12.

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• Step 1: Since the denominator is 12, from the rectangular cut-outs, locate the 12 equally-sized pieces.

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• Step 2: Place the 12 rectangles on top the fraction number line as in picture below.

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• Step 3: Identify the numerator of the fraction. 

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• Step 4: Count the number of pieces starting form the first piece on the left until they reach 5. It would be helpful for students to write the numbers on the rectangles in pencil as in picture below.  

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• Step 5: Write the fraction 5/12 above the tick mark directly to the right of the fifth rectangle.

**Important** They should understand it's the number of equal spaces, not the number of tick marks, that represent the numerator and denominator. (This is where some students are confused.)

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Fraction Number Line

Task #2

Write an equivalent fraction for 3/4

with 12 in the denominator.  

Step-by-Step:

• Ask students to identify the denominator of the first fraction (3/4). 
• Now have the students locate four equal-sized rectangle bars that will fill the number line exactly from 0 to 1 by placing the pieces on the fraction number line.

• Next, have students locate twelve equal-sized rectangle bars that will fill the number line exactly from 0 to 1. 
• After identifying the twelve equal-sized rectangle pieces, place them underneath the four rectangle pieces that were just placed on the fraction number line.

• Next, have students number the each of fourth pieces, starting on the left with 1. Then have them number the twelfth pieces the same way going all the way to 12.

• Are the excited yet! Just one more step: Ask students to find the tick mark for that represents 3/4 of the top (yellow) rectangular bar. 
• Have students cover up the last 1/4 of the yellow rectangular bar so that only the 3/4 section is showing. 

We will be adding some more and please let me know if there are any particular fractions you would like me to add to the worksheets.

 this case, they'll be looking for a total of 12 pieces of equal size.

(To increase their number sense and understanding, you might have them arrange all 12 pieces on the number line between the 0 and the 1, and then talk about how each of the 12 pieces represents a fraction of one whole.)   

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