GET DIRECTORATE

MATHEMATICS LESSON
GRADE 7
DATE: …………………….
TOPIC: COMMON FRACTIONS:SET 1

CONCEPTS & SKILLS TO BE ACHIEVED:

By the end of the lesson learners should know and be able to:
• Fractions are used as measures (refer to the example above).
• Fractions are used to describe parts of whole objects, for example “quarter
of an apple” or “a half-loaf of bread”.
• Fractions are used to describe parts of collections, for example “three eighths of the
learners in a school”.
• Fractions are used to describe parts of non-physical quantities, for example “63 hundredths
of the available marks”, normally written in percentage notation.
5 6
• Fractions are used to explain decimals: 34, 56 is 30 + 4 + 10 + 100 or 3 tens + 4 units + 5 tenths
+ 6 hundredths.
DBE Workbook 1, Sasol-Inzalo book, Textbooks
RESOURCES:

DAY 1
INTRODUCTION
REVISION ACTIVITY:
Ensure that you know the correct terminology i.e.
DEFINITIONS:

LESSON DEVELOPMENT:
NOTE:

• It is widely assumed that fractions were invented in the context of

accurate measurement, to facilitate the measurement of objects or
parts of objects smaller than the commonly used unit of measurement.
• This is reflected in the Latin names of our current units of measurement, for
example centimetres (hundredths of a metre) and millimetres (thousandths of a
metre).
• The length of the brown strip measured with the yellow strip as a unit is three and
three fifths of the yellow unit.

• Fractions are used as measures (refer to the example above).

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Common Fractions
• Fractions are used to describe parts of whole objects, for example “quarter of an
apple” or “a half-loaf of bread”.
• Fractions are used to describe parts of collections, for example “three eighths of
the learners in a school”.
• Fractions are used to describe parts of non-physical quantities, for example “63
hundredths of the available marks”, normally written in percentage notation.
5 6
• Fractions are used to explain decimals: 34, 56 is 30 + 4 + 10 + 100 or 3 tens + 4 units + 5
tenths + 6 hundredths.

A fraction is a number of equal parts of the same whole, collection, quantity or unit of
measurement.

Measuring accurately with parts of a unit.

A STRANGE MEASURING UNIT:

In this activity, you will measure lengths with a unit called a greystick. The grey
measuring stick below is exactly 1 greystick long. You will use this stick to measure
different objects.

The red bar below is exactly two greysticks long.

As you can see, the yellow bar below is longer than 1 greystick but shorter than
2 greysticks.

To try to measure the yellow bar accurately, we will divide one greystick into six equal
parts:

So each of these parts is one sixth of a greystick.

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Common Fractions
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Common Fractions
Work through the following example:
Example 1:
Do you think one can say the yellow bar is one and four sixths of a greystick long?

Example 2:
Describe the length of the blue bar in words.

This greystick ruler is divided into seven equal parts:

Each part is one seventh of a greystick.

Example 3:
In each case below, say what the smaller parts of the greystick may be called. Write
your answers in words.

(a) __________________________________

(b) __________________________________

(c) __________________________________

(d) _________________________________

(e) __________________________________

(f) __________________________________

(g) __________________________________

(h) __________________________________

(i) _________________________________

(j) ________________________________

(k) _________________________________

(l) _________________________________

(m) _________________________________

(n) _________________________________

How did you find out what to call the small parts?
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Common Fractions
 Learners’ activities
Activity 1: Work through the examples below in your classwork book.
Write all your answers to the following questions in words.
1. (a) How long is the upper yellow bar?

(b) How long is the lower yellow bar?

…………………………………………
2. (a) How long is the blue bar at the bottom of the previous page?
…………………………………………………………………………….
(b) How long is the red bar at the bottom of the previous page?
……………………………………………………………………………..
3. (a) How many twelfths of a greystick is the same length as one sixth of a greystick?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(b) How many twenty-fourths is the same length as one sixth of a greystick?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(c) How many twenty-fourths is the same length as seven twelfths of a greystick?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

CONSOLIDATION:
• A fraction is a number of equal parts of the same whole,
o collection,
o quantity or unit of measurement.
HOMEWORK:
1. (a) How long is the upper yellow bar below?
……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Common Fractions
 (b)

How long is the lower yellow bar above?

………………………………………………….
(c) How long is the blue bar?
…………………………………………………..
(d) How long is the red bar?
…………………………………………………….
2. (a) How many fifths of a greystick is the same
length as 12 twentieths of a greystick?
…………………………………………………

(b) How many fourths (or quarters) of a greystick is the same length as
15 twentieths of a greystick?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

DAY 2

INTRODUCTION:

Describe the same length in different ways.

Two fractions may describe the same length.
You can see here that three sixths of a greystick
is the same as four eighths of a greystick.

When two fractions describe

the same portion we say
they are equivalent.

Work through the examples:

1. (a) What can each small part on this greystick be called?
………………………………………………………………….
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Common Fractions
(b) How many eighteenths is one sixth of the greystick? ……………………………..
(c) How many eighteenths is one third of the greystick? ……………………………..
(d) How many eighteenths is five sixths of the greystick? ……………………………….

2. (a) Write (in words) the names of four different fractions that are all equivalent to
three quarters. You may look at the yellow greysticks on page 154 to help you.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(b) Which equivalents for two thirds can you find on the yellow greysticks?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Learners’ activities

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Common Fractions
Activity 1: Work through the examples below
Example 1:
The information that 2 thirds is equivalent to 4 sixths, to 6 ninths and to 8
twelfths is written in the second row of the table below. Complete the
other rows of the table in the same way. The diagrams below may help you.

thirds fourths fifths sixths eighths ninths tenths twelfths twentieths

1
2 - - 4 - 6 - 8 -
- 3
- - 1
- - 2
- - 3
- - 4

Fraction diagrams

Example 2:
Complete this table in the same way as the table in question 1.

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Common Fractions

Example 2: If the perimeter of a square is 36 𝑐𝑚:

a) Determine the length of each side.
 fifths tenths fifteenths twentieths Twenty-fifths fiftieths hundredths
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

CONSOLIDATION:
• When two fractions describe the same portion we say they are equivalent.
HOMEWORK: Complete the problem below in your classwork book.
1. Draw on the greysticks below to show that 3 fifths and 9 fifteenths are
equivalent. Draw freehand; you need not measure and draw
accurately.

2. Complete these tables in the same way as the table in Example 2.

eighths sixteenths 24ths 24ths sixths twelfths 18ths

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9

3. (a) How much is five twelfths plus three twelfths? …………………………………..

(b) How much is five twelfths plus one quarter?.........................................................
(c) How much is five twelfths plus three quarters? ………………………………………
(d) How much is one third plus one quarter? It may help if you work with the
equivalent fractions in twelfths.

DAY 3
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Common Fractions
INTRODUCTION:
Different parts in different colours
This strip is divided into eight equal parts.
Five eighths of this strip is red.

Notation of fractions
• The number of parts in a fraction is called the numerator of the fraction. For
5
example, the numerator in 5 eighths is 5. (8)
• The type of part in a fraction is called the denominator. It is the name of the
parts that are being referred to and it is determined by the size of the part. For
5
example, eighths is the denominator in 5 eighths. (8)
numerator
To enumerate means “to 5
find the number of”. denominator
To denominate means “to 8
give a name to”.

Work through the examples below.

1. What part of the strip is blue?

2. What part of this strip is yellow?
3. What part of the strip is red?
4. What part of this strip is coloured blue and what part is coloured red?

Learners’ activities
Activity 1: Work through the examples below
1. (a) What part of this strip is blue, what part is red and what part is white?

(b) Express your answer differently with equivalent fractions.

2. A certain strip is not shown here. Two ninths of the strip is blue, and three ninths of
the strip is green. The rest of the strip is red. What part of the strip is red?
3. What part of the strip below is yellow, what part is blue, and what part is red?

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Common Fractions
CONSOLIDATION & HOMEWORK
CONSOLIDATION
The Notation of Fractions
• The number of parts in a fraction is called the numerator of the fraction. For
5
example, the numerator in 5 sixths is 5.
6
• The type of part in a fraction is called the denominator. It is the name of the
parts that are being referred to and it is determined by the size of the part.
5
For example, sixths is the denominator in 5 sixths.
6
• The numerator (number of parts) is written above the line of the fraction:
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟
…………………
…………………
• The denominator is indicated by a number written below the line: 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟
HOMEWORK:
3
1. Consider the fraction 3 quarters. It can be written as 4.
(a) Multiply both the numerator and the denominator by 2 to form a new fraction.
3
Is the new fraction equivalent to 4? You may
check on the diagram below.
…………………………………
…………………………………
(b) Multiply both the numerator and the denominator by 3 to form a new fraction.
3
Is the new fraction equivalent to 4?
(c) Multiply both the numerator and the denominator by 4 to form a new fraction.
3
Is the new fraction equivalent to 4?
(d) Multiply both the numerator and the denominator by 6 to form a new fraction.
3
Is the new fraction equivalent to 4?

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Common Fractions
 DAY 4
INTRODUCTION:

Combining fractions
Bigger and smaller parts
NOTE:
To compare and order fractions and to add or subtract fractions:
The denominator needs to be the same.
3 2
Different denominators: e.g. 4 + 6:
To make the denominators to be the same, you need to find the lowest common
multiple (LCM) in this case of 4 and 6.
Multiples: 4: 4; 8; 12; 16;
6: 6; 12; 18 The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12;
How to change the denominators to be the same:
Multiply the numerator and denominator with the same factor.
3 𝑥 3 9 2 𝑥 2 4
e.g. 4 = 12 + 6 = 12
𝑥 3 𝑥 2
Now that the denominators are the same, you can add:
9 4 13 1 1
+ = = 1 whole + =1
12 12 12 12 12

Look at the following examples: Same denominators:

Gertie was asked to solve this problem:
8 10
A team of road-builders built 12 km of road in one week, and 12 km in the next
week. What is the total length of road that they built in the two weeks?
She thought like this to solve the problem:
8 10
is eight twelfths and 12 is ten twelfths, so altogether it is eighteen twelfths.
12
18
I can write 12 or “18 twelfths”.
I can also say 12 twelfths of a km is 1 km, so 18 twelfths is 1 km and 6 twelfths of a km.
6 1
This I can write as 112. It is the same as 12 km.

5 7
Gertie was also asked the question: How much is 49 + 2 9?
She thought like this to answer it:
5 7
49 is 4 wholes and 5 ninths, and 29 is 2 wholes and 7 ninths.
So altogether it is 6 wholes and 12 ninths. But 12 ninths is 9 ninths (1 whole) and
3 ninths, so I can say it is 7 wholes and 3 ninths.
3
I can write 79.

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Common Fractions
Answer the following questions.
1
1. Would Gertie be wrong if she said her answer was 7 3?
7 5
2. Senthereng has 4 12 bottles of cooking oil. He gives 1 12 bottles to his friend Willem.
How much oil does Senthereng have left?
5 7
3. Margaret has 5 8 bottles of cooking oil. She gives 3 8 bottles to her friend Naledi.
How much oil does Margaret have left?
Learners’ activities
Activity 1: Work through the examples below.
Remember the LCM when the denominators are different.
1. Calculate each of the following:

2 6 6 3
(a) 4 7 − 3 7 (b) 3 7 + 7
6 4 3 4
(c) 3 7 + 1 5 (d) 4 8 − 2 5
3 2 5 1
(e) 110 − 3 (f) 3 10− 1 2
CONSOLIDATION: REMEMBER
• To compare and order fractions and to add or subtract fractions: The denominator
needs to be the same.
• To make the denominators to the same, you need to find the lowest common
multiple (LCM)
• How to change the denominators to the same:
Multiply the numerator and denominator with the same factor.
HOMEWORK: Complete the following activity in your classwork book.
1. Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
(a) 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8
5 5 5 5 5

2 1 1
(b) 6 5 + 2 4 - 2
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
(c) + 8 2. + 8 +8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + +8+8
8 8
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
(d) 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7 + 2 7
2 4 1
(e) (4 7 + 1 7) – 2 3
7 2 2 7
(f) (2 10 + 3 5) – (1 5 + 3 10 )

3
2. Neo’s report had five chapters. The first chapter was 4 of a page, the second
1 3
chapter was 2 2 pages, the third chapter was 3 4 pages, the fourth chapter was 3
1
pages and the fifth chapter was 1 2 pages. How many pages was Neo’s report in
total?

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Common Fractions
 DAY 5
INTRODUCTION:

Work through the activity below.

Tenths and hundredths (percentages)

1. (a) 100 children each get 3 biscuits. How many biscuits is this in total?
(b) 500 sweets are shared equally between 100 children. How many sweets does
each child get?
2. The picture below shows a strip of liquorice. The very small pieces can easily be
broken off on the thin lines. How many very small pieces are shown on the picture?

3. Gatsha runs a spaza shop. He sells strips of liquorice like the above for R2 each.
(a) What is the cost of one very small piece of liquorice, when you buy from Gatsha?
(b) Jonathan wants to buy one fifth of a strip of liquorice. How much should he pay?
(c) Batseba eats 25 very small pieces. What part of a whole strip of liquorice is this?
Each small piece of the
above strip is one hundredth
of the whole strip.

4. (a) Why can each small piece be called one hundredth of the whole strip?
(b) How many hundredths is the same as one tenth of the strip?
Another word for hundredth is per cent. Instead
of saying Miriam received 32 hundredths of a
liquorice strip, we can say Miriam received 32
per cent of a liquorice strip. The symbol for per
cent is %.

Percentages:
e.g. Susan received 6 marks out of 10 for the quiz. What percentage did she achieve
for the test?
6 𝑥 10 60
= = 60% To find the percentage of a fraction, the denominator needs to be
10 𝑥 10 100
changed to ‘100’. In the example we multiplied by 10 because 10 x 10 = 100

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Common Fractions
 16
If the marks were out of 25, e.g. 25 then you multiply by 4 because 4 x 25 = 100,
16 𝑥 4 64
hence, 25 = 100 = 64%
𝑥 4

Learners’ activities
Complete the following activity in your classwork book.
Gatsha often sells parts of liquorice strips to customers. He uses a “quarters marker”
and a “fifths marker” to cut off the pieces correctly from full strips. His two markers are
shown below, next to a full strip of liquorice.

1. (a) How many hundredths is the same as two fifths of the whole strip?
2
(b) How many tenths is the same as 5 of the whole strip?
3
(c) How many hundredths is the same as 4 of the whole strip?
60
(d) Freddie bought 100 of a strip. How many fifths of a strip is this?
(e) Jamey bought part of a strip for R1,60. What part of a strip did she buy?

2. Gatsha, the owner of the spaza shop, sold pieces of yellow liquorice to different
children. Their pieces are shown below.
How much (what part of a whole strip) did each of them get?

3. The yellow liquorice shown above costs R2,40 (240 cents) for a strip. How much
does each of the children have to pay? Round off the amounts to the nearest cent.

CONSOLIDATION:
• Another word for hundredth is per cent. Instead of saying Miriam received 32
hundredths of a liquorice strip, we can say Miriam received 32 per cent of a
liquorice strip. The symbol for per cent is %.
• To find the percentage of a fraction, the denominator needs to be changed to
‘100’.

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Common Fractions
HOMEWORK:
Complete the following activity in your classwork book.
1
1. (a) How much is 100 of 300 cents?
7
(b) How much is 100 of 300 cents?
25
(c) How much is 100 of 300 cents?
1
(d) How much is 4 of 300 cents?
40
(e) How much is of 300 cents?
100
2
(f) How much is 5 of 300 cents?
2. Explain why your answers for questions 1(e) and 1(f) are the same.
3. How much is 80% of each of the following?
(a) R500
(b) R480
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Common Fractions
(c) R850
(d) R2 400
4. How much is 8% of each of the amounts in 3 (a), (b), (c) and (d)?
5. How much is 15% of each of the amounts in 3(a), (b), (c) and (d)?
6. Building costs of houses increased by 20%. What is the new building cost for a house
that previously cost R110 000 to build?
7. The value of a car decreases by 30% after one year. If the price of a new car is
R125 000, what is the value of the car after one year?

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Common Fractions
 MEMORANDUM
DAY 1
LESSON DEVELOPMENT
Example 1:
Answers
1. Yes
2. one and five sixths of a greystick
3. (a) fifths (b) sixths
(c) eighths (d) ninths
(e) tenths (f) twelfths
(g) fifteenths (h) sixteenths
(i) eighteenths (j) twentieths
(k) twenty-firsts (l) twenty-seconds
(m) twenty-fourths (n) twenty-fifths
Learners’ activities
Activity 1
1. 4. (a) one and seven twelfths
(b) one and fourteen twenty-fourths
2. (a) one and ten twelfths of a greystick/one and five sixths of a greystick
(b) one and three sixths/one and twelve twenty-fourths of a greystick
3. (a) two twelfths
(b) four twenty-fourths
(c) fourteen twenty-fourths
HOMEWORK
1. (a) one and eight tenths of a greystick
(b) one and four fifths of a greystick
(c) one and seven tenths of a greystick/one and fourteen twentieths of a greystick
(d) one and three fifths of a greystick/one and twelve twentieths of a Greystick
2. (a) three fifths (b) three fourths (or three quarters)
DAY 2
1. (a) one eighteenth
(b) three eighteenths
(c) six eighteenths
(d) fifteen eighteenths

2. (a) Sample answer, based on the abovementioned greysticks: nine twelfths;

twelve sixteenths; fifteen twentieths; eighteen twenty-fourths
(b) eight twelfths and sixteen twenty-fourths
Learners’ activities
Activity 1

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Common Fractions
Example 1:
thirds fourths fifths sixths eighths ninths tenths twelfths twentieths
1 2 - 3 - 4 -
2 - - 4 - 6 - 8 -
- 3 6 - 9 15
- - 1 2 - 4
- - 2 4 - 8
- - 3 6 - 12
- - 4 8 - 16

Example 2:
fifths tenths fifteenths twentieths Twenty-fifths fiftieths hundredths
1 2 3 4 5 10 20
2 4 6 8 10 20 40
3 6 9 12 15 30 60
4 8 12 16 20 40 80
5 10 15 20 25 50 100
6 12 18 24 30 60 120
7 14 21 28 35 70 140
HOMEWORK
1.

2.
eighths sixteenths 24ths 24ths sixths twelfths 18ths
1 2 3 4 1 2 3
2 4 6 8 2 4 6
3 6 9 12 3 6 9
4 8 12 16 4 8 12
5 10 15 20 5 10 15
6 12 18 24 6 12 18
7 14 21 28 7 14 21
8 16 24 32 8 16 24
9 18 27 36 9 18 27

3. (a) eight twelfths (b) eight twelfths

(c) fourteen twelfths
(d) seven twelfths (one third = four twelfths; one quarter = three twelfths)

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Common Fractions
 DAY 3
INTRODUCTION
Work through the examples below:
1. three eighths
2. three fifths
3. two fifths
4. Two tenths is blue and eight tenths is red.

Learners’ activities
Activity 1

1. (a) Four twentieths is blue; ten twentieths is red; five twentieths is white
(b) Sample answer: one fifth is blue; one half is red; one quarter is white
2. four ninths
3. yellow: three twenty-fourths; blue: fifteen twenty-fourths; red: six twenty-fourths
HOMEWORK
1.

DAY 4
INTRODUCTION
Answer the following questions

1 3 1 3
1. No. 7 3 is equivalent to 79. (3 s in its simplest form)
9
2 1
2. 3 12 or 3 6
5 7 13 7 6 3
3. 5 8 - 3 8 = 4 -38 =18=14
8

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Common Fractions
 Learners’ activities
Activity 1

3
1. (a) 7
2
(b) 4 7
30 28 58 23
(c) LCM: 35: 335 + 1 35 = 435 = 5 335
15 32 55 32 23
(d) LCM: 40: 4 40 – 2 40 = 3 40 - 2 40 = 1 40
9 20 39 20 19
(e) LCM: 30:1 30 - = 30 - 30 = 30
30
5 5
(f) LCM: 10: 3 −1 =2
10 10

HOMEWORK:
25 1
1. (a) =38
8
8 5 10 3
(b) LCM: 20: 6 20 + 2 20 - 20 = 8 20
65 1
(c) LCM: 8: =88
8
32 4
(d) LCM: 7: 16 = 20 7
7
6 1 18 7 11
(e) LCM: 21: 57 – 23 = 5 21 – 21 = 3 21

(f) LCM: 10: (10 +

27 34 14 37 61 51 10
) − (10 + 10 ) = 10 − 10 = 10 = 1
10

2.

DAY 5
INTRODUCTION
1. (a) 100 × 3 biscuits = 300 biscuits
(b) 500 sweets ÷ 100 = 5 sweets
2. 10 × 10 = 100
3. (a) R2 ÷ 100 = 2c
(b) R2 ÷ 5 = 40c
25 1
c) 100 or 4
4. (a) Because the strip is divided into 100 pieces of equal size.
(b) ten hundredths

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Common Fractions
 Learners’ activities
1. (a) 40 hundredths (b) four tenths
(c) 75 hundredths (d) three fifths (e) 80 hundredths

2. Gabieba: 27 hundredths Miriam: 32 hundredths

Sannie: 28 hundredths Enoch: 20 hundredths
Mpati: 30 hundredths Mpho: 33 hundredths

3. Gabieba: 65c Miriam: 77c

Sannie: 67c Enoch: 48c
Mpati: 72c Mpho: 79c
HOMEWORK
1. (a) 300c ÷ 100 = 3c
(b) 7 × 3c = 21c
(c) 25 × 3c = 75c
(d) 300 ÷ 4 = 75c
(e) 40 × 3c = 120c or R1,20
1 2
(f) 5 of 300c = 60c so 5 = 120c or R1,20
40 2
2. Because 100 and are equivalent fractions.
5
3. (a) R400 (b) R384 (c) R680 (d) R1 920
4. (a) R40 (b) R38,40 (c) R68 (d) R192
5. (a) R75 (b) R72 (c) R127,50 (d) R360
6. R110 000 + (20% of R110 000) = R110 000 + R22 000 = R132 000
7. R125 000 − (30% of 125 000) = R125 000 − R37 500 = R87 500

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Common Fractions