Partitioning Shapes into Halves & Fourths — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Sam cuts a square into 2 parts, one is bigger. Does it show halves?
A) Yes, 2 parts
B) No, parts not equal
C) Yes, it is square
D) No, squares cant be cut
Sam's 2 parts are not halves because one is bigger, and halves must be exactly the same size.
2. Which statement about fourths is true?
A) 2 equal parts
B) 3 equal parts
C) 4 equal parts
D) 5 equal parts
Fourths means 4 equal parts because the word "fourth" comes from the number four, and each piece must be the same size.
3. A circle split into halves. How many equal parts?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
Halves always have 2 equal parts because "half" is the name for 1 out of 2 equal pieces of a shape.
4. Which is larger: one half or one fourth of the same cookie?
A) One fourth
B) Same
C) One half
D) Neither
One half is larger because cutting the cookie into 2 pieces makes bigger pieces than cutting it into 4 pieces.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Partitioning means splitting a shape into equal parts.
Partitioning always means equal parts, because halves and fourths need pieces that are exactly the same size.
2. One fourth is also called one quarter.
"Quarter" is another name for one fourth, like a quarter coin is 1 of 4 equal parts of a dollar.
3. Shade 2 of 4 equal parts = shade one half.
Shading 2 out of 4 equal parts covers the same amount as 1 out of 2 parts, so it equals one half.
4. A whole shape has no parts missing.
A whole means the shape is complete, so no parts are missing — all the pieces are there.
5. Four equal parts of a rectangle are four fourths.
Four equal parts of any shape are called fourths, because each piece is 1 of 4 equal pieces.