The purpose of this Warm-up is to elicit the idea that the size and the number of unit fractions can help us compare fractions. Students can see that the two diagrams have the same-size parts, but they cannot see how much of one diagram is shaded, prompting them to think about the number of shaded parts. While students may notice and wonder many things about these images, what fractions could be represented by the partially hidden strip is the important discussion point.

• “How many parts could be shaded on the top strip? Could less than be shaded? Could more than be shaded?” (If 2 parts are shaded, that's , which is less than . If 3 parts are shaded, that's . If the whole strip is shaded, that's , which is more than .)

The purpose of this activity is for students to compare two fractions with the same denominator. Students may use any representation to reason how the size or the length of the parts in the two fractions are the same because the denominator is the same, but that there are different numbers of those parts because the numerators are different (MP2). Students also are reminded about the meanings of the symbols > and <.

The purpose of this activity is for students to practice comparing fractions with the same denominator while playing a game. Students spin a spinner for the numerator of their fractions, and then locate and label the fractions on a number line to determine which fraction is greater.