Here are three fraction cards, all mixed up: three quarters, one quarter and one half. Where would each one go on a line from smallest to largest? Which one would you be sure about straight away, and which one would you have to think about?

Watch the number line from 0 to 1. Each fraction sits at a point along it, so the one furthest to the left is smallest and the one furthest to the right is largest. Keep your eye on one half in the middle: it splits the line so you can tell at a glance whether a fraction is small or large.

Look at the last one: notice how a fraction bigger than one half always lands to the right of the middle.

Today we work through these sets together on the number line, ordering each one from smallest to largest: first one quarter, three quarters, one half; then one fifth, four fifths, two fifths; then one third, two thirds, one half; and finally the tricky one, one quarter, one third, one half. Drag a marker onto each fraction, then read the line from left to right to check the order.

Today we place each fraction on the line to build the order, one at a time: one quarter, then one half, then three quarters; next one fifth, then two fifths, then four fifths; next one third, then one half, then five sixths; and finally four mixed fractions to line up in order. Drag your marker to the fraction and tap Check.