Free lab · Math · Grades 4-6

Is one sixth bigger than one fourth? A free fraction repair lab

Short answer. With wholes of the same size, no: one fourth is greater than one sixth, because more equal parts make smaller pieces. The Fraction Repair Lab lets students predict, change the model, explain and then try a fresh check. It is one free 10-15 minute lesson on one idea, with no sign-in.

What the lesson does

  • Predict: students say whether one sixth is bigger than one fourth before touching the model.
  • Test equal wholes: keep both wholes the same size and change the number of equal parts. One third is greater than one fourth because fewer equal parts make larger pieces.
  • Change the whole: when one strip's whole is twice as long as the other, one sixth of the longer strip can be longer than one fourth of the shorter one. Compare actual lengths when the wholes differ; the numerical fact that one fourth is greater than one sixth does not change.
  • Explain: students can speak, sketch or type; listen for the reason, not just the answer.
  • Fresh check: with same-sized wholes, which is greater, one third or one fifth?

How to use it in class

It runs on one device or a projector and takes 10 to 15 minutes. Choose a route from the student's actual work, predict first, let students test the model, then ask them to explain before revealing an example. Finish with two fresh questions and listen to the reasoning. A correct click alone does not demonstrate understanding.

There is no dragging and no timer, so it works with keyboard or touch. Read the questions aloud, allow an oral explanation, or have students sketch the strip models on paper. There is also a 42-second silent walkthrough with on-screen text and a full transcript.

When you need more than one lesson

The free lab explores one idea: unit-fraction size and reference wholes. The Fraction Diagnostic & Repair Lab is a separate product for Grades 4-6 with a 20-item screener across ten pathways, ten matched micro-lessons, 30 four-task probes, Quick Check Forms A and B, teacher keys, 47 editable teaching slides and two Excel workbooks for tracking and grouping, plus the three Fraction Repair Lab lessons (unit size, equivalence and addition) and a nine-page paper lesson pack. Its product page shows the price, the preview pages and the licence.

Honest limits

  • Classroom practice, not a standardized assessment. A correct click alone does not show understanding.
  • Answers stay in the open page: the activity does not send them to a server or save them automatically. Download the lab notes before closing or refreshing.
  • The free lab covers unit-fraction meaning only; it is not the full diagnostic and does not group students for you.

Questions teachers ask

Is one sixth bigger than one fourth?

Not when the wholes are the same size: one fourth is greater than one sixth because more equal parts make smaller pieces. If the wholes differ in size, compare the actual lengths; that does not change the numerical fact.

How long does the Fraction Repair Lab take?

One lesson takes 10 to 15 minutes on one device or a projector.

Does the lab need an account, and does it save student work?

No account or purchase is needed. Answers stay in the open page and are not sent to a server; students can download their lab notes before closing the page.

Is the Fraction Repair Lab an assessment?

No. It is classroom reasoning practice. The notes support a conversation and are not a grade.

What is in the full Fraction Diagnostic & Repair Lab?

A 20-item screener across ten pathways, ten matched micro-lessons, 30 four-task probes, Quick Check Forms A and B, teacher keys, editable slides, two Excel workbooks and the three lab lessons. See the product page for the exact contents.

Where to go next

Sources

  • The lab page itself (/fraction-repair-lab/), including the teacher start text, the access notes and the full walkthrough transcript. Opened on 12 October 2026.
  • The Fraction Diagnostic & Repair Lab product page (/store/products/17522396): contents, formats and limits as published there. Opened on 12 October 2026.

Reviewed 12 October 2026.