Equivalent Fractions: Bar Models

Equivalent fractions bar model worksheet that makes equivalence visible before it becomes a rule. Each problem starts with a short story and a pre-shaded bar. Students shade exactly the same amount in two more bars with different denominators, then write both equivalent fractions, seeing that the amount stays the same while the number of parts changes.

What's inside (3 student pages, 6 problems)

• Page 1: 1/2 of a sandwich in fourths and eighths; 2/3 of a fence in sixths and ninths.
• Page 2: 3/4 of a mile in eighths and twelfths; 1/3 of a book in sixths and twelfths.
• Page 3 – Scale down: 6/8 of a pizza in fourths and twelfths; 4/6 of a ribbon in thirds and twelfths. Students discover that equivalent fractions can also have fewer, larger parts.

Standards: CCSS 4.NF.A.1 (explain why fractions are equivalent using visual models, denominators through 12) and CCSS 3.NF.A.3.B (recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions) for the problems using halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths.

Why teachers love it: Every problem follows the same shade → shade → write routine, so students focus on the math, not the directions. The mix of scaling up and scaling down builds toward simplifying fractions. Works for introduction, centers, or intervention. Print-and-go.