Grade 4 Maths · Number strand B
Use the 3×3 crafting grid to see how the same portion can be written as different fractions — and prove when two recipes are really the same.
Section 1 · Representing fractions
By the end of this section I can name a fraction shown on a 3×3 crafting grid — so I can read any recipe as a fraction of the whole bench.
Tick each one when you can do it without help.
A Minecraft crafting bench is a 3 × 3 grid — exactly 9 cells. Whatever you place on the bench is a fraction of those 9 cells.
On a full crafting bench the denominator is always 9, because there are 9 equal cells. If you fill 4 of them, the recipe uses 4/9 of the bench.
Interactive · tap cells to fill the crafting bench
Tap a cell to place an item, tap again to remove it. The fraction updates live.
Check yourself
A recipe fills 3 cells of the crafting bench. Write the fraction, then simplify it. Give your answer in simplest form: ?/9 → ?/?
A recipe fills 6 cells. Write the fraction of the bench used (do not simplify): ?/9
Sometimes you do not use the full bench. If a recipe only needs the top row (3 cells of a 3-cell strip), that is 3 cells used out of 3 — but if we view the whole bench, those same 3 cells are 3/9. Same shaded part, two names.
Check yourself
Two columns of the bench are filled. What bench fraction is that? Then simplify. Write the simplest form: ?/?
Section 2 · Equivalence
By the end of this section I can prove two fractions are equivalent by scaling or simplifying — so I can swap recipes that use the same portion.
Tick each one when you can do it without help.
Two fractions are equivalent if they name the same amount. You can build an equivalent fraction by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same whole number.
So 1/2 × 3 = 3/6 and 1/2 × 4 = 4/8. All three fill the same share of the whole.
Interactive · build equivalent fractions on two grids
The left grid shows your fraction. The right grid shows it scaled by 2. If both grids shade the same share, the fractions are equivalent.
Check yourself
Scale 3/4 up by 2. Write the equivalent fraction: ?/8
Scale 2/3 up by 2. Write the equivalent fraction: ?/6
Scaling down (simplifying) is the reverse: divide the numerator and denominator by the same number. If two fractions both simplify to the same simplest form, they are equivalent.
Check yourself
Simplify 4/8 to its simplest form: ?/?
Simplify 8/12 to its simplest form: ?/?
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