3rd Grade Shapes Cut into Equal Parts Worksheet: Tick the Fair Cuts

Before a shape can show a fraction, its parts must all be the same size. This 3rd grade shapes cut into equal parts worksheet has five rows of four shapes on grid paper. One or more straight lines cross each shape and split it into two, three, four or even eight parts. There are circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, hexagons, an octagon and stars, and even a cone, so your child meets many kinds of shapes. Next to each shape, a small blue box waits for a tick. Your child ticks only the shapes divided into equal parts. Some shapes look fair at first, but one part is bigger than the others when you look at them closely. Page two shows the right ticks in red.

Which shapes are fair?

The key ticks ten shapes. In row 1, they are the octagon and the square cut in four. Row 2 has the star, the triangle and the circle cut on its middle line. Row 3 has the hexagon and the big star with an X across it. In row 4, the key ticks only the circle in eight parts. Row 5 has the star cut down its middle and the rectangle in four. All the ticks are right.

The tricky ones are worth a look. The line in the first circle sits above its middle, so its two parts are not equal, even though the shape looks neat. The rectangle in row 3 has a middle part that is too thin. Equal parts are the base of early fractions, so this page is a good start for the school year.

At the table: fold or trace

For a doubtful shape, your child can trace it on thin paper and cut out the parts. Then they lay one part over the other. If the parts match, they are equal. This test works better than guessing, because our eyes can easily fool us with shapes like stars and long triangles.

The page has two small slips. The fifth row shows the number "4." a second time, so you may want to write 5 instead. On page two, the long triangle of row 1 looks a little different, but the answer stays the same.

After the page: fair slices

At snack time, cut a sandwich into two parts, once fairly and once not. Then ask your child which plate is fair, and why. Next, let your child cut an apple into four equal parts. Finally, check the twenty shapes with the answer key on page two.