Program Information

NASA Kids Science News segment explaining why we need fractions.

NASA Kids Science News Network™ is a news-style standards-based program that uses the Web, animation, and video to introduce science, technology, engineering, math, and NASA concepts. NASA's KSNN™ uses animated characters (grades K-2) and Web and video technology (grades 3-5) to explain everyday phenomena of our world, correct misconceptions, and answer frequently asked questions.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Jared with more
KSNN math news you can use.

Why do we need fractions?

Fractions help us figure out
how many pieces are in a whole.

Speaking of pieces, can I have
a piece of that candy bar?

Do you want 1/4 of the candy bar
or 1/3?

Which gives me more candy?

Let's figure it out!

Think about a pizza.

Cut one pizza into four pieces.

Cut another pizza
into three pieces.

Which pizza has bigger pieces?

Oh, that shows me that I want
1/3 of the candy bar.

Fractions are the same no matter
what you divide into pieces.

It's really easy to understand
fractions when you can eat them.

To learn even more about
fractions, visit our website.

Until next time, I'm Jared
with cool math news you can use.

Virginia Standards