Thousands Around Us Class 4 Maths Chapter 5 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Understanding how we share and measure things in parts and wholes is an important concept in mathematics. This chapter explores fractions such as halves, quarters, and other equal parts using real-life situations like sharing paper for drawing, dividing food, and designing gardens. Children learn how dividing an object into equal sections helps everyone get a fair share, and how these portions are named using special words and numbers called fractions.

For example, if a single drawing sheet needs to be shared between two people, it can be divided into two equal parts called halves. If each person gets one half, both get an equal portion. Sometimes, it may seem like taking two quarters is more than one half, but in fact, both are the same because two quarters make one half. This shows that two quarters (2/4) and one half (1/2) are equivalent.

When we split a shape or object into two equal parts, each segment is known as a half. In mathematics, a half is written as $\frac{1}{2}$. Similarly, if something is divided into four equal pieces, each part is called a quarter or $\frac{1}{4}$. These fractions show us how a whole can be separated into smaller, but equal, pieces. We can practice this by folding or drawing lines on shapes to create halves and quarters.

There are different ways to make halves and quarters from rectangles. For example, a rectangular piece of paper can be folded or cut along its length or width to form two equal halves. To make quarters, fold the paper in half and then each half again. Try exploring multiple ways to divide objects to strengthen your understanding of fractions.

Imagine sharing a snack like a dhokla. If two friends share it equally, each gets $\frac{1}{2}$ of the whole. If three friends share it, each gets $\frac{1}{3}$. As more friends join, each person’s share becomes smaller. This teaches us that the more parts we divide something into, the smaller each part gets. For instance, dividing a dhokla among four people means each gets $\frac{1}{4}$, and among five people, each gets $\frac{1}{5}$.

A simple table below shows how the number of people affects the size of each piece:

This pattern continues for any large group: the bigger the group, the smaller each share.

To compare how big or small parts are, a fraction kit can be used. Pieces like $\frac{1}{2}$, $\frac{1}{3}$, $\frac{1}{4}$, and others can be joined together to make a whole or to see which piece is larger or smaller. For example, five pieces of $\frac{1}{5}$ added together form a complete whole $(\frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5} = 1)$. Comparing $\frac{1}{4}$ and $\frac{1}{5}$, we find that ¼ is larger than $\frac{1}{5}$ because the more pieces we split something into, the smaller one piece becomes.

Exercises with a fraction kit help us see that joining smaller fractions makes a bigger part, and breaking parts further gives smaller fractions.

Fractions are everywhere! Dividing a box of 16 barfis into four equal groups helps us learn that each part is $\frac{1}{4}$ or four barfis. When planting seeds in a garden, splitting it into five equal sections means each flower type gets $\frac{1}{5}$, and if some sections combine, the fraction increases, like $\frac{2}{5}$ or $\frac{3}{5}$.

• A dosa with four different toppings can have each quarter assigned a special flavor.
• Colouring $\frac{1}{4}$ of 8 diyas means colouring 2 out of 8.
• Dividing cookies among 6 friends gives each friend 2 cookies, which is $\frac{2}{12}$ or $\frac{1}{6}$ of the total.

These examples make fractions useful in real situations, not just maths exercises.

Folding paper is a fun way to find and compare new fractions. Start by folding into two or three equal parts, then fold again to see how the size of the shaded part changes. If we fold a paper to show $\frac{1}{2}$ and fold again, we get $\frac{1}{4}$, then $\frac{1}{8}$ and so on. We also discover interesting facts, like two $\frac{1}{4}$ pieces together make $\frac{1}{2}$. Comparing fractions like $\frac{2}{3}$ and $\frac{1}{2}$ or $\frac{1}{6}$ and $\frac{1}{8}$ helps us see which is bigger and how many pieces make a whole.

Shapes can be divided and shaded to show different fractions. For instance, splitting a square and shading two out of three equal parts means we have $\frac{2}{3}$ shaded. Activities involve checking if pieces are equal, writing the fraction for a shaded part, or correcting mistakes when pieces are not identical in size.

1. Splitting objects or diagrams into equal parts and expressing shaded regions as fractions like $\frac{1}{3}$, $\frac{3}{4}$, or $\frac{2}{5}$.
2. Matching shaded areas with the corresponding fraction of the whole shape.
3. Exploring with different numbers, for example, dividing a ribbon into one-fourth or colouring ⅕ of the given pots.

In summary, fractions like halves, quarters, and fifths help us in everyday sharing, measuring, and dividing objects or collections fairly. Practicing these ideas with shapes, stories, objects, and activities makes fractions easy to learn and fun to use.

Class 4 Maths Chapter 5 Notes – Sharing and Measuring: Parts and Wholes Revision Key Points

These Class 4 Maths Chapter 5 notes simplify fractions using real examples like sharing paper, food, and gardens. Students can quickly revise concepts such as halves, quarters, and how fractions work in daily life. Clear explanations make understanding parts and wholes easy and fun.

With step-by-step comparisons and hands-on activities, these notes help students grasp how to divide, share, and identify fractions visually. Ideal for CBSE Class 4 Maths revision, these pointers support quick learning and build strong basics for higher classes.