Understand that decomposing a shape into more equal shares creates smaller shares
You already know how to cut a shape into halves and fourths. Now watch what happens when the same shape is cut into more equal shares. The shape never grows, so every extra cut makes each piece smaller.
Leo and Mia split a square herb bed into 4 equal parts, one herb in each part. Then they want 8 herbs in the same bed, so they mark 8 equal rows instead. The bed did not get any bigger, so each row is thinner than the 4 parts were.
Here is the rule: cutting a shape into more equal shares always makes each share smaller, as long as the whole shape stays the same size.
The more equal shares a shape is cut into, the smaller each share becomes, so a fourth is always smaller than a half of the same shape.
At Meadow Lane you cut the square herb bed into 4 equal parts last time. One part each for mint, parsley, chives and thyme.
Leo wants 8 herbs in the same bed, so he marks 8 equal rows instead. What happens to each row?
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