Fraction Fiction Numberjacks

# In an ordinary sofa in an ordinary room

# There are extraordinary heroes who are standing by to zoom

# To wherever they are needed They are speeding out today

# The Numberjacks are on their way

# They will help you with your problems

# They are waiting for your call

# No problem is too big for them

# No problem is too small

# Things may all be going wrong but you can bet it's not for long

# The Numberjacks are on their way

# The Numberjacks are on their way! #

Is it all right for us to play with your Buddy Blocks, Five?

Yes. Look after them and give them a good time.

They will -

with me singing to them!

-# La-la la-la. #

-I was thinking, Three,

I could take them to see the wires for the launcher.

My songs are lovely.

My wires are brown.

A little song? Very musical?

Brown wires? Some of them quite thick?

Oh, you're confusing them, Four.

They obviously want to be entertained -

by me!

I'll tell you what, Three.

We could share the Buddy Blocks.

I want them all to play with me.

That's not fair. We ought to share them.

One for me...

..and one for me.

One for me...

..and one for me.

One for me...

-Oh!

-That's not fair.

If you have that Buddy Block, there won't be one for me

and we won't both have the same number.

I'd better have it.

I don't think you're being fair.

Me? I'm the fairest person there has ever been!

I don't think so.

I could get a prize for being fair.

A prize for being loud!

"Numberjack Three - the fairest person in the world!"

Argh! They're going!

They've gone.

That's because you weren't very interesting.

No, we were arguing over sharing them out and they got bored.

And now we haven't got any Buddy Blocks to play with.

BLEEPING

Come on!

We have an agent calling in.

Hello! Agent 12 here.

-What's your report?

-Things are going wrong.

But not for long.

Two children are arguing over a ball.

Putting it on screen.

They both want to have it all to themselves.

-It's very bad to argue.

-Yes, Three!

And I have a feeling things are going to go very wrong.

OK. We're sending someone out.

Thank you.

-Can I go? Please?

-Why?

Because I'm very good at sorting out arguments.

Duh!

-Well, OK then.

-Yes!

Get ready to launch, Numberjack Three -

who says she's the fairest person in the world.

# Hey! Hey!

# We've got a problem What shall we do?

# Who's going out there? Who do we choose?

# We need to get out there Who will it be?

# Who's going out there?

# Number Three! #

Yes, it's me, me, me!

-Good luck, Three.

-Ready for launch.

-Checking the room's empty.

All clear! Let's go!

Finding a three to land on...

Got a three!

-All right, Three?

-Yes.

Let me go and sort out arguments everywhere.

More problems.

Agent 44 here. There are problems at the garden centre.

On screen.

THEY GRUNT

Why is everyone arguing today?

More arguing. Look at these girls.

All three want the hula hoop for themselves.

Three, you've got a lot of work to do.

Don't worry, I can sort things out.

Oh!

That bucket is no use to either of them in two bits.

Watch out for the hoop.

They won't be able to do much now the hoop is in three bits.

The arguing about the footballs is even worse.

There are four children now, but I'm sure I can sort it.

Or maybe not.

The ball is in four pieces. They got a piece,

but those bits are no good to play with.

What's happening?

Every time the thing ends up in pieces.

Two bits of bucket - one bit each.

Three bits of hoop and four pieces of ball.

One piece each for the children.

The same number of bits as people.

Someone or something is doing this.

The bits are all very funny shapes.

And I think I know who could be doing it.

Ha-ha-ha!

Yes - the Shape Japer.

On screen.

# It looks like the Shape Japer is back

# Shape Japer She's really very strange

# Shape Japer She loves to make things change

# Changing faces Changing sides

# Changing shapes Every single time

# Changing shapes is the Japer's game

# The Shape Japer's back again. #

SHE LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY

Oh dear. If the Shape Japer keeps on dividing things up

and making them useless, anything could happen.

If two children on a see-saw wanted half of it each,

the two halves they got wouldn't be any good at all.

And if three children argued over whose skipping rope it was,

a third of the rope each isn't as much fun to play with.

And if four people argued about who was going to have a bath,

a quarter of a bath doesn't do anyone any good.

Ha-ha-ha!

Come on. We need some Brain Gain to get these things sorted out.

OK. I'll get the Brain Gain machine going.

We'll put the things back together again.

Maybe people will stop arguing.

# Brain Gain, Brain Gain To solve the problem, use our brain

# Get your brains all linking up together, joined up thinking... #

Getting brain power now. Brain Gain!

Brain Gain to put things back together again.

Making things whole again.

Sending Brain Gain.

Make it a whole ball again.

It's a whole ball! >

And the children are playing together.

A whole hoop.

And the children are playing together.

The bucket is whole again.

And the gardeners are both using it.

I said I could stop everyone arguing!

I'm just that sort of person.

I just like to make everybody happy.

Maybe there's more work for you to do, Three.

Oh, no!

They're arguing over an apple now.

We've got the stop the apple dividing into two pieces.

Wait a minute. Maybe it'll be all right.

-What do you mean?

-This time, let the Shape Japer split it into two.

OK. Let's see.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

BOTH: Oh!

Mm!

Wow! Sometimes, things are fine when they're divided in two.

They can share the apple. Half each.

-Daaaarrgh!

-See, Japer, sometimes, you don't cause trouble.

-There could be trouble in the garden.

-Or maybe there won't.

Pizza's ready.

Thank you very much.

Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!

Is it going to be all right, this time?

Yes! Three people, three pieces,

one third each.

Mm.

Daaaaaaaargh!

Yes, sometimes it's fine for things to be split into parts.

-Sometimes, fractions are fine.

-More problems with fractions.

Will they argue about sharing the chocolates?

OK, so far.

Oh, they might argue now.

Ha-ha-ha!

You think you're causing problems.

Daargh-ha-ha!

Well, you're not.

They've each got one whole chocolate,

and a quarter of a chocolate.

That fraction of a chocolate is fine.

It's those gardeners again.

Will they share them out all right?

They've got one orange each.

They've got two each.

-Daaargh!

-They've two and a half each.

Naaarh! Aargh!

You can't cause trouble any more, Shape Japer.

The fractions are fine.

But she might make more problems

with things that don't work as fractions.

I expect the Shape Japer wouldn't work very well as fractions.

Well, let's find out.

Sending Brain Gain to divide the Shape Japer into two.

Eaaargh! Aaaaargh!

Two halves!

Oh, no! She's whole again!

Brain Gain to divide into three pieces, into thirds.

Aaaaaargh!

Aaargh!

Aaargh!

Whole again!

Divide into quarters!

Eeeeargh!

Aaargh!

Aaargh! Aaargh!

Did it!

She'll be back causing trouble again.

Till then, come back, Number Three.

ALL: One, two, three!

Well done, Three.

All the arguing stopped in the end.

Even if it wasn't thanks to me!

Got it all on screen for you to see.

Half a bucket was no good.

Nor was a third of a hoop.

And a quarter of a ball is no good either.

The Shape Japer divided things into useless fractions.

But some fractions are fine. Half an apple is great.

So is a third of a pizza each.

And one and a quarter chocolates.

Or two and a half oranges.

-We got rid of the Shape Japer by turning her into fractions.

-Halves!

-Thirds!

-Quarters.

We can't share these by having two and a half each.

But we could share them this way.

You play with them first and I play with them later.

I'd like to play all together.

The Buddy Blocks are playing with us!

-We can sit and watch them dancing.

-Yeah!

What things are still useful when you split them into fractions?

And what things aren't useful?

Think about it and call the Numberjacks.

# The Numberjacks are on their way

# The Numberjacks are on their way. #

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd