The total length of the banner is B=3 feet.
The pieces of paper are of P=9 inches long per piece.
Then we can calculate the amount of pieces of paper dividing B by P as:
The banner, in inches, is equal to 3*12 = 36 inches long. Divided by 9 inches per paper, 36/9 = 4 pieces are needed.
Answer: 4 pieces of paper.