Halves and Quarters — Year 2 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: Mathematics — Number: fractions — recognise, find, name and write fractions ½, ¼, 2/4, ¾ of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity — Year 2
Overview
Pupils develop their understanding of halves and quarters as equal parts of a shape or a set of objects. They learn that fractions must be equal parts, find halves and quarters of shapes and quantities, and begin to relate these to simple equivalence (two quarters = one half).
Learning Objectives
- Recognise that a half is one of two equal parts and a quarter is one of four equal parts.
- Find halves and quarters of shapes by dividing into equal parts.
- Find half and a quarter of a set of objects.
- Recognise that two quarters are equivalent to one half.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Fold a paper rectangle in half. Ask: are both parts the same size? Fold into quarters. Are all four parts equal? Establish: fractions must be equal parts — an unequal cut is not a half.
Introduce ½ and ¼ notation. Model finding half of a shape (fold and shade), half of a group (share 8 into 2 equal groups = 4 each). Extend to quarters. Show equivalence: fold the half in half again to show 2/4 = 1/2 on the same paper.
Pupils shade half and quarter of given shapes, then find half and a quarter of sets of objects (e.g. 12 counters). Record using fraction notation.
Pupils complete a halves and quarters activity: identify whether shapes are correctly halved, find half and quarter of amounts up to 20, and explain why 2/4 = 1/2 using a diagram.
Show a shape divided unequally and labelled 'half'. Ask: is this correct? Pupils explain using the language of equal parts.
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils accept unequal cuts as halves because the piece 'looks about right' — stress equal parts rigorously.
- Thinking that ¼ must always look like a square quarter of a circle — show quarters of different shapes.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Ability to share objects equally between 2 or 4.
- Experience with halving from informal activities.
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