Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Recognise and name a half (1/2) and a quarter (1/4).
• Identify halves and quarters of shapes.
• Find a half and a quarter of a small group of objects.
• Understand how halves and quarters make a whole.

Lesson summary

Overview This lesson introduces Grade 2 learners to the foundational concept of fractions, focusing specifically on halves and quarters. Fractions are not just numbers on a page; they are a fundamental part of everyday life. In the South African context, the concept of 'ukwabelana' (sharing) is deeply ingrained in our culture. We share meals, space, and resources. This lesson connects directly to that experience. Whether it's sharing a 'gatsy' (kota) with a sibling, dividing a bag of oranges bought from a street vendor, or splitting a team for a game of soccer, we use fractions.

Lesson notes

What is a Fraction? A fraction is a part of a whole. The most important word to remember is EQUAL. When we make fractions, we must share or divide the whole into parts that are exactly the same size.

The Whole: This is the entire object or the full group of items before we share it. It could be one whole pizza, one whole chocolate bar, or a whole group of 12 marbles. Halves (1/2) When we divide one whole into two equal parts, each part is called a half. We write it as 1/

2. The bottom number (2) is the denominator. It tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into. The top number (1) is the numerator. It tells us how many of those parts we are talking about.

Example 1: Sharing a Vetkoek (Single Object) Imagine you have one delicious, round vetkoek. You want to share it equally with your best friend.

The Whole: The one vetkoek.

Divide: You cut it exactly down the middle. Now you have two pieces that are the same size.

The Fraction: Each piece is one half (1/2) of the whole vetkoek. You get 1/2, and your friend gets 1/

2. Together, the two halves make one whole vetkoek again. ``` ( O ) ---> ( C ) + ( Ɔ ) Whole One Half One Half ``` Example 2: Sharing Sweets (Collection of Objects) Busi has 8 sweets. She wants to give half of them to her brother, Sipho.

The Whole: The group of 8 sweets.

Divide: To find half, we make two equal groups. We can do this by sharing them out one by one: one for Busi, one for Sipho, until they are all gone.

Sweets: 🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬 (8 sweets)

Sharing into two equal groups: Group 1 (Busi): 🍬🍬🍬🍬 (4 sweets)

Group 2 (Sipho): 🍬🍬🍬🍬 (4 sweets)

The Fraction: Each group is a half. So, half of 8 is

4. Busi gives 4 sweets to Sipho. Quarters (1/4) When we divide one whole into four equal parts, each part is called a quarter. We write it as 1/

4. Example 1: Sharing a Chocolate Bar (Single Object) A bar of chocolate has 4 big blocks. You want to eat one quarter of it.

The Whole: The one chocolate bar.

Divide: It is already divided into four equal blocks.

The Fraction: Each block is one quarter (1/4) of the whole bar. If you eat one block, you have eaten 1/4 of the chocolate. ``` +---+---+ | 1 | 2 | +---+---+ | 3 | 4 | +---+---+ ``` Each block (1, 2, 3, or 4) is one quarter.

Example 2: Sharing Crayons (Collection of Objects) Teacher has 12 crayons and wants to put a quarter of them on each table.

The Whole: The group of 12 crayons.

Divide: To find a quarter, we must make four equal groups.

Crayons: 🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️ (12 crayons)

Sharing into four equal groups: Group 1: 🖍️🖍️🖍️ Group 2: 🖍️🖍️🖍️ Group 3: 🖍️🖍️🖍️ Group 4: 🖍️🖍️🖍️ The Fraction: Each group is a quarter. So, a quarter of 12 is

3. The teacher puts 3 crayons on each table.

Putting it all Together: Halves and Quarters Look at this pizza. It is cut into 4 equal slices. Each slice is a quarter (1/4). If you eat 2 slices, you have eaten two quarters. Look closely! Two quarters is the same as one half of the pizza! If you eat all 4 slices, you have eaten four quarters. Four quarters is the same as one whole pizza. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Look at this rectangle. Is the shaded part one half? Why or why not? ``` +---------+--+ | Shaded | | +---------+--+ ``` Solution 1: No, the shaded part is not one half. To be a half, the whole rectangle must be divided into two equal parts. In the picture, the two parts are not equal. One part is much bigger than the other.

Remember the rule: fractions must be equal shares!

Question 2: Lethabo has 6 toy cars. He gives half of his cars to his friend, Zola. Draw the cars and circle the amount Zola gets. How many cars does Zola get?

Solution 2: First, we draw the 6 cars: 🚗 🚗 🚗 🚗 🚗 🚗 To find half, we need to make two equal groups. We can circle a group of 3 and another group of 3. (🚗 🚗 🚗) (🚗 🚗 🚗) Each group is a half. So, Zola gets 3 cars.

Question 3: Aunty Thembi bakes a square cake for her 4 nephews. She cuts it into four equal pieces. a) Draw the cake and colour in one quarter (1/4). b) How many quarters are left for the other nephews?

Solution 3: a) First, draw a square and divide it into four equal parts. Then colour one part. ``` +---+---+ | █ | | +---+---+ | | | +---+---+ ``` b) We can count the pieces that are not coloured. There are 1, 2, 3 pieces left. So, three quarters of the cake are left. Independent Practice (Questions Only) Draw a circle. Divide it into two equal parts and colour in one half. Draw a square. Divide it into four equal parts and colour in one quarter. What is half of 10 apples? Draw the apples and circle your answer. What is a quarter of 8 stars? Draw the stars and circle your answer. Look at the shapes below. Circle the shape that is correctly divided into quarters. (Teacher to draw: a circle in 4 equal wedges, a square in 3 vertical strips, a rectangle in 4 unequal squares). If you have a whole orange, how many halves can you make? There are 12 children in the reading group. A quarter of them are wearing red shirts. How many children are wearing red shirts?