Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify and name one half (1/2) and one quarter (1/4).
• Divide whole objects into halves and quarters.
• Represent halves and quarters with drawings.
• Solve simple word problems about sharing.

Lesson summary

This week, we're diving into the exciting world of fractions! Specifically, we'll be focusing on halves and quarters. Understanding fractions is essential because it helps us understand how to share fairly, measure ingredients for cooking, and even understand how much of something we have left. Imagine sharing a koeksister with your friend – you need to know what a half is to make sure you both get an equal piece! Fractions are all around us, from sharing a pizza after a soccer game to understanding how much time you have left before playtime is over. This knowledge builds a strong foundation for more advanced math concepts later on.

Lesson notes

What is a Fraction? A fraction represents a part of a whole. Think of it as sharing something equally. The bottom number of a fraction (the denominator) tells you how many equal parts the whole is divided into. The top number (the numerator) tells you how many of those parts we are talking about.

Halves (1/2): A half means dividing something into two equal parts. The fraction for half is 1/

2. The '1' (numerator) tells us we are talking about one part, and the '2' (denominator) tells us the whole is divided into two equal parts.

Example 1: Imagine you have a round roti. You want to share it equally with your sibling. You cut it into two equal parts. Each part is one-half (1/2) of the roti.

Example 2: You have 4 marbles. You want to give half of them to your friend. To find half of 4, you can divide the marbles into two equal groups. Each group will have 2 marbles. So, half of 4 is

2. Quarters (1/4): A quarter means dividing something into four equal parts. The fraction for quarter is 1/

4. The '1' (numerator) tells us we are talking about one part, and the '4' (denominator) tells us the whole is divided into four equal parts.

Example 1: You have a square piece of paper. You want to divide it into quarters to make a puzzle. You fold it in half once, and then in half again. Now you have four equal parts. Each part is one-quarter (1/4) of the paper.

Example 2: You have 8 sweets. You want to share one-quarter of them with your neighbour's child. To find one-quarter of 8, you divide the sweets into four equal groups. Each group will have 2 sweets. So, one-quarter of 8 is

2. Important Note about Equal Parts: When we talk about halves and quarters, it's REALLY important that the parts are EQUAL in size. If you cut a piece of paper into two parts, but one part is much bigger than the other, they are NOT halves. They need to be the same!

Visual Representations: We can use pictures to help us understand fractions. For example, we can draw a circle and divide it into two equal parts to show halves. We can also draw a rectangle and divide it into four equal parts to show quarters. Colouring one part of the circle shows 1/2, and colouring one part of the rectangle shows 1/

4. Word Problems: Understanding halves and quarters helps us solve problems in real life.

For example: "Thando has a chocolate bar. She eats 1/2 of it. How much is left?" (Answer: 1/2 is left) "Zola has 4 apples. She gives 1/4 of them to her cousin. How many apples does she give away?" (Answer: 1 apple) Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Draw a square. Divide it into two equal parts. Colour one part. What fraction does the coloured part represent?

Solution: Draw a square. Draw a line down the middle of the square, dividing it into two equal rectangles. Colour one of the rectangles. The coloured part represents 1/2 (one half) of the square.

Commentary: This question focuses on the visual representation of a half and reinforces the concept of equal parts.

Question 2: You have 8 biscuits. You want to give half of them to your friend. How many biscuits will your friend get?

Solution: We need to find 1/2 of

8. Divide the 8 biscuits into two equal groups. Each group has 4 biscuits (8 ÷ 2 = 4).

Therefore, your friend will get 4 biscuits.

Commentary: This question introduces a simple word problem involving finding half of a group of objects. We used division to find the answer.

Question 3: Draw a circle. Divide it into four equal parts. Colour one part. What fraction does the coloured part represent?

Solution: Draw a circle. Draw two lines crossing in the middle of the circle, dividing it into four equal sections (like cutting a pizza). Colour one of the sections. The coloured part represents 1/4 (one quarter) of the circle.

Commentary: This question focuses on the visual representation of a quarter and reinforces the concept of equal parts.

Question 4: Maria has a pie. She cuts it into 4 equal pieces. She eats one piece. What fraction of the pie did she eat?

Solution: The pie is divided into 4 equal pieces. This means the denominator of our fraction is

4. Maria ate one piece. This means the numerator of our fraction is

1. Therefore, Maria ate 1/4 (one quarter) of the pie.

Commentary: This question reinforces understanding of the word quarter and connects it to sharing food, which is relatable for learners. Independent Practice (Questions Only) Draw a rectangle. Divide it into quarters. Colour two parts. What fraction of the rectangle is coloured? You have 6 apples. You want to give half of them to your brother. How many apples will your brother get? You have a square piece of paper. You cut it into quarters. You give one quarter to your sister. How many quarters do you have left? There are 12 crayons in a box. One-quarter of the crayons are blue. How many blue crayons are there? Sarah has a sandwich. She eats half of it for lunch. How much of the sandwich is left for later? Draw 5 circles. Colour half of them. John has 4 oranges.