Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify halves and quarters
• Divide objects into halves and quarters
• Use the words 'half' and 'quarter'
• Solve simple fraction problems
• Draw diagrams of halves and quarters

Lesson summary

Fractions are a very important part of mathematics! They help us understand how to divide things fairly and equally. Imagine sharing a delicious bunny chow with your friend or splitting a yummy slab of chocolate with your family. Understanding fractions like halves and quarters allows us to do this fairly and make sure everyone gets their equal share. In South Africa, we often share food, resources, and even land. Knowing fractions helps us understand how these things can be divided and shared in a just way. In this week's lesson, we will focus on halves and quarters, which are the building blocks for understanding more complex fractions later on.

Lesson notes

What is a Fraction? A fraction represents a part of a whole. The whole is the complete object, shape, or group we are talking about. A fraction tells us how many equal parts we have out of the total number of equal parts.

Half: A half is one of two equal parts of a whole. When we divide something into two equal parts, each part is called a half. We write a half as 1/

2. The number 1 (above the line) tells us how many parts we have (one part), and the number 2 (below the line) tells us how many parts the whole is divided into (two parts). Imagine a sandwich. If you cut it exactly in the middle, you have two equal halves. Each person gets one half of the sandwich (1/2).

Example 1: Imagine a round pizza. To cut it in half, you must cut it into two equal slices. If one slice is bigger than the other, then it’s NOT cut in half.

Example 2: You have 4 oranges. If you want to give half of them to your friend, you need to divide the oranges into two equal groups. Half of 4 oranges is 2 oranges.

Quarter: A quarter is one of four equal parts of a whole. When we divide something into four equal parts, each part is called a quarter. We write a quarter as 1/

4. The number 1 (above the line) tells us how many parts we have (one part), and the number 4 (below the line) tells us how many parts the whole is divided into (four parts). Imagine sharing a chocolate bar with three friends. You would need to break the chocolate bar into four equal pieces so that each person gets a quarter of the chocolate bar (1/4).

Example 1: Imagine a square piece of paper. To cut it into quarters, first cut it in half (into two equal rectangles). Then, cut each rectangle in half again. Now you have four equal squares, each representing a quarter of the original paper.

Example 2: You have 8 apples. If you want to give a quarter of them to your neighbour, you need to divide the apples into four equal groups. A quarter of 8 apples is 2 apples. Important

Note: It is crucial that the parts are equal. If the parts are not equal, then they are not halves or quarters! Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Colour half of the shape below. [Insert a rectangle here] Solution: You need to colour one out of two equal parts of the rectangle. You can colour either the left half or the right half. The important thing is that you only colour one of the two equal parts. [Insert a rectangle with one half shaded here]

Commentary: This question tests the understanding of what "half" means and how it looks visually.

Question 2: Divide the circle below into quarters. [Insert a circle here] Solution: First, draw a line straight through the middle of the circle to divide it into two halves. Then, draw another line straight through the middle, perpendicular to the first line. This will divide each half into two, resulting in four equal quarters. [Insert a circle divided into four equal quarters here]

Commentary: This question tests the ability to divide a shape into quarters and visually represent the fraction 1/

4. Question 3: Sarah has 6 sweets. She wants to give half of them to her brother. How many sweets will her brother get?

Solution: To find half of 6, we need to divide 6 into two equal groups. 6 ÷ 2 =

3. Therefore, Sarah's brother will get 3 sweets.

Commentary: This question applies the concept of halves to a real-life sharing scenario. It also reinforces the link between fractions and division.

Question 4: David has a square cake. He cuts it into quarters. How many pieces of cake does he have?

Solution: When you cut something into quarters, you are dividing it into four equal parts.

Therefore, David has 4 pieces of cake.

Commentary: This question reinforces the definition of "quarters." Independent Practice (Questions Only)

Question 1: Colour a quarter of this shape. [Insert a square here] Question 2: Draw a line to divide each shape in half. [Insert a circle, a rectangle, and a triangle here] Question 3: John has 4 apples. He gives a quarter of his apples to his friend. How many apples does he give to his friend?

Question 4: Is this shape divided into halves? Explain why or why not. [Insert a rectangle divided into two unequal parts here] Question 5: Nomusa has 8 crayons. She gives half to her sister and a quarter to her brother. How many crayons does each child get? How many crayons does Nomusa have left?

Question 6: Draw a pizza and divide it into quarters. Colour one quarter of the pizza to show what you ate.

Question 7: What is bigger: Half of a chocolate bar or a quarter of the same chocolate bar? Explain your answer.