Fractions - Find a half 2 - Starter

In a Year 1 mathematics lesson, children are introduced to the concept of finding a half through a variety of engaging activities. The lesson starts with a 'Fluent in Four' revision exercise, prompting students to apply their knowledge of basic arithmetic operations such as doubling and halving. For example, they might be asked to find the result of doubling seven and then halving six, followed by a subtraction problem where they determine what must be subtracted from fourteen to leave two. These exercises are designed to build fluency and confidence in handling numbers.

The lesson continues with a practical counting activity where students count a total of twelve butterflies, reinforcing their counting skills by adding in twos. This visual representation helps to solidify their understanding of even numbers and the concept of arrays. To further develop their comprehension of addition and subtraction, students are asked to complete sentences based on a scenario involving birds in a tree. They must fill in the blanks to reflect the number of birds before and after some have flown away, leading to an understanding of subtraction as 'taking away'. Additionally, the lesson includes measuring activities where students might be asked to determine the length of a packet of crayons, practising their measuring skills with a ruler and familiarising themselves with units of measurement such as centimetres.