Fractions - Equivalence of a half and two quarters - Planning

In a Year 2 mathematics lesson focusing on fractions, students delve into the concept of equivalence, specifically understanding how one half is equivalent to two quarters. The National Curriculum objectives for this lesson are for the children to write simple fractions, such as expressing half of 6 as 3, and to recognise the equivalence between 1/2 and 2/4. Key vocabulary includes terms such as 'equivalent', 'same', 'equal to', 'half', 'quarter', and 'whole'. The lesson plan suggests a range of resources, including presentations, worksheets, and practical items like paper and counters, to facilitate learning. Children start by completing a set of questions to refresh their memory on previous lessons.

The class engages in a series of activities, beginning with a practical task where they fold paper to visually compare halves and quarters. They then move on to shading exercises on shapes, and use counters to find and compare one half to two quarters. Through paired discussions and practical use of yellow and red cubes, students explore equivalence further. They are prompted with reasoning questions to deepen their understanding, such as discussing the distribution of sweets in a jar or examining a pie chart to identify if a third has been coloured. To conclude, children reflect on what they have learned, the skills they have used, and any challenges they have faced. The activities are differentiated to cater to various levels of understanding, from working towards the expected level to achieving greater depth, where students not only shade shapes but also explain their observations regarding the equivalence of fractions.