Fractions - Find a half - Presentation

The educational material provided outlines a series of activities focused on teaching students how to find a half, specifically within the context of fractions. The lesson begins with a discussion prompt, encouraging students to recall what a half is and to explore methods for finding it. In the first activity, students are tasked with dividing a number of marbles equally between two containers and then completing sentences to express the whole number of marbles and what constitutes half of that number. This practical approach helps students visualise the concept of halving and reinforces their understanding through hands-on experience.

Subsequent activities involve interactive tasks such as circling half of a given number of balloons and yoyos, and filling in the blanks to calculate half of various numbers, with the option to use counters for assistance. These exercises are designed to strengthen the students' ability to recognise and compute halves of different quantities. Reasoning challenges are also presented, where students must analyse scenarios to determine if the actions taken, such as shading half of a shape or guessing a number based on its half's value range, are correct. Independent work further extends learning, as students write numbers as digits and words, complete number tracks, and explain their reasoning behind halving different items. The lesson not only focuses on the mathematical skill of finding halves but also encourages critical thinking and discussion about the processes used.