Fractions - Black and white paper - Practical Maths Activity

In this engaging practical maths activity, designed to introduce Year 1 students to the concept of fractions, children are paired up and provided with a hands-on learning experience. Each child in the pair is given a sheet of paper, one black and one white, to work with. The task involves each student cutting out an identical shape from their respective sheets of paper. They then carefully fold their shapes in half and proceed to cut them into two equal parts. This exercise not only demonstrates the physical division of an object but also visually represents the idea of halves.

After cutting, each child swaps one half of their shape with their partner's, combining a black and a white piece together onto a new piece of paper. This visual contrast of colours reinforces the concept of fractions, making it easier for the children to distinguish between the different halves. By performing the cutting and combining themselves, the students gain a deeper understanding of how a fraction is a part of a whole. This activity is versatile and can be adapted to illustrate various fractional parts, such as quarters, by simply changing the number of equal pieces the shapes are divided into. The equipment needed is minimal, requiring only sheets of black and white paper, and the activity aligns with the National Curriculum objectives for Year 1, which focus on recognising and naming halves and quarters as equal parts of objects, shapes, or quantities.