Fractions - Paper plates - Practical Maths Activity

A hands-on and visual approach to teaching fractions can be particularly effective for Year 2 students. By engaging in a creative display exercise called "flower fractions," children can learn about fractions in a fun and tactile manner. The activity begins with cutting out circles from various coloured sheets of paper, ensuring that these circles are the same size as the paper plates. The circles are then divided into segments that represent the fraction being taught. For instance, to illustrate the fraction 1/5, the circle is split into five equal slices, with each slice labelled as 1/5.

Once the paper circles are prepared and labelled, they are glued onto the paper plates. After the glue has dried, the segments or 'petals' are cut out from the plates. To create the visual representation of a flower, a large flower stem is drawn on a sheet of paper, and the children are invited to attach the petals to the top of the stem. This practical maths activity not only helps to solidify the concept of fractions by creating a fraction flower display but also meets the National Curriculum objectives for Year 2. These objectives include recognising, naming, finding, and writing simple fractions such as 1/3, 1/4, 2/4, and 3/4, as well as understanding the concept of quantity and equivalence, for example, recognising that 2/4 is equivalent to 1/2. The necessary equipment for this activity includes paper plates, coloured paper, and markers.