Decimals - Halves and Quarters - Planning

In the second week of the summer term, Year 4 students delve into decimals with a focus on understanding halves and quarters. The lesson plan begins with a starter activity where children answer 'fluent in four' questions to recap on previous learning. The class teaching input involves showing an example of a quarter and discussing its meaning, including its equivalence in hundredths and its decimal form, with visual aids such as a 100 grid and number line. Students are introduced to the rekenrek, a tool used to visually represent fractions and their decimal equivalents, and are encouraged to make connections between this and the 100 square. They explore why ½ is equivalent to 0.5 and why an additional zero is not required after the 5 tenths.

Following the initial discussions, children engage in a practical activity where they use the rekenrek to represent quarters and discuss the fractions that are blue and green. They are guided to see the comparison between 3/4, 75/100, and 0.75, and to understand the equivalence between different representations of fractions and decimals. The lesson includes partner work and independent activities with differentiated worksheets to cater to varying levels of understanding. Key questions prompt students to think about how to write answers as both decimals and fractions and to use place value counters to represent these. The lesson addresses common misconceptions, such as the misuse of zero as a placeholder and misunderstanding the equivalence between fractions and decimals. Throughout the lesson, students are encouraged to reflect on what they've learned and the skills they've used, ensuring they understand the relationship between equivalent fractions and decimals, and how to represent these using different tools.