Lesson 1: Introduction to Halves and Quarters
Objectives:
- To introduce the concept of halves and quarters
- To understand the terms “halve” and “quarter”
Materials: Geoboard, ropes/strings of different colors, pictures representing halves and quarters, markers and chart paper
Procedure:
1. Begin the lesson by explaining what a half and a quarter are with the help of a geoboard. Show the students how to divide a unit into two equal pieces (halves) and four equal pieces (quarters).
2. Next, tie two ropes/strings of different colors in the shapes of half and quarter circles. Ask the students to identify the shapes and explain what they represent.
3. Show the students pictures of things that are divided into two or four equal parts (ex: a circle that is cut in half, an apple that is cut into quarters). Ask the students to identify and explain what the shapes represent.
4. Finally, draw a half and a quarter on a piece of chart paper. Label them and ask students to come up to the board and circle the shape that represents a half and the shape that represents a quarter.
Lesson 2: Making Halves and Quarters
Objectives:
- To learn to identify, create and name halves and quarters
- To be able to break items into two and four equal parts
Materials: Geoboard, pieces of construction paper, scissors, markers and chart paper
Procedure:
1. Begin the lesson by explaining to the students what a half and a quarter are and how to create them. Show them how to take a piece of construction paper and cut it into two and four equal pieces. For example, if they have a piece of paper that is 4” x 4,” they can cut it in half to get two 2” x 4” pieces, or they can cut it into quarters (2” x 2” pieces).
2. Ask students to come up and create and label their own halves and quarters using the geoboard and markers. Also, have them look at and discuss pictures of common items that can be cut in half and quarter (ie: a pizza, an apple, etc).
3. Finally, on a piece of chart paper draw and label a half and a quarter. Ask the students to come up and circle the shape that represents half and the shape that represents a quarter.
Lesson 3: Identifying Halves and Quarters
Objectives:
- To identify and classify items into halves and quarters
- To understand the value of a half and a quarter
Materials: Small objects, paper plates or bowls, small pieces of paper, markers and chart paper
Procedure:
1. Begin the lesson by introducing the students to the concept of halves and quarters. Discuss how breaking an item into two equal parts is called “halving” and breaking it into four equal parts is called “quartering.” Explain that by knowing how to quarter an item, they can easily figure out what a half of it is.
2. Have each student take a small object and “quarter” it. Place the four equal parts on four separate pieces of paper and label them.
3. Put the paper plates or bowls on the table and ask the students to determine what a quarter and a half of their objects are. Then, ask them to place the pieces on the corresponding plate or bowl and explain why each piece represents a half or a quarter.
4. Finally, on a piece of chart paper draw and label a half and a quarter of a circle. Ask the students to come up and circle the shape that represents a half and the shape that represents a quarter.
Lesson 4: Solving Problems with Halves and Quarters
Objectives:
- To understand and solve situations involving halves and quarters
- To develop problem-solving skills
Materials: A variety of objects (eg: 8 spoons, 8 pencils), paper plates or bowls, markers, and chart paper
Procedure:
1. Begin the lesson by reviewing the concept of halves and quarters with the students. Explain how to identify a half and a quarter of an item, and why it is important.
2. Place 8 spoons and 8 pencils on the table. Ask the students how many halves and quarters are present in the two groups. Then, ask them to quarter the items by dividing them into two halves or four quarters and placing them on the corresponded paper plate or bowl.
3. Ask the students to identify and find one-half of one of the items without quartering it.
4. Next, ask the students to practice their problem-solving skills by using their knowledge of halves and quarters to solve different problems. For example, if they have three pieces of an item, what can they do to determine whether it is a half or a quarter of the original object?
5. Finally, on a piece of chart paper draw and label a half and a quarter of a circle. Ask the students to come up and circle the shape that represents half and the shape that represents a quarter.