1/2BD News 

Fractions 

We have completed ¾ of the year in Grade 1/2 BD and this last quarter is going to be our best one yet! It is only fitting that our class has been exploring fractions as part of our mathematical focus for the first two weeks of term.  We have participated in hands on activities that explored halves, quarters and eighths and looked at the role of the numerator and denominator in fractional numbers.

We have been creating lots of interesting pictures using shapes to illustrate fractions.  By folding a piece of paper in half we can demonstrate that a half is when a whole is equally divided between two. The denominator tells us how many equal parts they are in the whole, whilst the numerator highlights how many of those equal parts we have.

                                      Here is a sneak peek into some of our fabulous work samples.

Representation of Whole, One half and two halves 

Psst.. come visit our classroom to see more of our amazing work on display.

AT HOME

AT HOME

Fractions are a great way to involve children in maths at home. We have included some activities that could generate lots of interesting discussion.

• Cut a sandwich in half
• Cut the sandwich in half (a different way this time) and discuss the similarities and differences. Is it still the same size? How do you know? How can we check? Repeat this using other fractional parts (e.g. quarters)
• Share a treat (in half) with your child. Who gets the bigger half? Is there such a thing as a bigger half? This is a term that we often use incorrectly it can lead to misconceptions
• Count a collection of objects (12 grapes) and half the collection between two people. How many in each group? This can be repeated with various collections and corresponding fractions e.g. share 12 between 4 people.
• Discuss and use fractional language such as a half, a third, a quarter and use these in context. Can I half this cake with you? You need a third of a glass of water. Highlight the differences between third in line to 1/3 of a whole and how the same word in two different contexts changes in meaning.