Standard 1: Develop an understanding of fractions by partitioning shapes into halves and fourths.

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General Information
Number: MA.1.FR.1
Title: Develop an understanding of fractions by partitioning shapes into halves and fourths.
Type: Standard
Subject: Mathematics (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 1
Strand: Fractions

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

MA.1.FR.1.AP.1
Partition circles and rectangles into two and four equal-sized parts. Recognize the parts of the whole as halves or fourths.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Formative Assessments

Partition A Rectangle:

Students partition a rectangle into two equal parts and then describe the parts.

Type: Formative Assessment

Which Is Less?:

Students are asked to share a rectangular cake between two people and then among four people and decide which results in smaller pieces.

Type: Formative Assessment

Partition the Pizza:

Students fold a picture of a circular pizza into four equal parts and then are asked to describe each part.

Type: Formative Assessment

Half of a Rectangle:

Students are asked to partition a rectangle into halves.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

Equal Shares at the Zoo? Who Knew!:

In this lesson, students will be partitioning shapes into halves and fourths. The class will get a letter from a zoo requesting their help in solving some problems with designing the layout of animal enclosures.

Type: Lesson Plan

Halves and Quarters of Circles:

In this lesson, students will learn how to partition circles into halves and quarters/fourths and examine how partitioning a circle into more equal shares creates smaller shares.

Type: Lesson Plan

Pizza Anyone? Exploring Halves and Fourths/Quarters:

This lesson practices the partitioning a whole to equal shares for halves, fourths, and quarters through pizza and candy bar manipulatives. Students are then challenged to demonstrate how many different ways they can fold a square sticky note into fourths!

Type: Lesson Plan

Halves, Quarters and Fourths:

In this lesson, the students will partition circles and rectangles into halves and fourths in order to gain a solid foundation for fractions.

Type: Lesson Plan

Halves and Fourths:

In this lesson, students will gain experience partitioning rectangle and circles into equal shares of halves and fourths and naming the parts appropriately.

Type: Lesson Plan

Fair Share Picnic:

In this introductory lesson on halves, pairs of students will rotate through math stations to prepare for a picnic. They will use paper materials to represent wholes and partition each whole into halves, using applicable mathematics vocabulary.

Type: Lesson Plan

Halves and Fourths:

This lesson uses a discovery approach to exploring the meaning of halves and fourths. The students will utilize math benchmarks as they analyze math solutions and explain their solutions. This lesson also teaches students that they can decompose larger sized parts to make smaller sized parts.

Type: Lesson Plan

Halves and Wholes:

In this lesson, students will gain a foundation for fractions by partitioning circles and rectangles into two equal-sized shares.

Type: Lesson Plan

I'll Share With You:

This lesson focuses on the beginning understanding of fractions through fair-sharing. Students will partition circles and rectangles into 2 and 4 equal-sized parts and be able to describe these parts using appropriate language such as halves and fourths.

Type: Lesson Plan

A Fourth of That?:

Students will partition circles and rectangles into four equal-sized parts. This is a foundational building block of fractions. Students should also develop an understanding of the idea of the whole. This is part of a series of lessons dealing with the foundation for fractions. The other two lessons are Resource ID 46582 and 46846. Throughout the three lessons the students are creating a Fraction Book.

Type: Lesson Plan

Half of This, A Fourth of That, A Whole Lot of Fun!:

Students will partition circles and rectangles into two and four equal-sized parts. They will also explore and discuss the concept that decomposing into more equal shares creates smaller shares. This is a foundational building block of fractions. Students should also develop an understanding of the idea of the whole. This is part of a series of lessons dealing with the foundation for fractions. The other two lessons are Resource IDs 46582 and 46764. Throughout the three lessons the students are creating a Fraction Book.

Type: Lesson Plan

Half of This?:

Students will partition circles and rectangles into two equal-sized parts. This is a foundational building block of fractions. Students should also develop an understanding of the idea of the whole. This is part of a series of lessons dealing with the foundation for fractions. The other two lessons are Resource ID 46764 and 46846. Throughout the three lessons the students are creating a Fraction Book.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Equal Shares Heroes Find Fourths:

Be a hero and partition circles and rectangles into four equal shares. Describe equal shares using the words "fourths" and "quarters" in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Equal Shares Heroes:

Help the heroes separate circles and rectangles into equal shares and describe the equal shares as "halves" or "half of" as you complete this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Perspectives Video: Teaching Ideas

Making Connections Between Partitioning Circles and Circle Graphs:

Unlock an effective teaching strategy for connecting partitioning circles and circle graphs in this Teacher Perspectives video for educators.

Type: Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

One Handed Clocks:

Unlock an effective teaching strategy for using one-handed clocks to help students learn to tell time in this Teacher Perspectives video for educators.

Type: Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

Problem-Solving Task

Representing Half of a Rectangle:

This task is for assessment purposes, providing a context for indentifying different ways of representing half of an object, a rectangle in this case. The task may also be used for instructional purposes but if so the teacher may wish to introduce some other ways of showing one half of the rectangle, such as dividing along a diagonal (and shading in one piece) or dividing it into four equal pieces, shading in two pieces that only touch at a corner.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Original Student Tutorials

Equal Shares Heroes Find Fourths:

Be a hero and partition circles and rectangles into four equal shares. Describe equal shares using the words "fourths" and "quarters" in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Equal Shares Heroes:

Help the heroes separate circles and rectangles into equal shares and describe the equal shares as "halves" or "half of" as you complete this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Problem-Solving Task

Representing Half of a Rectangle:

This task is for assessment purposes, providing a context for indentifying different ways of representing half of an object, a rectangle in this case. The task may also be used for instructional purposes but if so the teacher may wish to introduce some other ways of showing one half of the rectangle, such as dividing along a diagonal (and shading in one piece) or dividing it into four equal pieces, shading in two pieces that only touch at a corner.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Problem-Solving Task

Representing Half of a Rectangle:

This task is for assessment purposes, providing a context for indentifying different ways of representing half of an object, a rectangle in this case. The task may also be used for instructional purposes but if so the teacher may wish to introduce some other ways of showing one half of the rectangle, such as dividing along a diagonal (and shading in one piece) or dividing it into four equal pieces, shading in two pieces that only touch at a corner.

Type: Problem-Solving Task