Equal Shares: Part 1

Title: Equal Shares Content Area: Math

Teacher Name: Emily Ray Grade Level: 2nd

OVERARCHING GOALS FOR THE LESSON LESSON OBJECTIVES AND STANDARDS

Objectives:
Students will be able to partition squares, rectangles, and circles into  Students will be able to partition a square and rectangle into
equal parts and describe the parts using the words such as halves and two, three, and four equal parts.
fourths.  Students will be able to describe the parts using fractional
language (halves, fourths, a half of, and a fourth of)

The lesson will also include partitioning on thirds to prepare students

for future concepts even though it is not included in the standard.

Standard:
2.G.3 Partition squares, rectangles and circles into two or four equal
parts, and describe the parts using the words halves, fourths, a half
of, and a fourth of. Understand that when partitioning a square,
rectangle or circle into two or four equal parts, the parts become
smaller as the number of parts increases.

IMPORTANT CONTENT CONNECTION:

Prior Knowledge
In prior grades students focused on identifying shapes and beginning to understand the difference between defining (number of sides) and non-
defining (color) attributes. Students were informally introduced to the concept of fractions in first grade when they partitioned 2-D shapes into
two or four equal parts (the emphasis was on equality of the parts – not the formal fraction emphasis).
Future Knowledge
Students use their previously gained knowledge about attributes to now recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes. Students
continue the informal introduction to fractions by now using terms halves, fourths, a half of, and a fourth of. They do NOT need to be able to use
fraction notation. The formal idea and symbolism for fractions are introduced in grade 3.

IMPORTANT THEORETICAL CONNECTIONS & FOUNDATIONS:

In the article, Number Talks: Building Numerical Reasoning, author Sherry D. Parrish explains why it is important that we teach our students to
view mathematics as a system of relationships to investigate and understand (Parrish, 2010). Many of the new math standards outlined in
Common Core encourage for mathematics instruction to move beyond just procedural knowledge. The mixture of carefully sequenced
instructional activities, independent work to encourage individual thinking, and discussion so that students can explain and justify their
reasoning allows for them to develop a stronger understanding of equal shares to be used in future fractional understanding. Creating dialogic
talk among students at an early age will also help them in future grades to become engaged and productive students during class discussions
MATERIALS.
Easel, markers
Pencils, Pattern blocks (one basket per table), template sheets (21), exit tickets (21).

Components of the lesson.
LINK PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.
Intro: 5 min
“This week we have been focusing
on all different kinds of polygons.
Who can name a few of the
shapes we have looked at super
fast?”
(I’ll point to students and have
them call out quickly)
“Now that we are starting to
become experts on polygons,
today we are going to work on
breaking them up into equal
parts.”
Anticipated Student Responses Teaching notes Evidence of learning. Evaluation
DIFFERENTIATION: list points or assessment questions.
adaptations for ELL, EC, LD
Possible answers: Students in front of easel. I will cover up the anchor chart
 Squares with these different shapes, as I
 Rectangles would like for this to serve as a
 Quadrilaterals quick formative assessment of
 Pentagons how the students are retaining
 Triangles the geometric vocabulary
 Hexagons throughout the unit. I will uncover
 Parallelograms this later in the lesson for them to
reference.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
15 min Mini-Lesson
“Let’s start with a BIG, DELICIOUS
cake” (draw square on the
board).

“I got this amazing cookie cake for

my birthday, but my mom INSISTS
that I HAVE TO share it evenly
with my sister. How can I cut the
cookie cake so that we both get
the same amount of cake?”
“Are there any other ways I could
cut the cake?”
Possible answers:
 Vertically (up & down)
 Horizontally (side to side)
 Diagonally (two triangles)
Here I want for students to
recognize that there are multiple
I will be drawing as we discuss the I will be making mental notes of
problem on the board. This way I which students are able to give
can reach both my auditory and multiple or different ways to
visual processors. partition the shape as a means of
formative assessment.
If I run into the issue again where
several students are eager to
answer, I will pull sticks with
names to avoid behavior issues

“Cutting the cake into equal
pieces is also called partitioning.”
“Turns out the grocery store was
out of square cakes and only had
rectangular ones. How could I
partition the rectangular one?”
(draws rectangle on the board)
“Any other ways I could cut it?”
“What we just made is called
halves. We took our shapes and
broke them up into two equal
parts. Now what if I partition my
cake like this? (draws unequal
parts). Are those halves? Why?”
“Let’s look at my cake again. It
turns out my dad wants some too.
So now I have THREE people to
feed. How could I partition my
cake to get three equal pieces?”
“These are called thirds. I took my
shape and broke it up into three
equal parts this time.”
“Are you ready for one last
challenge? My mom saw how
ways to partition a square. due to not being chosen to share.
Here I identify the vocabulary
used in the standard. I will use it
for the rest of the lesson to
immerse them in this language.
This way, when they are provided
with questions that use this
vocabulary, they are familiar with
it.
Here I want for students to
recognize that there are multiple
ways to partition the rectangle.
Some students would say that
they are not halves, because you
need to make the pieces equal.
For students who argue that it is
still halves because there are two
parts, I will remind them that my
sister would be really angry
because I gave her a smaller
piece. She would insist that it is
NOT half because her piece is
smaller. This will reinforce the
idea that halves are equal parts of
a whole.
Possible answers:
 Vertically (up & down)
 Horizontally (side to side)
Possible answers:
 Vertically (up & down)
yummy the cake looked and
wants some too. Now I have
FOUR mouths to feed! How can I
create four equal pieces of cake?”
“These are called fourths. I took
my shape and broke it up into
four equal parts.”
 Horizontally (side to side)
 One vertical line, one
horizontal line
 Two diagonal lines
 Using four triangles

“Now that you guys have helped

me solve my cake problem, it’s
time for you to give it a try on
your own. At your tables, you
have bins of pattern blocks. You
are going to use these pieces to
create a new shape. Let me show
you an example. You are going to
pull out two of the same shape.
Then, you will put them together
to see what kind of new shape
you can form. So I pulled two of
the same small triangles. How
could I put these together to
create a new shape?”

“So I made a bigger triangle using
two smaller but equal triangles.
So how many parts make up my
big triangle? What did we say
these were called earlier?”
Here students should be able to Model the activity first so that
identify these as halves. students fully understand the
activity when released to work
independently.

“When you go to explore with By giving the students

your pattern blocks, find some of manipulatives, it gives them the
the same shapes and see if you opportunity to explore in ways
can put them together to make a that they cannot do as easily with
new shape. Play around with two simply drawing. This also helps to
first and then see if you can try further reach the kinesthetic
for three! If you find some cool learners.
shapes using three smaller
shapes, try for four! Just
remember, we are making equal
parts. So you need to use the
same shapes together make a
new one. Don’t be afraid to use
our polygons chart for
inspiration.”
20 min Student Work
Students will be given a sheet to
trace the shapes that they create.
There will be a section for halves,
thirds, and fourths.
I will circulate the room to help as
needed. I will also look for
interesting ways to form halves,
thirds, and fourths that students
have created to share with the
class throughout the exploration
time.
REFLECT and SUMMARIZE.
10 minute share/closure
“What did you all think of this
activity? Was it hard to partition
shapes? Did you find lots of
different ways to make certain
shapes?”
I will need to walk around the
room to make sure students are
using the same shaped pattern
blocks to form new polygons. I
will have to emphasize to them
why we do this: because we are
using equal parts to make a new
whole.
Here I hope to hear that students
found several ways to make
various shapes. It is also
encouraging the students to
reflect on what they learned and
how they can further expand their
learning.
Uncover chart for students to
reference.
Specifically check on: Terry, Amir,
, Annabelle, and Ryan (maybe
Grace, Bailey, Ethan as well) to
check that they fully comprehend
the directions of the activity or
need additional prompting.
If I notice that students are doing
particularly well with this activity
or feel that they have finished, I
will ask them to name their
shapes using our geometric
vocabulary.
They will be turning in their work
from this independent time for
me to look over. When I look
these over, I will look to see that
the students understood the
following:
 The parts must be equal.
 Halves are two parts that
make up a whole.
 Thirds are three parts that
make up a whole.
 Fourths are four parts that
make up a whole.
 Student shows evidence that
shapes can be partitioned in
several different ways.
I will record my findings to
identify patterns in student work
and to inform future instruction.
EXTENSIONS/CONNECTIONS.

“We are going to look at other

shapes and how to partition them
next week. You may have already
begun to explore them today! So
hold onto those great ideas and
you can help me with partitioning
some different shapes next
week.”

Students should be able to This exit ticket is another quick

“To wrap up math, I am going to complete the three-question exit assessment that I can use to test
give you an exit ticket. This is ticket fairly quickly. I will monitor the students’ understanding of
going to let me see what all you and prompt as needed. the ideas mentioned above. I can
learned today and what you may compare these two pieces of data
still need a little bit of help with. to look for additional patterns.
It’s a quick sheet that should only
take about 5 minutes. Once you
finish those up, turn them into
the red basket. Also put your
math notebooks with your
drawings sheet on the back table
so I can staple these in for you.
Once you complete these two
things, come join me back on the
floor for reader’s workshop.”
 Name: ________________________

I can par t it ion shapes int o equal par t s!

Halves (2)

Thirds (3)

Fourths (4)
Equal Parts: Exit Ticket

Name Date

1. Show two different ways to partition the rectangles into thirds.

2. Show two different ways to partition the squares into fourths.

3. Circle the shapes that show thirds.