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Assessment Resource Centre (ARC)

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  1. Kindergarten
  2. Mathematics
  3. Activities
  4. Halves
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Halves


End of Kindergarten
At the expected standard Shannon   Cameron   Darcy   Bailey   Jules   Ainsley  
Below the expected standard Lesley  

Foundation Statement strands

The following strands are covered in this activity:

Working Mathematically, Space and Geometry, Number

Description of activity

Students are given a ball of playdough, cookie cutters, a rolling pin and a plastic playdough knife. They are reminded that halves are two equal parts and are instructed to:

  • roll out the dough
  • select a cookie cutter to make a shape
  • use the playdough knife to cut the shape in half.

Students reflect on the process used and whether their two pieces are equal parts.

The suggested time for this activity is 30 minutes.

Suggested materials

Playdough, cookie cutters, rolling pins, plastic playdough knives

Prior learning

Students have had practice cutting a variety of materials into equal parts and using everyday language to describe their actions.

Outcomes

Fractions and Decimals (NES1.4)
Describes halves, encountered in everyday contexts, as two equal parts of an object
Communicating (WMES1.3)
Describes mathematical situations using everyday language, actions, materials, and informal recordings
Reasoning (WMES1.4)
Uses concrete materials and/or pictorial representations to support conclusions
Reflecting (WMES1.5)
Links mathematical ideas and makes connections with, and generalisations about, existing knowledge and understanding in relation to Early Stage 1 content

Criteria for assessing learning

Students will be assessed on their ability to:

  • divide an object into two equal halves
  • identify whether or not two parts are halves
  • describe the process used
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