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National Curriculum Links

Subject: Mathematics
Key Stage: KS3 (Years 7 & 8)
Programme of Study Reference:

• Number - Fractions: “Use common denominators to compare and order fractions; recognise and show, using diagrams, equivalent fractions with small denominators” (DfE, National Curriculum for England)
• Practical understanding of fractions and basic fraction equivalence is expected by Year 7/8.
• Support cognitive development in reasoning about fractions, connecting concrete to pictorial and abstract representations (NC Aim: Develop fluency and conceptual understanding).

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Learning Objective

To use practical equipment to show that two halves make one whole, using real-life food contexts and concrete resources to support understanding.

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Key Vocabulary

• Half
• Whole
• Equal

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Resources

• Fraction circles (divided into halves)
• Paper pizza/sandwich templates, pre-cut into halves
• Mini whiteboards and pens
• Sentence stem posters (e.g., “Two halves make ___”, “Each half is ___ of the whole”)
• Real food example (optional): sandwich or pizza cut into halves – visually accessible and edible if possible
• Visual aids with large print and simple images
• Timer or prompt cards for group rotations

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Deployment of Staff

• Teacher: Leads the introduction, modelling, questioning and plenary. Circulates during practice and application phases to provide guided support and scaffold explanations.
• Teaching Assistant (TA): Supports learners needing extra help, particularly with fine motor skills (handling pieces), reading sentence stems aloud, and helping formulate answers verbally. Provides one-to-one or small group support as needed.

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Lesson Outline (60 minutes)

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1. Recap (10 minutes)

Teacher Talk:

• “Remember last time we talked about shapes split into parts? What does it mean if a shape is split into equal parts?”
• Show a circle divided into two unequal parts, then two equal parts.

Recap Questions:

• “Are these two parts the same size?” (No)
• “Which parts have the same size?” (Show equal halves)
• “Why is it important that parts are the same size to call them halves?”

Use whiteboard to draw simple circles and label halves.

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2. Introduction (10 minutes)

Teacher Talk & Guiding Questions:

• Present a paper pizza or sandwich cut into two halves.
• “If I have this whole pizza and I cut it into two pieces, what do we call each piece?” (Half)
• “How many halves make one whole pizza?”
• “Does it matter which half I eat first? Does the pizza still have two halves?”

Visual prompts: real food cut into halves or food pictures.

Sentence Stem Support:

• “One half is ___ of the whole.”
• “Two halves make ___ whole.”

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3. Modelling (10 minutes)

Using Fraction Circles or Paper Halves:

• Demonstrate physically putting two halves together to make one whole on the board/table.

• “Watch—when I put this half and this half together, they make one whole circle.”

• Ask learners out loud:

  • “How many halves do I have?”
  • “What shape do the two halves make when joined?”
  • “Are the two halves the same size?”

Write answers on mini whiteboards or with finger on tablet if available.

Teacher talks through answers using sentence stems:

• “Two halves make one whole because each half is equal.”
• “Each half is one part of two equal parts.”

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4. Practice (10 minutes)

Learners’ Active Participation:

• Each student receives two paper halves of a pizza/sandwich or fraction circle halves.
• Task: Build one whole by joining the two halves physically.

Practice Questions:

• “Show me one half.”
• “Show me where the two halves make a whole.”
• Ask students to write/draw on mini whiteboards: “Two halves make ___ whole.”
• Encourage them to explain verbally or write using sentence stems.

TA circulates offering support, asking scaffolded questions:

• “What do you notice about these halves?”
• “Do these two parts fit together? Why?”

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5. Application (10 minutes)

Simple Word Problems in Food Context:

• “Lily has a sandwich. She eats one half. How much of the sandwich is left?”
• “Tom has a pizza cut into two halves. He eats both halves. How much pizza does Tom have now?”

Learners use paper halves or fraction circles to move pieces physically to solve these problems.

Guided Questions:

• “If you eat one half, what remains?”
• “What is one whole in this problem?”
• “Can you show the remaining part?”

● Sentence stem prompts:

• “Lily has ___ left because she ate one half.”
• “Eating two halves is equal to eating ___ whole.”

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6. Challenge (10 minutes)

Deeper Thinking Questions:

• “If I have one half and one quarter, do they make a whole? Why or why not?”
• “Can you make a whole using other combinations besides two halves?”
• “Why do we have to make sure halves are equal?”

Ask students to think-pair-share, then share with the class. TA supports those who need help putting thoughts into words.

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7. Plenary (5 minutes)

• Recap key points using whiteboard visuals.
• Ask learners orally or on mini whiteboards:
  • “What two parts together make one whole?”
  • “Why do halves have to be equal?”
• End with positive affirmation of learners’ reasoning skills.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Explore equivalent fractions, e.g., “Can you split the pizza into four quarters? How many quarters make one whole?”
• Investigate unequal halves: “What happens if one half is bigger than the other?” (No longer halves)
• Begin simple fraction addition using fraction circles, e.g., 1/2 + 1/4

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Summary

This lesson supports cognitive and language accessibility for learners with reading ages 5-8 by using practical resources, clear visuals, scaffolded sentence stems, and interactive questioning formats. It aligns closely with the National Curriculum’s focus on fractions, ensuring that learners understand the concept of halves making a whole before moving to abstract fraction notation. Concrete, real-life food contexts increase engagement and support meaningful understanding.

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Thank you for using this plan to bring fractions alive with food fun!