Year 1 Teaching Sequence 12
Find halves of shapes (two days)
Prerequisites:
 Familiarity with simple 2D shapes and symmetry would be helpful.
Overview of progression:
Children fold shapes in half and recognise those which are divided into halves, and those which divided in to two parts, but
not halves.
Note that children are folding strips of paper in half in preparation for finding half of numbers in spring sequence 12 by
folding similar paper strips of objects in half. The main aim of this activity is therefore to encourage children to realise
that a half is one of two equal pieces. Its purpose is not symmetry.
Watch out for children who fold shape into two parts, but not into halves. Emphasise that each half must be the same size.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y1 Maths TS12 – Aut – 2days
Objectives:
 Find halves of shapes by folding;
 Recognise which shapes are divided in half and which are not.
Whole class
Teddy’s having a birthday party. His Mum
asked him what colour he wants for the place
mats. He can’t decide as he has two favourite
colours, green and yellow. In the end he
decides that each place mat should be half
green and half yellow! Here’s one he’s already
made. Show an A4 piece of paper, more than
half of which is green. But this is not right.
More than half is green. If half was green,
there would be the same amount painted green
as yellow. Here’s a new place mat. How can we
help him? Show a new piece of A4 paper. Draw
out folding it in half. Show that each half is
the same size, and then paint one half yellow
and one half green. He wants all the party
mats to be different shapes. Give out paper
circles, squares, semi-circles and equilateral
triangles. Ask chn to fold them in half. Collect
some in and show how each half is the same
size as its opposite half.
Show a kite shaped ‘party mat’ with the top
part coloured green. Is half green? Show an
identical shape but not painted. How could we
fold this in half to help teddy to paint half
Group activities
Group of 4-5 chn
Give each child an A4 piece of paper,
and challenge them to fold it in half in
different ways. Let’s see if we can
make as many different place mats for
Teddy as we can!
Paired/indiv practice
Prepare an activity sheet of
familiar regular shapes (see
resources) or use a commercially
produced one and ask chn to
colour them in to make party mat
designs for teddy.
or even!
 A 4 paper
 Green and yellow
paint
 Paper circles,
squares, semicircles and
equilateral
triangles
 Activity sheet as
opposite
Go Maths PCM 51
Rpt with circles, squares, semi-circles
and equilateral triangles.
Group of 4-5 chn
Give chn strips of paper with evenly
spaced stars (or other decoration such
as candles, teddies). Ensure that each
Resources
Prepare an activity sheet of
familiar regular shapes (see
resources) or use a commercially
produced one, some with half
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
 Various shaped
‘party mats’
(including a kite)
where more/less
Y1 Maths TS12 – Aut – 2days
yellow and half green?
Show some other shapes where more/less than
half is coloured in green/yellow as well as some
where half is coloured yellow and half is
coloured green.
Teddy has got a bit carried away with having
things half in green and half in yellow! He’s
made these snakes. Which are half yellow and
half green? Break them in half to check.
strip has a different even number of up
to 12 objects and that they can be
coloured in. We’re going to make some
party hats for Teddy’s party. He’s
measured everyone’s heads, and wants
half of the stars to be coloured green,
and half to be coloured in yellow. How
can we help him? Draw out that we
could fold each strip in half to help us
to colour half of each number of stars
in green and the other half in yellow.
Discuss the numbers of stars e.g. this
strip has ten stars, five are green and
five are yellow, the same number. What
is five add five? How else can we say
this? Remind chn of their work on
doubles. Look for other doubles on the
party hats.
shaded, and some with more/less
than half shaded. Ask chn to ring
those that have half coloured and
so would be good for Teddy’s
party.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
than half is
coloured in
green/yellow as
well as some where
half is coloured
yellow and half is
coloured green,
unpainted replicas
of each shape
 Green and yellow
interconnecting
cubes
 Strips of paper
with evenly spaced
objects
Go Maths PCM 53
Y1 Maths TS12 – Aut – 2days