The Whole Year

Age
6-9.

Materials

 * Whole year calendars pasted together to be a long strip showing each day. This may be rolled or folded for storage.
 * "Year and its parts" six strips of various parts of the year, six arrows or labels. for each part.
 * Cardboard circle fraction inset of 11/12 and 1/12.
 * Metal insets: whole, 1/2,1/3,1/4, 1/6 of a circle.

Preparation
The child should have had previous work with fractions. The seasons work should be done parallel with this work.

Presentation

 * 1) After seeing time represented one day at a time, let's see what a year looks like.
 * 2) One long calendar strip is rolled out.
 * 3) The children read the names of the days of the week and the names of the months.
 * 4) Note; If the child at this point has not learned the names of the months and the number of months in the year, s/he should study them with this and other language materials.
 * 5) Other calendars, the smallest last, are rolled out to be examined and compared, and to show the child that despite the different sizes, each shows the same amount of time: a whole year.
 * 6) The measurement used for each unit (day) must be maintained throughout.
 * 7) "A Year and its Parts" The whole year and its parts is laid out.
 * 8) The labels "One whole year - twelve months" is placed to the right.
 * 9) The whole metal inset also representing ONE is placed to the left.
 * 10) The strip is folded to make two equal parts.
 * 11) The parts are then counted.
 * 12) The calendar strips for 6 months are compared to the two equal parts.
 * 13) The children are shown that the two equal parts equal ONE Whole.
 * 14) The label "1/2 year - 6 months" is placed on the right and the 1/2 metal inset is placed to the left of the strip.
 * 15) The presentation continues with "1/3 year - 4 months", "1/4 year - three months, a season", 1/6 year - two months" and "1/12 year - one month".
 * 16) A three period lesson follows this work as a review session.

Purpose
Direct Aim: 


 * To have the child see a representation of a whole year.
 * To have the child understand the concept of a year.
 * To have the child understand the concept of a month.
 * To have the child learn the divisions of a year.

Indirect Aim:


 * Preparation for historical time lines.