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.