Grade 2 Mathematics Whole Numbers – Rectangular Cutouts In Four Equal Parts Notes
Mathematics — Whole Numbers
Subtopic: Rectangular Cutouts in Four Equal Parts (Age 7)
When we cut a rectangle into four equal parts, each part is the same size. We can cut a rectangle with:
- one vertical cut and one horizontal cut that meet in the middle, or
- two cuts that make four equal boxes (quarters).
- Draw a rectangle on paper.
- Fold it once from left to right — this gives two equal parts (halves).
- Open and fold from top to bottom — now you have four equal parts (quarters).
Each of the four parts has the same shape and the same area (size). They look the same in size even if they have different colours.
Using Whole Numbers with 4 Equal Parts
We can share whole objects (like mandazis, pencils, or apples) into the four equal parts so each part gets the same whole number of items when possible.
If we have 8 mandazis and cut a rectangle into 4 equal parts to share them equally, each part gets 2 mandazis because 8 ÷ 4 = 2.
If there are 12 pencils shared into 4 equal boxes, each box gets 3 pencils because 12 ÷ 4 = 3.
Sometimes the number of items cannot be shared into 4 equal whole numbers (for example 5 ÷ 4). At this age we first practise with numbers that split evenly (like 4, 8, 12).
Practice (Try these)
- Draw a rectangle and cut it into 4 equal parts. Colour one part. How many parts are coloured?
- You have 4 friends and 8 chapatis. If you put the chapatis in 4 equal boxes (one box for each friend), how many chapatis in each box?
- If a teacher gives 16 stickers to share into 4 groups equally, how many stickers in each group?
- Is it possible to share 5 pencils into 4 equal whole parts? (Talk with your friend and explain why.)
- One part coloured = 1 out of 4 parts (one quarter).
- 8 ÷ 4 = 2 chapatis in each box.
- 16 ÷ 4 = 4 stickers in each group.
- No. 5 cannot be split into 4 equal whole parts (because 5 ÷ 4 is not a whole number). You can show some children will get 1 and some will get more if you try to give whole pencils only.
Activity (Hands-on)
- Take a rectangular paper (hand size). Fold once left-right and once top-bottom. Open and colour one quarter. Ask a friend to cut along the fold lines. Count items to share into the 4 parts (use seeds, buttons or stones).
Prepared for Kenyan learners (age 7). Use local examples like mandazis, chapatis or pencils to practise sharing into four equal parts.