Students explore the concept of area as covering a surface, and to introduce the formula for calculating the area of a rectangle.
Teacher notes
- Students estimate the area of the shape (square, rectangle or L shaped) using a reference square. Students cover the shape with the square, first completing a row or a column and then copying the entire row or column to complete the shape.
- Students then calculate the area, using the dimensions of the shape to fill in the formula length X width.
- An animated multiplication table supports students who experience difficulty with calculating the product.
Learning objects
Finding the area of compound shapes |