area and perimeter

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Home : 2002 : January : 26

area and perimeter
By Carolyn

I guess the ideas will depend upon the grade level. I teach fifth grade. We use geoboards, which I think help enormously in getting kids to understand that area = square units or square centimeters square inches, etc.
We also use graph paper to create various areas. I will have the kids see how many different ways they can come up with an area of 16 square centimeters, for example. Once they get the concept, I try to have them create a space ship, a house, or something else on graph paper with square units. Then they identify how many square centimeters they have used. Of course, they color the house

or whatever else they have drawn, and you can display it.

I will also give them some practical experience. We went outside of the school building to measure the perimeter of the flower gardens. They are in an octagonal shape, so this was an interesting activity. They could measure the perimeter of the blocks of the sidewalk and other items outdoors.