National curriculum content

• Calculate and compare the area of rectangles (including squares), and including using standard units, square centimetres (cm²) and square metres (m²) and estimate the area of irregular shapes

Lesson objectives

• What is area?
• Counting squares
• Making shapes
• Comparing area

What we want children to know

• How to measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm)
• How to measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes, to measure using the appropriate tools and units, progressing to using a wider range of measures, including comparing and using mixed units

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  What skills we want children to develop

  Use knowledge to solve reasoning and problem solving questions such as:

   

  Testing conditions:

  Two children have measured the top of their desk. They used different sized squares.
  Dora says, “The area of the table top is 6 squares.”

  Alex says, “The area of the table top is 9 squares.”

  Who used the largest squares? How do you know?
  
  Making comparisons by drawing shapes:
  Use squared paper to draw 4 different rectilinear shapes with an area of 12 squares. Compare your shapes to a partner. Are they the same? Are they different?
  
  Mathematical Talk

• What strategy can you use to ensure you don’t count a square twice?
• Why are shapes with perpendicular sides more effective to find the area of rectilinear shapes?