Area

Strand: Shape and Space (Measurement)
Outcome: 2

Step 5: Follow-up on Assessment

Guiding Questions

What conclusions can be made from assessment information?
How effective have instructional approaches been?
What are the next steps in instruction?

A. Addressing Gaps in Learning

Have students provide real-world examples of where area is used. Have them compare area to perimeter by explaining how the two concepts are the same and how they are different. They could record their ideas in a Venn diagram.Review prior knowledge about the formula for the area of a rectangle. This forms the basis for the formulas for the area of parallelograms, triangles and circles. Also review circumference as this measure is used in one method of finding the area of a circle.
Provide students with geoboards and geopaper. Have them construct rectangles, parallelograms and triangles on the geoboards, find the areas by counting the nonstandard units on the geoboard, draw the corresponding diagrams on geopaper and write the areas of the figures. Have them explore what happens to the area when the height of the figure is cut in half or doubled.
Emphasize the connections among the formulas for the area of rectangles, parallelograms, triangles and circles.
Encourage students to use calculators as they apply the formulas in solving real-world problems.
In solving problems, have students read the problem orally, identify the needed information, draw and label diagrams if necessary, estimate the answer, choose the correct formula, substitute the numbers into the formula and write their answers, using both a numerical value and the unit.
Remind students that the units used in the formulas must be the same; e.g., if the base of the parallelogram is measured in metres, then the height must also be measured in metres.

B. Reinforcing and Extending Learning

Students who have achieved or exceeded the outcomes will benefit from ongoing opportunities to apply and extend their learning. These activities should support students in developing a deeper understanding of the concept and should not progress to the outcomes in subsequent grades.

Strategies for Reinforcing and Extending Learning Word