Arranging Area (adapted from Arlington, MAs Math Curriculum) For Ms.

Walls 3rd Grade Class in Arlington, MA 1 IEP student 1 504 plan student 1 ELL student Objectives: 1. Understand that shapes with the same area can look different 2. Use squares and triangles to make shapes with an area of four square units Understandings: 1. Students will be able to draw a wide variety of combinations of squares and triangles with an area of four square units 2. Students will be able to articulate how all the different figures they create will have a figure of four square units 3. Students will be able to find the area of a rectangular figure. Assessment: Arlington Math Programs Student Activity Book Unit 4 pages 29-30 Student shapes created on grid paper Concluding drawing of shapes on the board Instructional Approach: 1. Before beginning, have the easel, easel pad, and markers ready. Say to students, Today we will be exploring the area of the different shapes we have been working with. First, we will do some warm up activities in our books to remind us about how to find the area of arrays. Before we do that though, I want to introduce our main activity for today. We are going to be taking squares and right triangles to make shapes with areas of four square units. Your goal is to come up with as many different combinations of squares and right triangles to create different shapes with an area of four square units. There are two rules though. The first rule is Each new shape, like tetrominoes, must have full sides touching. 2. Draw the example shapes on the easel pad. Draw three shapes that adhere to the first rule and three shapes that dont work. Ask the students, Which of these shapes fit the rule? 3. Discuss with the students which ones work and dont work and why? 4. Say to students, The second rule is that each shape should be different from any others. Different means that shapes are not congruent through rotation or reflection (turns and flips). 5. Draw a picture of two shapes that are the same on the easel pad. One is a rotation of the other. Ask the students, What is the same about these two shapes, and what is different about them? Discuss the students answers with them. 6. Say to students, Another part of the second rule is that if you can lay one whole shape on top of another whole shape, it is considered the same shape.

7. Draw two shapes on the easel pad. They are the same shape but made with different pieces. Ask the students, What is the same about these tow shapes, and what is different about them? Discuss the students answers with them. 8. Say to students, Now it is time to work on your warm up problems in your book. After you have had your pages checked by Ms. Wall or myself, you will receive some graph paper and will begin creating different figures with squares and right triangles that have areas of 4 square units. 9. Write Unit 4 pages 29-30 on the board and draw a square and a right triangle on the board so the students are reminded what shapes they are working with. 10. Walk amongst the students and examine their work, aiding them when necessary. 11. When 15 minutes are left of the math period, gather the students back on the rug. Have the easel ready with a new sheet of paper and 4 markers. 12. Ask the students, What were different combinations of shapes you found that had areas of four square units? Call on different students and have them draw their shapes on the board remind them that their shapes must fit the rule before they draw them on the easel pad. 13. Discuss each shape each child draws with the rest of the class and make sure it fits each rule. 14. When several shapes have been drawn, say to students, Today, friends, we have explored how shapes that look different can have the same area. Differentiation: I chose to introduce the activity before the warm up because there are such a wide variety of learners in the class that they all finish at different times and I did not want to let them do the warm up, then need to re-explain the activity. Materials needed: Easel Easel pad of paper 4 markers graph paper Arlington, MAs math activity book Sponge Activity: Students will be permitted to do activities and games in our classroom that are math related. We have shape multiplication puzzles and other math games they can play by themselves or with a partner.

These are the shapes that fit the first rule that will be drawn on the white board

These are the shapes to draw on the easel pad for the 2 parts of rule number 2.

Activity book pages for warm up: