Lesson 2.2.1Concept: Exploring Area

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As you work today to explore the concept of area and how to measure it, keep the following questions in mind.  They will help guide your conversations with your team.

• What can we measure?• What could we use to measure this?

• How can we record it?

Vocabulary: Area (page 20 Toolkit)

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#20. HOW BIG IS YOUR DESK? Imagine that your school is about to get new desks.  Do you have any preferences about the size of the new desks?  Today you will answer the question, “How big is your desk?”

Your task: Find several things about your desk that you can measure.  You may use tools that you already have or choose from the tools your teacher makes available.  Follow your teacher’s directions for collecting the data as a team and record your work on your paper.  Answer the question “How big is your desk?” in as many ways as you can and be prepared to explain:

a. What part or parts of the desk you measured.b. Why you chose the tool you did.c. How you used the tool to arrive at your answer.d. How you wrote the resulting answer(s) with numbers.

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#21. Now you will focus on measuring just the top of your desk.  This flat space is called your “work area” for a reason.  To determine how much space you have on the top of your desk, you will measure its area.

a. Get units from your teacher that can be used to measure area.  Cover your desktop with these units so that there are no gaps or overlaps.  You may need to estimate or use partial units. 

b. Count the number of units you need to cover the area of your desk.  Be prepared to share your answer with the class. 

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#22. BLOCK IT Maureen is a graphic designer and wants to measure the area of her desk.  The only tools she has are green, blue, red, and yellow pattern blocks.  She wonders if it matters which of the blocks she uses.  Use pattern blocks to help Maureen by answering the questions below. 

a. If Maureen decides that the green triangle represents one unit of area, then what is the area of the blue rhombus?  The red trapezoid?  The yellow hexagon? 

b. What if, instead of the green triangle, Maureen decides the blue rhombus represents one unit of area?  What would the area of the green triangle be?  The red trapezoid?  The yellow hexagon?

c. If Maureen decides that the red trapezoid represents an area of one unit, what is the area of the green triangle?  The blue rhombus?  The yellow hexagon? 

d. Maureen has finally decided that she should use the biggest block and will make the yellow hexagon represent an area of one unit.  Now what is the area of the green triangle?  The blue rhombus?  The red trapezoid?

 

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# 23. LEARNING LOG

Label this entry “Area” and include today’s date.

1.Describe area. 

2.What makes area different from length? 

3.What can you use to measure area?  Include examples. 

Tonight’s homework is… 2.2.1 Review & Preview, problems #24 - #28. (text page )

• Label your assignment with your name and Lesson number in the upper right hand corner of a piece of notebook paper. (Lesson 2.2.1)

•Show all work and justify your answers for full credit.

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