YEAR 5 MATHS FOCUS
MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRY
Area
Learning Experiences
Area
AREA
OUTCOME
A student:
MA3-10MG:
selects and uses the appropriate unit to calculate areas, including areas of squares, rectangles and triangles
TEACHING POINTS | Students should have a clear understanding of the distinction between perimeter and area. |
| It is important in Stage 3 that students establish a real reference for the square kilometre and the hectare, eg locating an area of one square kilometre or an area of one hectare on a local map. | |
| When students are able to measure efficiently and effectively using formal units, they should be encouraged to apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts. | |
| Students could be encouraged to find more efficient ways of counting when determining area, such as finding how many squares in one row and multiplying this by the number of rows. They should then begin to generalise their methods to calculate the areas of rectangles (including squares) and triangles. | |
| When generalising their methods to calculate areas, students in Stage 3 should use words. Algebraic formulas for areas are not introduced until Stage 4. |
LANGUAGE | Students should be able to communicate using the following language: area, measure, square centimetre, square metre, square kilometre, hectare, dimensions, length, width. |
| The abbreviation m^2 is read as ‘square metre(s)’ and not ‘metre(s) squared’ or ‘metre(s) square’. | |
| The abbreviation cm^2 is read as ‘square centimetre(s)’ and not ‘centimetre(s) squared’ or ‘centimetre(s) square’. |
EXPECTATIONS OF ATTAINMENT
Choose appropriate units of measurement for area (ACMMG108) | recognise the need for a formal unit larger than the square metre |
| identify situations where square kilometres are used for measuring area, eg a suburb {Critical and creative thinking} | |
| recognise and explain the need for a more convenient unit than the square kilometre | |
| recognise that there are 10 000 square metres in one hectare, ie 10 000 square metres = 1 hectare | |
| – equate one hectare to the area of a square with side lengths of 100 m {Communicating} | |
| – relate the hectare to common large pieces of land, including courts and fields for sports {Reasoning} | |
| – determine the dimensions of different rectangles with an area of one hectare {Problem Solving, Critical and creative thinking} | |
| record areas using the abbreviations for square kilometres (km2) and hectares (ha) {Literacy} |
Calculate the areas of rectangles using familiar metric units (ACMMG109) | establish the relationship between the lengths, widths and areas of rectangles (including squares) {Critical and creative thinking} |
| – explain that the area of a rectangle can be found by multiplying the length by the width {Communicating, Reasoning} | |
| record, using words, the method for finding the area of any rectangle, e.g. ‘Area of rectangle = length × width’ {Literacy} | |
| calculate areas of rectangles (including squares) in square centimetres and square metres | |
| – recognise that rectangles with the same area may have different dimensions {Reasoning, Critical and creative thinking} | |
| – connect factors of a number with the whole-number dimensions of different rectangles with the same area {Reasoning, Critical and creative thinking} | |
| record calculations used to find the areas of rectangles (including squares) | |
| apply measurement skills to solve problems involving the areas of rectangles (including squares) in everyday situations, e.g. determine the area of a basketball court | |
| measure the dimensions of a large rectangular piece of land in metres and calculate its area in hectares, e.g. the local park {Sustainability} |
Learning Experiences
To be added