Create your own shapes using colorful blocks and explore the relationship between perimeter and area. Compare the area and perimeter of two shapes side-by-side. Challenge yourself in the game screen to build shapes or find the area of funky figures. Try to collect lots of stars!

This lesson is based on the results of a performance task in which we realized that students' understanding of area and perimeter was mostly procedural. Therefore the purpose of this re-engagement lesson was to address student misconceptions and deepen student understanding of area and perimeter. The standards addressed in this lesson involve finding perimeter and area of various shapes, finding the perimeter when given a fixed area, and using a formula in a practical context. Challenges for our students included decoding the language in the problem and proving their thinking. (7th Grade Math)

An interactive applet and associated web page showing how to find the area and perimeter of a square from the coordinates of its vertices. The square can be either parallel to the axes or rotated. The grid and coordinates can be turned on and off. The area and perimeter calculation can be turned off to permit class exercises and then turned back on the verify the answers. The applet can be printed as it appears on the screen to make handouts. The web page has a full description of the method for determining area and perimeter, a worked example and has links to other pages relating to coordinate geometry. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate the area of a circle. A circle is shown with a point on the circumference that can be dragged to resize the circle. As the circle is resized, the radius and the area computation is shown changing in real time. The radius and formula can be hidden for class discussion. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate the area of an ellipse. The major and minor axes can be dragged and the area is continuously recalculated. The ellipse has a grid inside it so that students can estimate the area and compare the result to the calculated one. The web page has the formula for the area calculation. The web page also has links to other pages defining the various properties of an ellipse and to some ellipse constructions. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

This short video and interactive assessment activity is designed to teach second graders an overview of area.

This short video and interactive assessment activity is designed to teach third graders about area in grid.

This short video and interactive assessment activity is designed to teach third graders an overview of area of squares and rectangles - word problems.

An interactive applet and associated web page that deals with the area of a kite, (a quadrilateral with two distinct pairs of equal adjacent sides). The applet shows a kite and the user can reshape it by dragging any vertex. The other vertices move automatically to ensure it always remains a kite. As the vertices are dragged, the area is continuously recalculated and displayed. The kite is filled with a grid of unit squares so that the students can estimate the area. The on-screen calculation can be hidden until the estimates are done. The web page lists two different ways to compute the area of a kite. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate the area of a segment of a circle - a part of a circle cut off by a chord. The applet shows a circle and a segment of that circle, the ends of which can be dragged to resize the segment. As you drag the endpoints, the area is continuously recalculated. The calculation can be turned off for class discussions. The web page has the formula for the area. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

A web page and interactive applet show how to compute the area of an annulus. Text on the page explains that the area is the overall area minus the area of the circular 'hole' in the center. For those who prefer it in a formula that is given. The user can resize the two circles defining the annulus and visually estimate the area from a unit grid drawn inside it. A companion page is Definition of an Annulus at http://www.mathopenref.com/annulus.html Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

A web page and interactive applet showing the ways to calculate the area of a parallelogram. The user can drag the vertices of the parallelogram and the other points change automatically to ensure it remains a parallelogram. A grid inside the shape allows students to estimate the area visually, then check against the actual computed area, which is continuously recomputed and displayed. The text on the page gives three different ways to calculate the area with a formula for each. The applet uses one of the methods to compute the area in real time, so it changes as the rhombus is reshaped with the mouse. A companion page is http://www.mathopenref.com/parallelogram.html showing the definition and properties of a parallelogram Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

A web page and interactive applet showing the ways to calculate the area of a rectangle. The user can drag the vertices of the rectangle and the other points change automatically to ensure it remains a rectangle. A grid inside the shape allows students to estimate the area visually, then check against the actual computed area. The text on the page gives three different ways to calculate the area with a formula for each. The applet uses one of the methods to compute the area in real time, so it changes as the rectangle is reshaped with the mouse. A companion page is http://www.mathopenref.com/rectangle.html showing the definition and properties of a rectangle Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate the area of a square. The applet shows a square with all vertices draggable. As you drag any one, the area id continuously calculated and shown on the applet. The square is filled with a unit grid to allow class estimation of area. The displayed calculation can be turned off. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

A web page and interactive applet showing the ways to calculate the area of a trapezoid. The user can drag the vertices of the trapezoid and the other points change automatically to ensure it remains a trapezoid. A grid inside the shape allows students to estimate the area visually, then check against the actual computed area. The text on the page gives three different ways to calculate the area with a formula for each. The applet uses one of the methods to compute the area in real time, so it changes as the trapezoid is reshaped with the mouse. A companion page is http://www.mathopenref.com/trapezoid.html showing the definition and properties of a trapezoid. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that calculate the area of a triangle using the formula method in coordinate geometry. The applet has a triangle with draggable vertices. As you drag them the triangle's area is recalculated from the vertex coordinates using the formula. The grid and coordinates can be turned on and off. The area calculation can be turned off to permit class exercises and then turned back on the verify the answers. The applet can be printed as it appears on the screen to make handouts. The web page has a full description of the method for determining area using the formula method, a worked example and has links to other pages relating to coordinate geometry. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that explain the area of a triangle. The applet shows a triangle that can be reshaped by dragging any vertex. As it changes, the area is continually recalculated using the 'half base times height' method. The triangle has a fixed square grid in its interior that can be used to visually estimate the area for later correlation with the calculated value. The calculation can be hidden while estimation is in progress. The text page has links to a similar page that uses Heron's Formula to compute the area. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

An interactive applet and associated web page that calculate the area of a triangle using the box method in coordinate geometry. The applet has a triangle with draggable vertices. As you drag them the triangle's bounding box is shown and the area recalculated by subtracting the areas of the outside triangles. The grid and coordinates can be turned on and off. The area calculation can be turned off to permit class exercises and then turned back on the verify the answers. The applet can be printed as it appears on the screen to make handouts. The web page has a full description of the method for determining area using the box method, a worked example and has links to other pages relating to coordinate geometry. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.

This problem is part of a very rich tradition of problems looking to maximize the area enclosed by a shape with fixed perimeter. Only three shapes are considered here because the problem is difficult for more irregular shapes.

The purpose of this task is primarily assessment-oriented, asking students to demonstrate knowledge of how to determine the congruency of triangles.