Area Matters! Finding the Area of Rectangles

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Learn how to use multiplication to find the area of a rectangle.

Watch the videos below to learn what area is and how to find the area of a rectangle. Answer the following questions as you work through the videos.

• What is the definition of area?
• How can you find the area of a rectangle?
• Is there more than one way to find the area of a rectangle?
• How should the area of a rectangle always be labeled?

Learn how to calculate the area of a rectangle in the video below.

Now, learn how to calculate the area of a rectangle with the next video.

After watching the videos, answer the following question in a paragraph.

• How do you find the area of a rectangle using the formula area equals length times width?

Give step-by-step instructions for finding the area of a rectangle. Use the Graphic Organizer - Flow Chart in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar to organize your thoughts.

Try it this way: Pretend you are teaching a younger person how to find the area of a rectangle by multiplying. Give specific instructions, such as: First you do this, then you do this, etc.

Next, watch the videos below to learn how to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers or review the process.

Now, practice finding the area of a rectangle (or square) in a word problem. The following is an example of a word problem.

A rectangular basketball court is 29 meters long by 15 meters wide. What is the area of the basketball court?

For more practice before moving on, create the same shape as the basketball court using your building bricks. Make a rectangle using 435 posts (the little round things that stick up and go into the holes of the other blocks).

Now, try some of these.

1. Make a rectangle using 120 posts.
2. Make a rectangle using 350 posts.
3. Make a rectangle using 95 posts.

Continue to the Got It? section to work on some every-day problems!