E2.8 Use appropriate non-standard units to measure area, and explain the effect that gaps and overlaps have on accuracy.
Activity 1: Area Measurement Activity - Covering Areas
Materials
- shapes of various sizes (taken from a coloring book or simply made)
- interlocking cubes and small cubes from the Base-10 material or a Cuisenaire rods set
Instructions
Teachers
Choose a shape (simple at first).
Ask students to estimate the number of interlocking cubes needed to cover the shape.
Listen and observe students.
Ask them if they will need more or fewer small cubes to cover the same shape.
Ask them to explain their reasoning.
Ask them to estimate the number of small cubes that will be needed to cover the shape.
Listen and observe students.
Students
They estimate how many interlocking cubes will be needed.
They cover the shape with the cubes and count them to find out the quantity.
They estimate the number of small cubes that will be needed.
They cover the shape with the small cubes and count them to find out the quantity.
They explain why more small cubes are needed than large ones.
Source: translated from L'@telier - Ressources pédagogiques en ligne (atelier.on.ca), p. 2.
Activity 2: Determining the Approximate Area
Goal
This activity allows the student to measure the area of an object with various non-standard units.
Materials
- Sticky notes
- Dominoes
- Quarters from school play money
- Grid on transparent sheet
- Lead pencil, large sheet of paper, tape
Instructions
Form teams of two.
Provide each team with post-it notes, quarters, a grid, etc.
Have students measure the area of a desk with the dominoes.
Have students remeasure the area of the same desk with quarters.
Ask the following questions:
- How could the area of the desk be measured with only one domino?
- How could the area of the desk be measured with a single sticky note?
- Will more dominoes or more sticky notes be needed to cover the area of the desk? How do you know?
- What is the area of the desk using dominoes?
- What is the area of the desk using sticky notes?
Have students measure the area of any shape or a giant book with:
- a sticky note;
- a grid;
- a quarter.
Review with the whole class so that students realize that no matter what unit is used, the area of an object does not change.
Source: translated from L'@telier - Ressources pédagogiques en ligne (atelier.on.ca).