Area Explorers: From Counting Squares to Multiplying!

Mathematics Grades 4th Grade 3:22 Video
Print Lesson Plan Watch Video

Lesson Description

Learn how to find the area of a rectangle by counting squares and by multiplying its sides. Discover the connection between these two methods!

Video Resource

Transitioning from counting to multiplying to find area | 3rd grade | Khan Academy

Khan Academy

Duration: 3:22
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Area as the space covered by a shape
  • Square units as the measurement for area
  • Relationship between counting squares and multiplying side lengths to find area

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to determine the area of a rectangle by counting square units.
  • Students will be able to calculate the area of a rectangle by multiplying its length and width.
  • Students will be able to explain why both methods (counting and multiplying) result in the same area.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they know about area. Show them a few rectangles and ask how they might find out how much space each one covers. Introduce the idea of square units.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the Khan Academy video: 'Transitioning from counting to multiplying to find area | 3rd grade | Khan Academy'. Instruct students to pay attention to how Lindsay finds the area using both counting and multiplication.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, discuss the two methods Lindsay used. Ask students which method they prefer and why. Emphasize that both methods give the same answer.
  • Practice Activity (10 mins)
    Provide students with worksheets containing various rectangles. Some rectangles should have visible square units, while others should only have side lengths labeled. Have students find the area of each rectangle using either counting or multiplication. Encourage them to use both methods to check their answers.
  • Wrap-up (3 mins)
    Review the key concepts of the lesson. Remind students that area is the space inside a shape, and it can be found by counting squares or multiplying side lengths.

Interactive Exercises

  • Area Matching Game
    Create a matching game with cards showing rectangles (some with squares, some with only dimensions) and cards showing the corresponding areas. Students match the rectangles to their correct areas.

Discussion Questions

  • What does 'area' mean?
  • What is a square unit?
  • Why does multiplying the side lengths of a rectangle give you the same answer as counting the squares inside?

Skills Developed

  • Multiplication
  • Problem-solving
  • Spatial reasoning
  • Critical Thinking

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is area?

Correct Answer: The space inside a shape

Question 2:

A rectangle has a length of 5 units and a width of 3 units. What is its area?

Correct Answer: 15 square units

Question 3:

If you count 20 squares inside a rectangle, what is its area?

Correct Answer: 20 square units

Question 4:

Which of these is NOT a way to find the area of a rectangle?

Correct Answer: Adding all the sides together

Question 5:

A square has sides of 4 units each. What is its area?

Correct Answer: 16 square units

Question 6:

What unit do we use to measure area?

Correct Answer: Square Units

Question 7:

If a rectangle is 6 units long and 2 units wide, what is the area?

Correct Answer: 12 square units

Question 8:

Which shape would use square units to measure the space it takes up?

Correct Answer: Rectangle

Question 9:

A rectangle has an area of 24 square units. If one side is 4 units long, how long is the other side?

Correct Answer: 6 units

Question 10:

Which shows the correct way to find area?

Correct Answer: Length x Width

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Area is the amount of _______ a shape covers.

Correct Answer: space

Question 2:

We measure area in _______ _______.

Correct Answer: square units

Question 3:

To find the area of a rectangle, you can _______ the length and the width.

Correct Answer: multiply

Question 4:

If a rectangle has 7 rows of squares, each with 3 squares, it has a total area of ______ square units.

Correct Answer: 21

Question 5:

The area of a shape tells you how much _______ it takes to cover the whole surface.

Correct Answer: space

Question 6:

Counting _______ can help you find the area of a shape.

Correct Answer: squares

Question 7:

A rectangle is 8 units long and 5 units wide. Its area is _______ square units.

Correct Answer: 40

Question 8:

The opposite of finding area is to measure the _______ around a shape.

Correct Answer: perimeter

Question 9:

If all sides of a square are 5 units, the area is _______ square units.

Correct Answer: 25

Question 10:

Length times Width is the formula for finding the _________ of a rectangle.

Correct Answer: area

Educational Standards

4.GM.2.2:Find the area of polygons by determining if they can be decomposed into rectangles. 4.N.2.1:Demonstrate fluency with multiplication and division facts with factors up to 12.

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
Add to Google Classroom

User Actions

Sign in to save this lesson plan to your favorites.

Sign In

Share This Lesson

Related Lesson Plans