Design for Learning

Instructor: Aaron Conner Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3

rd
Grade
Lesson Title: Area and Perimeter Date: April 14, 2014
Curriculum Area: Area and Perimeter Estimated Time: 30 minutes


Standards Connection: AL 3
rd
Mathematics (23) Solve real-world and mathematical
problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the
side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same
perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.

Learning Objective(s): The students will practice finding the perimeter and area of
various polygons.

Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language: Class, today we are going to
look at a few different shapes and find the perimeter and area of those shapes.

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): Students will correctly solve 4 out of 5 real world
math problems in their journals.

Engagement: The teacher will start the class by introducing what perimeter and area is.
Class, who can tell me what the definition of perimeter is? Yes perimeter is the distance
around a shape. Now who can tell me what the definition of area is? Yes area is the
space that is held within an object or shape. So you might ask why we are talking about
area and perimeter. Well, we are going to practice using perimeter and area to solve
some problems that you might really find in real life.
The teacher will then describe the many situations in real life that area and perimeter are
applicable.
What are some of your parents jobs? Carpenter, construction worker, teacher, scientist,
soldier, gardener, alright that is great. So how would you feel if I told you that all of
these occupations require their workers to use area and perimeter in some degree to be
successful? Well believe it or not, it is true! For example, a soldier may need to know the
perimeter of a base that he or she is defending, a scientist may need to know the area of a
room that he or she is experimenting in and a construction worker may need to know the
area and perimeter of the foundation that he or she is about to pour concrete into.

Learning Design:

I. Teaching: The teacher will work one of the situations that he/she described to the class
out on the promethean board so that they can see all of the different steps in finding the
perimeter.
Alright class lets look at one of the examples that we talked about and work out how to
find the perimeter. Lets say that the construction worker needed to board up the
foundation area so that the concrete would sit and not run off as it is being poured. He
will need to know the perimeter so that he can get enough wood to go along the sides.
Lets say that the foundation is a rectangle and one side is 10 feet and another side is 14
feet. So since the foundation is a rectangle we know that the opposite sides are
congruent. This means that there are two sides that are 10 feet long and two sides that
are 14 feet long. We can add up all of the sides to find the perimeter like this
10+10+14+14 and find the answer of 48. This means that the construction worker needs
48 feet of wood to surround his foundations (perimeter).
The teacher will work another problem but will be focused this time on the area of the
shape.
Now lets look at the same example and find the area. Since we already know that the
sides are 10 and 14 feet we can multiply them together to find the area. Area is length
multiplied with the width so we do the following: 10*14= 140. Imagine that the rectangle
has a grid on it and one side has ten lines and the other has fourteen. This will make a
massive grid and you could count the squares to find the area. Our foundation had 140
squares in it and so it is much easier to just multiply the length with the width and find
your answer. So the construction worker is going to need 140 ft2 of concrete to fill the
foundation.


II. Opportunity for Practice: The teacher will split the class into groups and will have
them work together to solve three problems involving both perimeter and area with the
math blocks.
If you look in the middle of your tables you will find the bags of blocks. I want you all to
construct the following shapes using these dimensions: 2x6, 3x4, and 1x12. I want you to
come up with a group answer sheet and answer the following questions for each of the
configurations. What is the area and what is the perimeter? You will have fifteen minutes
to work and explore. When you are finished raise your hands and let me know so that I
can check it and ensure that you have answered it correctly. Of course if you have any
questions feel free to ask me at any time but I would like this to be a time of discovery so
use your blocks and shapes to find and check your work.

III. Assessment: The teacher will have five problems that are based on real world
situations that will include area and perimeter and will give the students fifteen minutes
to complete the assessment.
Alright class, I have written down the following problems on the board. They are real life
examples and require you to find the area, perimeter or both as the answer to the
problem. I will be giving you fifteen minutes to complete these five problems. You must
work them out in your math notebooks and complete them on your own. Time begins now.
The following are the questions that the teacher will write on the promethean board:
1. You are an Army Commander and have a base that needs to be
protected by barbed wire fence along the outside perimeter. You know
that one side is 32 ft. wide and another is 25 ft. long. How much
barbed wire will you need?
2. You have a garden that is 3 ft. by 4 ft. and you want to know how
much soil you have to plant flowers with. What is the area of the
garden?
3. Your dad is building a playground in the backyard and makes the tree
house 8 ft. by 6 ft. How much room do you have in the house to play
(area)?
4. A basketball court is 60 ft. by 45 ft. and your coach tells you to run
around the court one time. How far will you have run when you
complete one lap (perimeter)?
5. As an engineer, you are needed to figure out the area and perimeter of
a new buildings foundations. The length is 17 ft. and the width is 36
ft. What is the area and what is the perimeter for the foundations?

IV. Closure: The teacher will remind the students that this math is applicable in the real
world and will ask the students if they have any questions about the topic.
Remember class, all that we have learned today is usable or applicable in real life. Many
of you will go on to have careers in construction, architecture, military, engineering, and
many other professions that require the daily use of area and perimeter. You will use
these skills even sooner as you are getting closer to middle school and high school. The
math that they teach there will require you to use area and perimeter especially in
geometry. You have all done a great job today with what you were given and I am excited
to try the next level of math with you tomorrow.

Materials and Resources:
Math Blocks
White Board
Markers
Math Journals
Pencils
Promethean Board


Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Higher Students who are in need of enrichment will be given more complex shapes to
find the perimeter and area of.
Lower Students who are in need of extra support will be given simpler shapes to find
the area and perimeter of.

Data Analysis: The students did a good job of answering the questions throughout and at
the assessment. For the most part, the class really grasped the concept of area and
perimeter but hade issues when the area and perimeter were of objects that were not
squares or rectangles.

Reflection: This lesson did not go as well as planned because I assumed that the students
knew how to multiply multi-digit numbers. I spent a lot of time re-teaching this skill
instead of teaching the desired material.






Samford University
Design for Learning