Problem Solvers Lesson Plan: DAY 1

Teacher: Nicole Swenson Subject: Area of shapes Title: Make me a Rectangle

Learning Goals: Students will fnd the area of various rectangles b connecting perimeter to
area! the will derive the formula for determining area of a rectangle"
Justifcation of Lesson: #n $
th
grade students are e%pected to reach the below standard
regarding area of polgons" &uring the pre'assessment man students demonstrated that the
do not have a strong grasp of perimeter or area of polgons" (erimeter is a prere)uisite skill to
have before the concept of area can be developed" Additionall upon researching the *ommon
*ore standards # found that perimeter is not formall addressed in an grade preceding $
th
" #t is
because of this that # have decided on a learning progression that frst reviews the concept of
perimeter! develops an understanding of areas of rectangles! then e%plores how the area of
triangles are related to other polgons"
Common Core Content Standards Approached in this Lesson:
Standard:6.G.A.1- Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by
composing into rectangles or decamping into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context
of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
nstructional !aterials" #esources" and $echnolog%:
' A +,T of s)uare stick notes -preferabl all same color.
' #nde% cards / 01
' (encils
' Stick note worksheet / enough for class
' *op of garden diagram2problem
' (aper for students to work on
' Rectangular surfaces -provided b classroom environment.
$ime: &S$#'C$(&AL S)*')&C)
$each $as+s Student $as+s
31 min ,)-(#):
Activating Prior .no/ledge: Put three
diferent sized rectangles on the doc cam
(these are drawn and labeled with side
lengths) #ndividuall please fnd the perimeter
of each of these rectangles" As a class we will
discuss these when we4ve all had time to
work"
Engage in discussion about perimeter:
' 5ow do we fnd perimeter6
' 7hat do ou look for when ou4re
fnding perimeter6
' 5ow do ou know what a side length is6
' 7hat are the steps ou go through to
fgure out the perimeter6
' 7hat else do ou know about
perimeter6
' *an ou generali8e this idea of
perimeter to other shapes6
At the end of this discussion the class
should come to a conclusive idea that
perimeter is distance around the shape.
7hat is another measurement of a shape
that is important6 Record student answers if
Students sitting in their seats
listening attentivel to directions and
discussion" (articipating in the entr
task of perimeter e%ploration"
area is not proposed propose it.
*onnect to Students 9%periences'
7hatcom :alls park reps fenced o; an area to
create a communit garden" The garden is 31
feet b 30 feet" !how drawing on the doc
cam. 7e need to fgure out how much space
is in this fenced of area for this garden"
<egin with a simple task'
<efore we solve the communit garden
problem ou and a partner are going to get a
stack of stick notes" =ou are going to fnd two
item in this room that has a rectangular
surface show drawings of rectangle e"amples
and non#e"amples ou will then cover our
item in stick notes and record how man
stick notes it took to cover that item" ,n
our worksheet there is a column for base
demonstrate what base is on doc cam and
height demonstrate again lastl! there is a
column for total stick notes . <e sure all the
columns on our sheet are flled in" As a class
we will compile our results"
Rules:
' The can4t overlap
' There can4t be gaps
' The shape must be rectangular
' The shape should be no larger than
our desk
' =ou can rip the stick note to make it
ft2fold it ma$e sure to demo this
' Stick notes must be arranged in
columns and rows
,e Sure Problem is 'nderstood: *an
someone hold up an item that might be
something that the could cover in stick
notes for this investigation6 5ow would ou
cover this item in stick notes6 !tudent
should hold up rectangular shape and
demonstrate under doc cam how the stic$%
notes will be arranged. Now please show how
ou will record the results of this item on our
worksheet" &his should be shown under doc
cam.
)stablish Clear )01ectations: :or this
investigation ou will be working in pairs" =ou
will be measuring items in this classroom with
stick notes that are no larger than our desk"
=ou will cover our item in stick notes! record
the base! height! and total number of stick
notes it took to cover the item" This item
should be rectangular in shape" 7hen ou are
done bring our item -if ou can carr it. and
+istening to task at hand" (reparing
to start e%ploration
sit down at our desk"

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Release students to 'nd items in the room
monitor students covering items. Ensure that
students are 'nding appropriate items to
measure and are measuring them properl%.
D'#&G:
(bserve students e"ploration note student
conversations and as$ students )uestions
about their processes of thin$ing.
*hen most students are at their seats give
them a time frame to wrap it up. +ring class
together to record diferent rectangular
bases heights and total area. ,acilitate class
discussion of recorded measurements:
*hat are some of the interesting things
%ou are noticing-
*h% did %ou.-
Are %ou seeing an% patterns-
/ow do these rectangles difer-
(possibl% pointing to two rectangles
that demonstrate commutative
propert% 0 123 4 321 or how the bases
and heights afect total number of
stic$% notes) /ow are the% similar-
5an %ou tell me more about.
/ow might this be similar to other wor$
we6ve done in class-
/ow could %ou relate this to arra%s and
multiplication-
7f a student is stuc$ while wor$ing through the
problem provide scafolding )uestions.
*hat happens when %ou change the
number of stic$% notes on the base of
the rectangle-
Are these the same or diferent-
(referring to rectangles)
*hat is something %ou notice about
the base and height of these
rectangles-
/ow does the total number of stic$%
notes relate to the base and height-
!tudents should come a conclusive idea
about how area is derived 0 ma$e a
connection between how man% stic$% notes
there are in total and how it is e)ual to the
number of stic$% notes on base times the
number on the height.
&uring this time students should be
working on fnding items to measure
rectangles with" The should be
recording the bases! heights and
total number of stick notes it takes
to cover item"
Students should be making
connections about how the base
times the height is the total number
of stick notes -or area of rectangle.
A-$)#:
Now let4s look at the communit garden
problem. <ased on what we just did in class
how could we go about fguring out how much
space is within this communit garden6
Review communit% garden picture and be
sure to highlight the dimension of the garden.
Take a minute to think individuall then turn
and talk to ou partner2group members about
this problem" =ou ma use the materials on
our desks to solve this problem" 7e will then
come back together as a class to discuss how
we solved it"
8onitor student progress during solving
process 0 observe how students have
connected the stic$% notes to the area of a
rectangle. Provide scafolding as needed.
Record student answers and have class come
to conclusive answer of the area of this
communit% garden. /ave students come up
and share how the% came to an answer.
Closure
7orking in groups2pairs to solve
communit garden problem"
Sharing answers! discussing
observations"
>
Closure: +ooks like we have been able to fnd a pattern of how to determine the total
area of a rectangle" *an someone tell me the process to fnding the area of di;erent
rectangles6 ?reat@ 5ow did we come up with this process6 9%cellent@ Ne%t class we
will be e%tending this concept to other shapes" =ou e%it task for toda will be to draw
a rectangle on this inde% card! come up with a base and height of this rectangle and
show how to fnd the area of it" -this drawing does not have to be to scale.
!anagement Plan: :or this lesson students will engage in a discussion regarding both group
e%pectations! as well as e%pectations related to the use of the stick notes" This will provide us
as a class with a common understanding of what to e%pect during this lesson" #f students are
o; task during this lesson the will receive one warning and a choice / either use the materials
properl2participate as we have discussed or be removed from the situation temporaril" #f the
behavior continues we will brieA take materials awa or remove a student from the situation
for a brief moment" This will provide students with not onl place more ownership for students
over their own behavior! but also provide students with time to regroup before entering the
situation again" All students will be e%pected to complete the work b the end of the da"
Problem Solvers Lesson Plan DAY 5
Teacher: Nicole Swenson Subject: Area of shapes Title: Make me a Rectangle
Learning Goals: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between
the area of triangles and other polgons b fnding the area of the communit garden and
deriving the formula for area of a triangle"
Justifcation of Lesson: #n $
th
grade students are e%pected to reach the below standard
regarding area of polgons" &uring the pre'assessment man students demonstrated that the
do not have a strong grasp of perimeter or area of polgons" (erimeter is a prere)uisite skill to
have before the concept of area can be developed" Additionall upon researching the *ommon
*ore standards we found that perimeter is not formall addressed in an grade preceding $
th
" #t
is because of this that # have decided on a learning progression that frst reviews the concept of
perimeter! develops an understanding of areas of rectangles! then e%plores how the area of
triangles are related to other polgons" This is the second da of our lesson plan! the students
will be making a connection between area of rectangles and area of triangles
Common Core Content Standards Approached in this Lesson:
Standard:6.G.A.1- Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by
composing into rectangles or decamping into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context
of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
nstructional !aterials" #esources" and $echnolog%:
' 7hat happens to area and perimeters worksheets / 3 per kid
' ?rid paper rectangles worksheet / 3 per kid
' Scissors
' (encils
' &oc cam
' Triangle worksheets / 3 per kid
' *op of new garden problem
$ime: &S$#'C$(&AL S)*')&C)
$each $as+s Student $as+s
31 min ,)-(#):
Activating Prior .no/ledge: =esterda we
e%plored the area of rectangles and fgured out
how to calculate the area based on the base
and the height of said rectangle" 7e are
passing out a worksheet that will help to get
ou in geometr mode@ (lease complete this
worksheet then we will discuss it as a class"
/and out what happens to area and perimeter
wor$sheet to class. 8onitor progress see if
students are connecting activities from
previous class to this wor$sheet. 9iscuss
'nding as a class.
*onnect to Students 9%periences'
=esterda we found the area of a new
communit garden in 7hatcom :alls" Toda we
will be fnding the area of a new and improved
communit garden proposal@ This one is an
interesting one@ The have decided the want
to make two triangular gardens ne%t to each
other instead of one rectangular one" !how
diagram this should be triangles 1: b% 1;.
<egin with a simple task'
7e4re going to connect what we did esterda
to this new problem" =ou all are going to be
getting a sheet of grid paper" =ou and our
group2partner will be fguring out how man
was to divide a rectangle in half using one
straight line" =ou will then determine the area
Students will be completing
worksheet" The will then come
together as a class and participate in
a riveting discussion about how
perimeter a;ects area"
+istening to task at hand" (reparing
to start e%ploration
of those shapes"
,e Sure Problem is 'nderstood: *an
someone come up here and draw one possible
wa of dividing this rectangle in half6 ?reat"
Now will someone tell me the ne%t step to this
activit6
)stablish Clear )01ectations: :or this
investigation ou will be working in pairs or
groups" =ou will be dividing the rectangles on
our worksheet in to e)ual halves as man
times as ou can" (lease be sure to record
these was on our worksheet" =ou will then
determine the area of each of the halves"

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Release students to divide rectangles in half.
(bserve students e"ploration note student
conversations and as$ students )uestions
about their processes of thin$ing. !tudents
ma% use scissors to cut rectangles in half if
the% are having di<cult% with tas$.
D'#&G:
+ring class together to record diferent
rectangular bases heights and total area.
,acilitate class discussion of diferent possible
halving techni)ues:
*hat are some of the interesting things
%ou are noticing-
*h% did %ou.-
Are %ou seeing an% patterns-
/ow do the areas of each half relate to
the total area of rectangle-
*ill the area of each half sta% the same
no matter which wa% it is shaped-
5an %ou tell me more about.
/ow might this be similar to other wor$
we6ve done in class-
7f a student is stuc$ while wor$ing through the
problem provide scafolding )uestions.
9o these have the same areas-
(comparing two diferentl% shaped
halves)
*hat is something %ou notice about the
base and height of these shapes-
/ow does the base relate to the height
of this smaller shape-
Record student wa%s of dividing the rectangle
in half. /ave a chart that records the base and
height of half as well as the area of half.
&uring this time students will be
working to divide the rectangles in
halves" The will be recording the
di;erent methods and determining
the area of each half"
Students should be making
connections about how the base
16413
5ompare to area etc of original rectangles.
!tudents should come to a conclusive idea
about how area of a half is derived. &he%
should notice that when the base " height of
original rectangle is divided b% two the% have
the area of half. &he formula +"/=> ma% be
reached but not necessar% as long as the%
develop this concept.
A-$)#:
+et4s look at these halves" &o an of them look
like the new communit garden proposal6 =ea@
So what is the area of the new proposed
communit garden6 ?reat@ The triangle half is
like that of the proposed design for the new
communit garden"
Now ou will solve for di;erent si8ed triangular
communit garden sections@ As a group
determine the area of each of these new
gardens" Provide students with triangle
communit% garden wor$sheet (summative
assessment)
8onitor student progress during solving
process 0 observe how students have applied
understanding of area of triangles.
Closure
times the height is the total number
of stick notes -or area of rectangle.
7orking in pairs2 groups to solve
di;erent triangle areas"
> Closure: Toda we found out how to fnd the area of triangles" 7e reali8ed that it is
related to rectangles" *an someone remind us of how the area of rectangles is related
to the area of a triangle6 ?reat@ =ou all did awesome toda! thank ou for the hard
work" 7f we had one more da% to teach we would continue to e"tend this concept of
how the area of triangles is related to other pol%gons such as parallelograms and
trapezoids.
!anagement Plan: 7e will start the activit o; b reviewing our class e%pectations" This will
provide us as a class with a common understanding of what to e%pect during this lesson" #f
students are o; task during this lesson the will receive one warning and a choice / either use
the materials properl2participate as we have discussed or be removed from the situation
temporaril" #f the behavior continues we will brieA take materials awa or remove a student
from the situation for a brief moment" This will provide students with not onl place more
ownership for students over their own behavior! but also provide students with time to regroup
before entering the situation again" All students will be e%pected to complete the work b the
end of the da"