How Many Squares?

1) Estimation of Area:

Materials needed: charts, grid papers, pencils
Procedure: The teacher asks children to keep their palm on a chart paper and draw the outline of the palm. Ask them to estimate how much space each one's palm has occupied. The same process can be continued on a grid paper to validate their understanding of estimation.

2) Non-Standard Area Measurement 

•     Tiling activity

Materials needed: match boxes, Surface Area materials, chalks

Procedure: Draw an arbitrary figure on the chart. Find any surface area materials like match boxes, coins, etc. Use the material to fill up the figure. The number of units used will be called the area of that arbitrary figure.
Note to teacher: The word ‘unit’ has to be highlighted, i.e. the students should understand that the materials used to fill up the gaps are called units.

• Finding area of irregular shaped objects

Materials needed: leaves, grid papers, pencils

Procedure: Teacher provides leaves to the students and asks them to find the area of the leaves using grid paper. Teacher can do a demo by drawing a leaf on a grid paper and finding the area. Students will have an idea of the area by this time. Providing grid sheets to students will also enable them to make figures by joining the dots. They can find the area of the created figure by counting the squares.

Note to teacher: It has to be explained to the students that the total number of squares is the area of the figure. To begin with, simpler shapes can be used.

3) Finding area of different objects

Materials needed: Stamps/photos, square grid sheets

     Procedure: Provide stamps or tiny photos and ask students to find their area.
     Note to teacher: It should be noted whether students are making an estimation or doing measurements.

     Link for gird sheet: https://www.waterproofpaper.com/graph-paper/graph-paper-half-inch.pdf

4) Finding area using Geoboard-introduction activity:

Procedure:
 Create puzzles about the Geoboard such as:
1) Find the maximum number of squares you can make on the Geoboard
2) Write down the number of sides and number of  squares that can be made on the Geoboard.
3) Construct a symmetrical design on the board.
4) Design a shape on one half side of the board. Construct its reflection.

Note to teacher: (i) When the students count the squares, the word "area" should be introduced. In this chapter, ‘how many squares’ corresponds to ‘area’. (ii) when students raise an issue like ‘my squares are not perfect, then how can I count?’, they should be told that half squares can be considered as full ones and one fourth of the square be considered as "no square"; this way norms may be set up for measuring squares.
(iii) Similarly, it can be told that sides correspond to 'perimeter', thereby introducing the concept of the perimeter.

      Dot sheet link: https://incompetech.com/graphpaper/quickPicks/8.5x11greyDots.pdf

5) Geoboard Online Activity

Through this website, we can access several Geoboards - circular boards/ square grids/rectangular grids etc.

Link: https://apps.mathlearningcenter.org/geoboard/

 Note to teacher: Geoboards from this source can be projected in class. This geoboard can be used to do activities as well as help the students           visualise the concept.

     [The website can be accessed via the link or the Q.R code.]

6) Geoboard Hands-on Experiment

Materials needed: Geoboard

Sample Activities:

1) Make a figure that has an area of 4 and a perimeter of 10.

2) Create a shape. Determine its area in more than one way.

3) Design a shape on one half of the geoboard. Construct its reflection.

4)Determine the maximum area that can be enclosed on an 11-pin × 11-pin geoboard if the perimeter is 25 units.

5) Determine different ways to divide the geoboard into 4 equal areas.

6) Divide the geoboard into different areas.

Note to teacher:

(i) Geoboards are particularly useful in developing conceptual understanding of area and perimeter. However, they can be used to explore Mathematics from any of the curriculum strands.

(ii) Geoboard activities are often done with pairs of students, so in most cases one geoboard per pair of students is sufficient.  Geoboards can be constructed using wood and nails.  Blackline masters of geoboards can be used to record solutions or for home extensions. When geoboards are first introduced to students, point out obvious safety rules, then give students some time to experiment and explore.