Area
Measurement
Embedded Files
Definition
Definition
Area refers to the two-dimensional measure that describes the region enclosed by a plane figure. It is expressed in square units that are derived from units of length. (Siemon, et al., 2015)
Students becomes increasingly able to recognise attributes that can be measured and how units of measure are used and calculated. In making the transition from informal to formal units, a student attends to the structure of units used to measure, how they are assembled end-to-end or side-by-side. The structure of the units give rise to ways of calculating area. (National Numeracy Learning Progression)
Watch the video below for more information.
Teaching and learning activities
Teaching and learning activities
The resources below provide targeted teaching strategies to support student improvement in this skill.
Each downloadable lesson activity includes:
learning intentions
a list of required resources
a step-by-step lesson sequence
printable classroom materials
Select the download all icon to download all available activities or select each activity separately.
Understanding areaStudents establish understanding of area using formal units and establish formulae for the area of rectangles and squares using arrays.
Describing areaStudents are given a variety of images and asked to describe the area using appropriate measurement units.
Calculating areaStudents develop understanding of different measures for the same shape and learn to convert between units, including square units when measuring and calculating area of plane shapes.
Laying tilesStudents apply their skills in calculating area to determine number of tiles required for a particular room and the financial costs associated with this.
Making a vegetable patchStudents have to determine the maximum area for a vegetable patch given a specified amount of timber length.
Design a parkStudents design a park given certain specifications on the amount of space allocated to various facilities offered in the park.
Area of irregular shapesStudents use grid paper of various square units to estimate area of irregular shapes in real life by counting the squares.
PLAN2 Areas of focus
PLAN2 Areas of focus
An Areas of focus template has been created in PLAN2 to support targeted teaching of Text structure in your learning area.
Search for the DoE template titled ‘DoE HSCMinStd Writing: Text structure’ in the Areas of focus template library tab within the Plan menu, and customise it for your students’ needs.
For more information about using PLAN2 Areas of focus templates with this resource, visit the Using this resource with PLAN2 page.
Relevance to the numeracy test marking
Relevance to the numeracy test marking
According to the ACSF, the feedback for a Level 3 performance in the HSC minimum standard online numeracy test for calculating area states that:
Individuals performing at this level are able to “select appropriate strategies from a variety of everyday mathematical processes in familiar and some less familiar contexts. They understand and calculate familiar metric measurements for simple area measures.
Connections with ACSF Level 3 descriptors
Connections with ACSF Level 3 descriptors
The relevant Level 3 ACSF descriptors for numeracy are shown here to demonstrate how estimating, measuring and calculating simple area is assessed in the HSC minimum standard online test. The performance features identified show what a student is able to do in order to achieve at this level and are provided to support teachers to understand what is required to achieve a Level 3 in this skill.
Numeracy Indicator 3.09: Selects and interprets mathematical information that may be partly embedded in a range of familiar, and some less familiar, tasks and texts
Focus area: Explicitness and Complexity of mathematical information
Level 3 performance features:
interprets and comprehends familiar and routine simple area measures.
Numeracy Indicator 3.10: Selects from and uses a variety of developing mathematical and problem solving strategies in a range of familiar and some less familiar contexts.
Focus area: Mathematical knowledge and skills: measurement and geometry
Level 3 performance features:
measures, estimates and calculates simple area (for rectangular areas only, using A = L x W, or estimates area of a non-rectangular shape by counting squares)
Connections with Numeracy Learning Progression
Connections with Numeracy Learning Progression
The progressions describe a typical developmental sequence of literacy and numeracy learning. The numeracy progression sub-elements, levels and indicators relevant to determining area are provided here to assist teachers to identify students’ capabilities and needs to support targeted teaching.
Element: Measurement and Geometry
Sub-element: Understanding units of measurement (UuM)
UuM3 — Using informal units of measurement
UuM3 — Using informal units of measurement
measures an attribute by choosing and using multiple identical, informal units
selects the appropriate size and dimensions of an informal unit to measure and compare attributes (e.g. chooses a linear unit such as a pencil to measure length, or a square unit such as a tile to measure area)
chooses and uses appropriate uniform informal units to measure length and area without gaps or overlaps (e.g. uses the same sized paper clips to measure the length of a line; uses tiles, rather than counters to measure the area of a sheet of paper because the tiles fit together without gaps)
UuM4 — Repeating a single informal unit to measure
UuM4 — Repeating a single informal unit to measure
compares the area of two or more shapes using an informal single unit of measure repeatedly (e.g. using a sheet of paper to measure the area of a desktop)
measures an attribute by counting the number of units used
UuM5 — Using abstract units
UuM5 — Using abstract units
uses the array structure to calculate area measured in square units (e.g. draws and describes the column and row structure to represent area as an array, moving beyond counting of squares by ones)
estimates the measurement of an attribute by visualising between known informal units (e.g. uses a cup to measure a half cup of rice; determines that about three sheets of paper would fit across a desk, and close to six might fit along it, so the area of the desk is about eighteen sheets of paper)
explains the difference between different attributes of the same shape or object (e.g. area and perimeter, mass and capacity)
UuM6 — Using formal units
UuM6 — Using formal units
measures, compares and estimates length, perimeter and area using standard metric units (e.g. I drew around my hand on centimetre grid paper and counted to find the area is about 68 square centimetres
UuM7 — Using formal units and formulas
UuM7 — Using formal units and formulas
measures and calculates the area of different shapes using formal units and a range of strategies
UuM8 — Converting units
UuM8 — Converting units
converts between metric units of measurement
describes the relationship between metric units of measurement and the base-ten place value system
UuM8 — Using formal units and formulas
UuM8 — Using formal units and formulas
establishes and uses formulas for calculating the area of rectangles and triangles
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