101 Questions
Circle-Square
How do the area and perimeters of circles and squares compare? A clever video illustrates the change in the area of a circle and square while their total perimeter stays the same. The task is for learners to predict the point where the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Stained Glass
A complex question looking for the total cost of a stained glass window by calculating area and circumference of a circle. With detailed components, this activity will challenge your designers to figure out if they have enough money to...
Curated OER
Finding the Area of Polygons
Third graders are exposed to finding the area of polygons by decomposing figures and recomposing them into rectangles. This strategy allows children to expand on their prior knowledge of constructing shapes by rearranging parts into...
Curated OER
Inscribing a Square in a Circle
Inscribing a square in a circle brings up a number of interesting geometry topics including triangle congruence and how to prove a quadrilateral is a square. This activity is followed up by finding the area of the square and determining...
Curated OER
Inscribing a Hexagon in a Circle
This activity is a follow-on activity to inscribing a square in a circle. The overall problem is more complex. It deals with geometric constructions, properties of triangles, and regular hexagons. The final part of the activity...
101 Questions
Apple Mothership
Explore Apple's spaceship office building. Built in the shape of a circle, the office building offers a unique floor plan challenge. Young scholars use the dimensions of the building to estimate the square footage for each employee.
Illustrative Mathematics
Overlapping Squares
The objective of this activity is to find the percent of the area of a two squares overlapping. Mathematicians find the ratio of area for the part that overlaps to the rectangle formed. The final answer is a percent as a rate per 100....
Illustrative Mathematics
Designs
A resource that makes for excellent group work as learners explore the area and perimeter of different complex designs made up of squares and circles. The commentary gives a clear definition of perimeter, but suggests that group members...
Mrs. Burke's Math Page
Let Them Eat Pi
Looking for a fun and creative way to celebrate Pi Day? Then this is the resource for you. From a scavenger hunt and trivia contest to PowerPoint presentations and skills practice worksheets, this collection of materials is a...
Illustrative Mathematics
Hexagonal Pattern of Beehives
Young geometers and biologists investigate the math of nature in an activity that is just the bee's knees. Participants will study the tessellations of hexagons in a beehive, along with the natural rationale behind the specific shape....
Illustrative Mathematics
Shape Hunt Part 2
Shapes are everywhere in the world around us, from rectangular doors to the circular wheels of a car. The second lesson plan in this series opens the eyes of young mathematicians to this wonderful world of shapes as they search the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Toilet Roll
Potty humor is always a big hit with the school-age crowd, and potty algebra takes this topic to a whole new level. Here the class develops a model that connects the dimensions (radii, paper thickness, and length of paper) of a...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Area Formulas App
Students review the definition and area formula for the rectangle, square, parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, and circle.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Perimeter, Circumference, and Area
Students find perimeters of rectangles and squares, as well as circumferences of circles. Students find areas of rectangles, squares, and circles. [Requires Adobe Reader.]
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Getting Started With Area Formulas App
Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid This Concept Handheld Software Application reviews the definition and area formula for the rectangle, square, parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, and circle.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The Math Forum: Find the Area of the Shape!
Try to figure out the area of this challenging shape. In order to view the images, you will need to use JavaSketchpad.
The Math League
The Math League: Area and Perimeter
This tutorial provides a brief introduction about what area is, then gives the formulas for area of a square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, triangle, and circle. Examples of each formula are provided.
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge: Nrich: The Pi Are Square
Use the formula given for the area of a circle and a square to solve this challenge. This one page website has the solution available for you.
George Mason University
Area Formula Lab
In this set of worksheet activities, students will be guided to discover formulas for area of polygonal shapes and circles.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Exploring Geometric Probability Using Ti Navigator
In this activity students will contribute a set of random points to a graph of a circle of radius 1 inscribed in a square. They will estimate the area of the circle using geometric probability.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Meltdown
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson has students explore the relationship between a circle's area and it's radius. This is framed in the context of a scene in where a pile of ice is melting into an increasingly...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Math in Daily Life: Home Decorating
This exhibit is designed to show students that geometry really does apply to the real world. By taking viewers through a home decoration project, students learn how to calculate area of a rectangle and circle.