Puzzle your way through to a new understanding of area. Scholars learn about the area of polygons through equidecomposability, the idea that polygons that can be decomposed into the same set of pieces have the same area. By using puzzles, they investigate this concept to verify the Wallace-Bolyai-Gerwien theorem.

Concepts

area, area of polygons, similarity, decomposition

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Challenge older learners to create similar puzzle problems
  

Classroom Considerations

• Note that the resource is an academic paper and not an actual lesson plan
• Pupils do not necessarily need to have previous experience with area
  

Pros

• Includes a colorful set of cut-out puzzle frames and solutions
• Provides tasks at different levels, making the resource accessible for many age groups
  

Cons

• No student worksheet or handout
  

Common Core

6.G.A.1 7.G.B.6