Name ____________________________________

Area of Parallelograms and Triangles

Directions: Put ALL work and answers in the
right column, next to the corresponding step.

Assume you know that the formula for the area of a
rectangle is base times height ( ).

Step 1. Draw a parallelogram on a grid card and cut
it out.


Step 2. Cut the parallelogram along the dotted line
and arrange the 2 pieces so that they form a
rectangle.


Step 3. What attributes of your parallelogram
remain the same when rearranged into a rectangle?
Does the base stay the same? The area? Perimeter?


Step 4. What does this tell you about the formula
for the area of a parallelogram?


Using the information you just discovered,
complete the following.

Step 5. Draw a triangle on a grid card.


Step 6. Holding two cards together cut out two
copies of your triangle.

Step 7. Try to put the two triangles together in order
to form a rectangle.



Step 8. How are the triangle and the rectangle that
you just formed related? Consider the same
attributes as in step 3 (Base, area, perimeter).




Step 9. What does this tell you about the formula
for the area of a triangle?




Sketch your
parallelogram
here: (From Step
1) Label the base
and the height.





Sketch your rectangle here: (From Step 2)
Label the base and the height.








Formula for the area of a parallelogram:



Sketch your triangle here: (From Step 5)







Sketch your rectangle here: (From Step 7)
Label the base and the height.










Formula for the area of a triangle: