David Boulton

EDC 262
M7A3: Mini-Lesson Teaching Plan
Subject: Mathematics
Grade level: First
Lesson title/topic: Finding the area of a rectangle
Learning objectives
Students will be able to determine the area of a rectangle using one-inch square tiles arranged
on printed figures;
Students will be able to calculate the area of a rectangle by multiplying the height and width of
printed figures, accurately calculating at least problems;
Students will be able to explain orally their process for determining area and how it differs from
determination of perimeter.
State Standards (AZ Dept. of Education, 2012, p.4)
AZCCRS 3.MD.5;
AZCCRS 3.MD.6
Anticipatory set
Ask the students which of them like soccer and who thinks it would be fun to cover the
classroom floor with grass to transform it into a soccer field;
Show plastic 'grass' squares product and accompanying video from the internet (Garden Winds,
see below);
Ask students to recall, or suggest, how they may determine how many of these squares would
be required to cover the classroom floor; state that we will answer that question at the end of
this lesson.
Teaching (input)
Prompt students to recall and reinforce that perimeter is the total distance around the outside of
a shape, and that area is the total space occupied by a shape.
Distribute Saxon Lesson 129A worksheet (uploaded in PDF format to Drop Box for PCC
instructor) and one-inch square tiles to students;
Explain that area is the number of square tiles required to cover a shape; for example, if ten tiles
fully cover the shape, the area of the shape is ten square inches.
Teaching (modeling)
Instruct students to place square tiles on the first rectangle to cover it fully, drawing the result
on the board;
Think aloud while labeling the height and width of the figure, and writing the area with units in
the figure;
Explain that the area is determined either by counting the individual squares, or by multiplying
the height and width of the full shape; state that multiplication is a preferred strategy (especially
in relation to large areas, such as the classroom floor).

Teaching (check for understanding, guided practice)

Ask students to turn their attention to each subsequent shape in turn;
Circulate as students arrange tiles and complete problems;
Encourage students to lay out tiles for one column and one row rather than to cover shapes;
Ask different students to provide answers for each portion, and write full number sentence on
the board to confirm.
Differentiation
Encourage students who complete the guided activity quickly to consider how we will calculate
the area of the classroom/how many 'grass' tiles will be required;
Ask students to think about how they will account for an non-carpeted portion of the room (i.e.
the bathroom;
Allow lower-ability students to continue to cover the whole shapes with rectangles as needed.
Closure
Ask students to explain the strategy for determining the area of a rectangle;
Model the size of the classroom on the board using appropriate numbers for calculation;
Solicit student suggestions of how to account for 'missing' portion (i.e. subtraction of
bathroom's area) and calculate;
Reiterate briefly that these calculations are synonymous with the square tile problems
completed during guided practice.
Referred to in this lesson plan:
State Standards:
Arizona Department of Education (2012). Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards:
Mathematics Measurement and Data Domain (K-5).
<http://www.azed.gov/azccrs/files/2013/11/math_domain_measurementanddata_11_2013.pdf>
Accessed 4/24/2015
Grass tile product (anticipatory set):
Garden Winds. 'Grass deck tiles' <https://www.gardenwinds.com/grass-deck-tiles-30mm-pile-height-p4870.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw0epBRDOp7f7lOG0zl4SJABxJg9qGZiJEahEwvKLrTHPdEJHw6MbO1XxLb4OVBlD9D_h_BoCJxX
w_wcB#googlebase> Accessed 4/24/2015
Saxon Math lesson (Saxon Math 2, lesson 129)
Provided in PDF format as a supplement to this lesson plan for PCC instructor.