Solving for Area

Rebekah McManaway
3rd Grade/Math

Common Core Standards:

3.MD.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised
units).
3.MD.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.
a. Find the area of a rectangle with whole number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is
the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths.
b. Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole number side lengths in the context of
solving real-world and mathematical problems, and represent whole number products as rectangular
areas in mathematical reasoning.
c. Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole number side lengths a
and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c (represent the distributive property with visual models
including an area model). d. Recognize area as additive. Find the area of figures composed of
rectangles by decomposing into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the non-
overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real-world problems.

Lesson Summary:
This lesson will build upon previous knowledge of multiplication and shapes. Before we move onto this we
will complete a review lesson on multiplication and shapes. This will make sure students have an
understanding of the base knowledge before moving on. On the first day I will introduce the students to the
material. While working through the material I will open it to class discussion. We will complete hands on
activities that represents area, such as using cheese-it to represent area and solve it. We will also be using an
online graphing program on iPad. As students are practicing area on the IPad I will be monitoring their work
through installed applications on the IPad.

Estimated Duration:
The lesson will expand across 2 days and each day every group of students will receive 90 minutes of math.
This time will be broken down in sections which will be followed each day:
10 minutes: Open meeting
10 minutes: Math Message
30 minutes: Teacher Directed Whole Group instruction
30 minutes: Group Activities
10 minutes: Review and discussion

Commentary:
My goal is to engage the students by using their favorite items to find the area of them. I also will have them
draw themselves using blocks on graph paper. Then they will find the area of themselves. The main aspect
that we will be working on is the understanding that shapes can be broken up into many small squares. I
believe students are going to struggle understanding units squared. Also understand looking at in the
graphing program but this will help the students understand that you can break shapes into squares. I think
students will also struggle connecting area and multiplication.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
10 minutes: Open meeting
 I do: I will go over the plan for the day and I will pick random problems from the homework to go
over and have the students walk me through the steps.
 You do: Check your homework questions and correct them if you are wrong. Ask questions when
you are not understanding the problem. You will also walk the class through problems when asked to
do so.
 We do: We will discuss how we felt about the homework and if we think we need more practice on
the standard.
10 minutes: Math Message
 I do: I will use the smart board to post a multiplication question using an array. I will look at the
answers sent from the students to check their understanding.
 You do: You will work through the problem. Once you are finished you will use a clicker to send
your response to the teacher. You will be ready to explain and defend your response to the given
question.
 We do: After the class finishes the problem we will discuss the steps they took to solve it. We come
to an agreement on the correct answer to the problem. We will also discuss how our knowledge of
arrays connects to area.
30 minutes: Teacher Directed Whole Group instruction
 I do: I will lead the students through connecting arrays and area. I will answer question to increase
the students understanding of the topic. I will go through sample problems showing students how to
count the squares and introduce them to the vocabulary words: unit, unit squares. I will ask questions
through the instruction to check students understanding. After introducing the information in the first
15 minutes I will hand out a paper assignment that we will complete together.
 You do: You will listen during the instruction and be ready to answer questions throughout. You
need to ask question when you are not understanding or if we are moving too fast. You will complete
part of the paper assignment independently. Once your assignment is completed you will turn it in for
completion grade. You will rate the difficulty of the assignment with your eyes closed.
 We do: We will discuss how we feel about the first 15 minutes of instruction. We will then move
onto the paper activity and discuss the 1st half of the sheet. We will all answer questions and ask
questions to complete the 1st half the assignment successfully. Once everyone has the assignment
completed and turned we will rate the difficulty of the assignment (1-easy and 5-really hard).
30 minutes: Group Activities
 I do: I will divide the students up based on their skill levels and assign them to a station.
o Group 1: needed different instruction to help their understanding
o Group 2: other kids that are on level or higher and are ready to move on.
 Teacher led Group (15 minutes):
o Group 1:
 I do: I will explain the activity to the students. I will be walking the students through
the activity. The students will use manipulatives (cheese itz) to help increase the
students understanding. I will ask guiding question to test their understanding.
 You do: You will work through the activity and answer questions when asked. You
will work with the group to find the solutions to the problems.
 We do: We will discuss that activity as we work through it, we will help each other
through it. We will share our answers at the end of the activity to compare and correct.
o Group 2:
 I do: I will go over the instructions for the activity. I will introduce the students to
solving word area problems. I will still have the students count the unit squares to
solve the problems. I will ask the students questions as we work through the activity
to test their understanding. I will answer any questions they have over the topic.
 You do: You will through each problem to the best of your ability. As we work
through it as a group you will be expected to write down all the steps and answer. You
will be expected to add to the group discussion.
 We do: We will through the activity as a group to help each other’s understanding.
We will compare and correct our answers based on what the group decides is correct.
We will ask and answers question during the activity.
 Room Activity (15 minutes):
o Group 1(Blue):
 I do: I will create a QR scavenger hunt, once the scan the code using their iPads they
will work through the problems. Each group will have different colors associated with
them. I will go over the activity with the students and explain group 1 will only use
the ones labeled with blue paper. I will collect their work once they are finished. I will
give group 1 questions that do not use word problems. They will have problems that
goes with what we did in class. I will monitor the activity to make sure everyone is on
task.
 You do: You will go around the room and use your iPad to scan QR codes to bring up
a problem. You will work through the problems on a piece of paper as you go around
the room. As you work through the problems you will check with other people in your
group to check you are doing it correctly. You will turn the paper into me once
complete and if there is extra time you will get on Freckle on the iPads and work on
adaptive practice (this way each student is working on something they are struggling
with).
 We do: We go over how to complete the activity and the expectations for the room
during the activity. We will help each other when we get confused.
o Group 2 (red):
  I do: I will create a QR scavenger hunt, once the scan the code using their iPads they
will work through the problems. Each group will have different colors associated with
them. I will go over the activity with the students and explain group 1 will only use
the ones labeled with red paper. I will collect their work once they are finished. I will
give group 2 questions that use word problems. There problems will be the same skills
we completed during small group. I will monitor the activity to make sure everyone is
on task.
 You do: You will go around the room and use your iPad to scan QR codes to bring up
a problem. You will work through the problems on a piece of paper as you go around
the room. As you work through the problems you will check with other people in your
group to check you are doing it correctly. You will turn the paper into me once
complete and if there is extra time you will get on Freckle on the iPads and work on
adaptive practice (this way each student is working on something they are struggling
with).
 We do: We go over how to complete the activity and the expectations for the room
during the activity. We will help each other when we get confused.
10 minutes: Review and discussion
 I do: I will discuss the homework assignment. I will lead the discussion by asking questions and
responding to the students’ responses. I will give the students an activity where they will draw
themselves on graph paper and then find the area of their drawing. I will also explain the online
activities they will be responsible for.
 You do: You will answer questions and add to the group discussion. You will ask any questions you
have about the homework.
 We do: We will discuss how we felt the lesson went and what are issues were. We will also discuss
ways to fix the issues. We will also talk about what we thought went well.

Day 2:
10 minutes: Open meeting
 I do: I will go over the plan for the day and I will pick random problems from the homework to go
over and have the students walk me through the steps. We will review the topic of area in the way
that we have covered the previous day.
 You do: Check your homework questions and correct them if you are wrong. Ask questions when
you are not understanding the problem. You will also walk the class through problems when asked to
do so.
 We do: We will discuss how we felt about the homework and if we think we need more practice on
the standard.
10 minutes: Math Message
 I do: I will put an area problem on the smart board for the students begin to work through by
counting the squares. I will ask guiding questions while we discuss the area question. I will check the
responses from the clickers to check the students work. I will began to connect counting the squares
to solving area with multiplication.
 You do: You will need to complete the question on the smart board. You will be expected to answer
on the clicker. You will need to be prepared to answer question when asked. You need to correct
 your work as we discuss the problem.
 We do: We will discuss the steps and the answer to the problem after all students. We will discuss
how you connect area to multiplication. We will also compare this to arrays.

30 minutes: Teacher Directed Whole Group instruction

 I do: I will begin to connect what we already know about area to multiplication. I will go through
sample problems while walking the students through each step. I will ask student guiding question to
increases their understanding of the standard. As I ask the questions I will also be checking for
understanding of the standard. I will give the students a problem to work in groups.
 You do: You will answer the questions that are being asked. Help the class work through all the
problems on the board. Also, you will help your group work through the problem and ask questions
when you are not understanding the material.
 We do: We will discuss how we can use this in everyday life. We will also discuss the answer to
problem. We will discuss how we feel about the standard. Each group will turn in their work on the
problem for a completion grade.
30 minutes: Group Activities
 Teacher led Group (15 minutes):
o Group 1:
 I do: I will go over the activity with the students. I will continue to let them use
manipulatives (base ten blocks) to solve the problems. While using the manipulatives
they are expected to solve for the area using multiplication. I will ask the students
guiding questions during the activity. I will use their answers to gauge their
understanding.
 You do: You will work through the activity and answer questions when asked. You
will work with the rest of the group to find the answers to the problems.
 We do: We will discuss the correct answers for the problems and the correct way to
solve them. We will also discuss different strategies we can use to help us find the
answer to a problem.
o Group 2:
 I do: I will go over the activity with the students. I will ask them guiding questions
throughout the activity. They will not use manipulatives to solve the problem. I will
use their answers to gauge their understanding. I will have the students use
multiplication to work through the problems.
 You do: You will work through the activity and answer questions when asked. You
will work with the rest of the group to find the answers to the problems. You will also
help your fellow classmates work through the activity.
 We do: We do: We will discuss the correct answers for the problems and the correct
way to solve them. We will also discuss different strategies we can use to help us find
the answer to a problem
 Room Activity (15 minutes):
 o Group 1:
 I do: I will monitor the students as they complete the activity. I will set up a kahoot
game for the students to play based on the standard. I will go over the expectation for
the classroom during the game. I will reward the students in the top 3.
 You do: You will try your best to answer all the questions using your iPad. You will
work out the questions on scrap paper. You will play against your other classmates to
try and earn the best score.
 We do: We will work together to help each other by answering questions. We will
compete against each other to test our understanding.
o Group 2:
 I do: I will monitor the students as they complete the activity. I will set up a kahoot
game for the students to play based on the standard. I will go over the expectation for
the classroom during the game. I reward the students in the top 3.
 You do: You do: You will try your best to answer all the questions using your iPad.
You will work out the questions on scrap paper. You will play against your other
classmates to try and earn the best score.
 We do: We will work together to help each other by answering questions. We will
compete against each other to test our understanding.
10 minutes: Review and discussion
 I do: I will discuss the homework assignment. I will lead the discussion by asking questions and
responding to the students’ responses. I will also explain the online activities they will be responsible
for. I will pass out an activity where they have to find the area of a shape without using squares.
 You do: You will answer questions and add to the group discussion. You will ask any questions you
have about the homework.
 We do: We will discuss how we felt the lesson went and what are issues were. We will also discuss
ways to fix the issues. We will also talk about what we thought went well.

Pre-Assessment:
To pre-assess the students, I will be using an application on Freckle. The assessment will be taken in class
under by supervision. They will be expected to take two different assessments, one for each standard.
Freckle will grade their answers and I will collect their scrap paper they used to work out the problem.
Freckle sorts out the data, this way I will be able to see the student’s levels on the standard. Based on the
data I would change how I am planning to teach the standards.
Scoring Guidelines:
I will be using the data I receive from Freckle to base their scoring. I will also look at the scrap paper
they turned to see how they solved the problem. This will also allow me to be able to see what step
they are not understanding. This will affect how I decide to approach the material to put focus on
where mistakes are being made.

Post-Assessment:
The students will be expected to answer a question during the lessons and show the class how it solves the
problem. Once we finish working through the standard, students will be expected to pick an object and
present to the class how to find the area of it. They can do this by using a poster board or creating something
online (google slides, prezi, etc…). The class will be allowed to ask questions at the end of the presentation
and the presenter will be expected to answer the questions.

Scoring Guidelines:
I will be using the rubric below to score their projects; I will also give them bonus points for
creativity but that will not be part of the data. If a student earns a 75% or higher then they pass. The
data will then be used to when creating standards. I will collect all projects to grade more closely
after the students are finished presenting.
Differentiated Instructional Support
Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated
students:
During small groups these students will be given more challenging work. As they complete the QR
scavenger hunt activity their questions will be different than other students. They will be put into a group
that just needs more practice on the standard. The gifted kids will be able to be the leaders of their groups
and help to enhance their groups understanding. During teacher led small group they will be taking the
standard we are working on in class but I will add an extra component to make the problems more difficult.
Like turning the area problems into area word problems. While they play Kahoot they will be given a
different game from the other group. Their questions will be more difficult than the others group.

Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material:
During teacher led group they will be able to use manipulatives to help build their understanding. They will
also be given different questions then the other group. They will be scanning different QR codes than the
other groups. The problems that comes from the codes will just be based on the standard without extra
components. Their Kahoot game will be not be as difficult as the other group.

Extension
https://student.freckle.com/#/login (They can log and complete extra practice focused on the standards and
practice other math standards. This will give directed questions on the standard, this will help students get
repetition of the standard)
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-third-grade-math/imp-geometry/imp-multiply-to-find-
area/v/rectangle-area-as-product-of-dimensions-same-as-counting-unit-squares (This will provide videos
explaining the standards differently and give them practice problem. This will students build their
understanding of the standards)

Homework Options and Home Connections

They will be expected to draw themselves on graph paper and count the squares to find the area of
themselves. They will also be expected complete an adaptive practice activity on Freckle. They also should
complete daily fact practices on freckle for practice. They can also complete a Would You Rather google
slide activity for practice.
https://sso.prodigygame.com/game/start?rid=57617ad7-d7f7-48b3-a034-18f85a42c1fc (They can create their
own logins and practice math as they work through the game. They can play this with their friends or
siblings. Also it would give them questions on their level)

Interdisciplinary Connections
Art: When the students are creating the area model of themselves.
Writing: When they are completing the projects for their post assessments they will be writing and explain
the steps needed to solve the problems.
Collaboration: Throughout the lesson they are required to collaborate with others. They are also responsible
to use problem solving skills while working together.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers Smart board, computer, printed assignments, google slides, and internet.

For students IPad, pencil, paper, poster board (if they choose this option), smart board, construction
paper, clickers, and cheese itz.

Key Vocabulary
Product, unit, square unit, inches, feet, centimeters, area, and graphing

Additional Notes

Sources used:
https://print-graph-paper.com/virtual-graph-paper
https://sso.prodigygame.com/game/start?rid=57617ad7-d7f7-48b3-a034-18f85a42c1fc
https://www.freckle.com/
https://kahoot.com/schools-u/
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Mathematics/Ohio-s-Learning-Standards-
in-Mathematics/MATH-Standards-Grade-3.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US