Grade : 9

Topic of lesson: Area

General Objectives: At the end of this lesson student should:

 Have working knowledge of dimensions.

Specific Objectives: At the end of this lesson student should be able:

o formulate a simple working definition of the term area;

o use appropriate units for area (stress on the basic S.I. unit - square metre – m 2); identify others
such as acre, hectare, etc;
o identify regular shapes;
o conclude that the area of regular shapes can be found by the use of formulae;
o use formulae to calculate the area of regular shapes – include appropriate units
o use the Grid Method to estimate the area of an irregular shape
Area, A
Area, A, is the total region covered over a surface in two dimensions. The basic SI unit for all
area is square metre (metre square), m2. Other units used to measure area include: acre, hectare,
centimetre square, etc.

Calculating or measuring area is dependent on the shape (whether regular or irregular) as well as the
individual formula for each regular shape.

1. Compare the area obtained by the grid method with the calculated area.
ALTERNATIVE STEAM ACTIVITY: MATHEMATICS & ART (From the Nattional Standard
Curriculum)

For any of the composite shapes, determine the area by carrying out the following steps:

1. Trace the above shapes

2. Cut out the shape

3. a) Measure dimensions needed in order to calculate shape

b) Use Grid Method (place the shape on a grid/graph sheet) and draw its outline

Area of Regular-Shaped Surfaces

Regular shapes have fixed dimensions and can be found by using calculations through the use of
formulae. The following formulae are used to find the surface area of the regular shapes shown:
 a

h
h h

w
b
b
Triangle= ½ b x h Rectangle = l x w Trapezium = ½ (a + b) h

b  base; h  height l  length; w  width a & b  the parallel sides; h 

r s

Square = s2
Circle = π r2 or π d2
s  side
4

Fun Fact: Did You

M athematical Competence Know…….?
Why can there be two formulae for finding the area of a circle?
Well, remember to find the radius, r, if the diameter, d, is given is:
The square (2) indicates that the surface
r = d÷2 The third dimension equals
zero.
( )
Hence, if r is squared the entire other side of the equation will be squared as well: (r)2= d÷2 2
So: r2 = d2
4

Hence: Area of a Circle = π r2 or π d2

4

ALTERNATIVE STEAM ACTIVITY: MATHEMATICS

Conceptualize a means of proving that π r2 is indeed the formula for finding the area of a circle.

Example: Prove that π r2 = l x w = ½ bh

Irregular-Shaped Surfaces

The Grid Method is employed when finding the area of irregular-shaped surfaces. This is where the
irregular-shaped surface is traced on a sheet of graph paper and a process of estimation is done in order to
determine the area.

1 cm

1 cm
graph paper

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
traced irregular-
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
shaped surface
15
 Diagram Showing Trace of an Irregular Shape

 After the surface is traced on the graph paper, there are two things that must be done:
 Count the number of whole one centimetre square (1 cm2) blocks occupied by the surface.
Total whole squares = 15 cm2
 Squares that occupy more than half a centimetre (1/2 cm) area should also be counted as whole
squares, while the ones less than a half is ignored.
Number of incomplete squares greater than a half centimetre (1/2 cm) = 15 cm2
Total surface area = 15 cm2 + 15 cm2  30 cm2

Another way in which the area of an irregular surface may be found is via “jig-saw” estimation. It is
more time consuming, but it is more precise if done correctly. The whole squares are counted (as in the
previous method), then the others are pieced together to make whole based on your estimation.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

Use the Grid Method to estimate the area of a circle and compare it with the calculated value when the
formula is used.