Finding the Area of a Rectangle

Third Grade Math

by Sanayya Sohail September 12, 2015

Let your students learn how to find the area of rectangular objects by doing hands-on activities. Your students
will love finding the area of various rectangular objects around the classroom!

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to find the area of a rectangle by counting tiles and multiplying.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Blocks area
Graph paper (two sheets per student)
Finding Area: Level 1 worksheet
Timer
Ruler (1 per pair)
Rectangular objects in the classroom
Twelve Index cards with rectangular objects in
the room listed, such as tissue boxes, dry erase
boards, etc.

Attachments

Finding Area: Level 1 (PDF)

Find the Area of a Rectangle: Easy (PDF)

Introduction (5 minutes)

Tell your students that they will be learning how to find the area of a rectangle.
Ask your students if they know what the word area means. Explain to your students that it is the space
inside a shape.
EL

Beginning

Have students share their thoughts with a supportive partner or a peer with the same home language
(L1), if possible.

Intermediate

Provide a sentence stem for students to use as they share what they know about area. (e.g., "I think that
area is ____.")

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (15 minutes)

Instruct your students to gather on the floor.

Place the blocks in a 4 x 5 format on the mat.
Ask your students to tell you the area of the rectangle by counting the blocks.

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 After that, ask your students if they can calculate the area of the rectangle using another method that is
quicker.
Explain to your students that they can multiply the number of the blocks in the row by the number of
blocks in the column to get the answer.
Ask your students to skip count by 4's 5 times to prove that multiplying the numbers will give them the
same answer that they would get by counting the blocks.
Repeat the above steps using different numbers.
EL

Beginning

Give students vocabulary cards with key terminology they will use in the lesson for words such as: area,
length, width, multiply, row, column, unit. Include a student-friendly definition, visuals, and examples, if
applicable.

Intermediate

Ask students to summarize the quick way to find the area of a rectangle. (i.e., They can multiply the
number of the blocks in the row by the number of blocks in the column.)

Guided Practice (20 minutes)

Instruct your students to draw the rectangles with the following sides: 4 by 2, 3 by 7, 9 by 4, 7 by 8, and
4 by 7.
Instruct your students to first calculate the area by counting the squares inside the rectangle. After that,
instruct your students to calculate the area by multiplying.
Let your students know that each square represents one unit.
Go over the answers with your students as a class.
EL

Beginning

Give students a worksheet with rectangles that are labeled with the dimensions.
Allow students to work with a partner to find the area of the rectangles.

Intermediate

Have students share their answers with the whole class using a sentence frame. (e.g., "I know the area is
____ because ____.")

Independent working time (15 minutes)

Ask your students to complete the Finding Area: Level 1 worksheet.

Ask your students to draw the squares inside each rectangle as well.
Go over the worksheet as a class.
EL

Beginning

Support students by inviting them to work in a small, teacher-led group. Provide individualized attention
by asking questions and determining student needs.

Intermediate

Instruct students to get with a partner to check their answers and practice their explanations after they
have completed the worksheet independently.
Have students restate their peer's explanation and challenge them to add onto the statement. Provide

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 sentence supports, such as "I agree with ____ because ____. I would also say ____."

Related books and/or media

Find interactive books for each child’s level.

Differentiation

Enrichment:

Instruct your students to draw a building made out of rectangles on graph paper. Have them find the area
of each rectangle in their building. Direct them to add the area of all rectangles to find the area of the
entire building!

Support:

Instruct your students to draw a rectangle using blocks. Instruct your students to count the number of
blocks that they used to create the rectangle. Explain to your students that they can find the area by
multiplying the horizontal and vertical sides as well. Have them multiply the sides to make them
understand that the answer is the same that they got by counting.
Allow students to use manipulatives, such as blocks, to provide a more concrete understanding of the
area of the rectangles.

Assessment (10 minutes)

Pass out graph paper to each student.

Ask your students to draw 2 rectangles on the graph paper.
Ask your students to calculate the area of their rectangle using counting and multiplication.
Remind your students that each square represents 1 unit.
EL

Beginning

Have students complete the task in a small, teacher-led group. Have them explain their process to a
partner as they work.

Intermediate

Ask students to restate the instructions to a partner and then to the whole group.

Review and closing (10 minutes)

Create 12 index cards that have a rectangular object from the classroom listed on them.
You can use desks, drawers, dry erase boards, books, and tissue boxes as examples of rectangular
objects.
Ask your students to get into groups of 2, and have each pair draw a card.
Ask the pairs to measure the area of the object on their card. Instruct your students to use centimeters if
they get a small object and inches if they get a large object.
Set the timer to 5 minutes.
Ask each student to discuss the area of his object with the class.
EL

Beginning

Pair students with a supportive partner or one that speaks the same L1.

Intermediate

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Teach a pre-lesson on measurement in which students practice measuring with inches and centimeters.
Provide a sentence frame to support student sharing. (e.g., "The area of this object is ____ because ____.")

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 ?
Finding Area: Level 1
Help Piggy pick a room with the largest area in square
feet. Calculate the area of each room; then, write
the answer in the middle of the room.
Color in the largest one. Remember, Area = L x W

10
14

7
8

4 9

12

Copyright © 2009-2010 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

 ?
Finding Area: Level 1
Help Piggy pick a room with the largest area in square feet.
Calculate the area of each room then write
the answer in the middle of the room.
Color in the largest one. Remember, Area = L x W

10
14

7
8

4 9

12

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Copyright © 2009-2010 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets
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