Grade Level: Third Grade

Topic: Understanding Area and Square Units

Primary Content Objectives:
Students will know: (facts/information)
-What the term units means in relation to measuring area
-Shapes can be broken down into unit squares
-The relationship between unit squares and square units
Students will be able to do: (skills and behaviors)
-Count unit squares to find the area of geometric shapes
-Be able to estimate to the nearest unit
Related state or national standards:
Virginia Standards of Learning:
Measurement
3.9 The student will estimate and use U.S. Customary and metric units to measure
d) area and perimeter.
Common Core State Standards:
3.MD.C.5
Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.
3.MD.C.5.A
A square with side length 1 unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit"
of area, and can be used to measure area.
3.MD.C.5.B
A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to
have an area of n square units.
3.MD.C.6
Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and
improvised units).
Assessment:
Formative:
-One formative assessment will take place on the smartboard with several of the students. After
the teacher models how to find the area of several shapes, s/he will have multiple students
demonstrate how to find the area on the smartboard. The teacher will be scaffolding students in
this process, and will encourage them to think aloud. This will both help the other students to

understand the process, and will help let the teacher know how students understand the
information.
-Another assessment has the students will work in pairs on a handout that has them find the area
in square units of different shapes. The students will do this by working with transparent grids
(plastic sheets) and cut out shapes. The students will record their data on the handout, but all of
the work will be done with the concrete materials. Some of the shapes will require students to
work on their estimation skills. This will be reviewed together as a class, so that the teacher can
gauge the students understanding before moving on to independent work.
Summative:
-The students will complete a small packet that has them independently measure the area of
multiple shapes in square units. This will be a very similar activity to what the student did in
pairs. However, because the task is done independently, the teacher will be able to directly see
how each student is grasping the lesson. The teacher will collect these handouts at the end of the
lesson to see if the lesson was comprehended.
Materials and Resources:
-Smartboard slides
-Transparent grids (plastic with marked grid)
-Sets of cut up shapes
-Formative assessment handout (attached below)
-Summative assessment handout packet (attached below)
-Exit slips
Key Vocabulary and Definitions:
Estimate: To give an approximate number or answer that is as close as you can get.
Square unit (1 unit square): A square with sides that are 1 unit long, used to measure area.
Area: The number of unit squares needed to cover a shape or space.
Hexagon: A shape with 6 sides.
Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
-The teacher will place the students in view of the smartboard.
-S/he will then open the slides for vocabulary learning, Today were going to be learning
about how to measure the area of a shape. There are some new words we are going to
encounter today, so were going to all do some word review together on the smartboard.
-As the teacher goes through the words, s/he will display the visual on the smartboard
slides so the students have a visual context for each definition. The teacher will introduce
the words one by one, and ask the students to come up with their possible explanations.
For example, Our first word is square unit. What might a square unit mean? (Funnel
question) The student might respond, A square that we are using to measure. The

teacher could model an example before the students give their responses. The teacher will
further this with the exact definition, and will write it alongside the word on the board.
The teacher will have to be sure with area that students understand the content specific
definition. The student might say, Its a place. The teacher will extend this definition by
explaining that it is the number of units needed for a space (emphasizing its role in
measurement).
-The teacher will do this for each word from the Envision vocabulary list (Unit square,
Area, Estimate, Square unit).
-The teacher will then display fill-in-the-blank slides for vocabulary practice (same
format as Envision). The teacher will call on students to come to the board and fill in the
blanks from the word bank.
-The teacher will then review each word by reading the sentence (with the filled in word)
aloud, and will ask, Thumbs up if this was the correct word choice. If the teacher
notices that students are not grasping the words s/he can do further vocabulary review.
2. Tasks and Activities
-The teacher will display a slide showing a square marked with grid marks.
-The teacher will ask, What do we think these squares (motioning to the grid squares)
represent? The students will reply, square units. If the students are unsure, the teacher
could refer them back to the vocabulary learned at the start of the lesson. The teacher will
extend this by asking, If we know that the unit squares represent square units, how might we
measure the area of the whole square? The students will reply, We can count each unit
square to see how many square units the whole square is.
-The teacher will model this method to the students on the smartboard slide, and count aloud
while counting.
-The teacher will then display two more slides to measure the area of a square, and will ask
students to come up to the board to solve how many square units the whole square is. While
this is going on, the teacher will need to remind the students of the expectations while
listening to other students.
-The teacher will then display a grid slide with a circle rather than a square. You can
measure any shape (not just a square). Does anyone want to volunteer to show me how we
might measure the area of this circle? The student will say, You still count the same
number of unit squares in the circle. The teacher will further this by asking, but, what do
you think you should do with those triangles or half squares along the edge? This might
confuse the students. This will prompt the teacher to transition into estimation.
-Who can remind us what estimate means? The students might respond, To sort of guess.
The teacher will enhance this by saying, Thats very close, but we arent just guessing.
Were doing our best job, based on what we know, to get the closest number that we are
looking for.
-The teacher will model this with the circle on the smartboard. So we have onetwo
three (count the unit square aloud) about 40 unit squares in our circle.

-The teacher will then call up a student to model this estimation to the class. The teacher will
scaffold the students and guide him/her in the process. The teacher should encourage the
student to think out loud to the class.
-The teacher will then explain, Were now going to be working in partners to figure out the
area of several different shapes. The teacher will then pair up the students and have them
return to their seats. S/he will then distribute the worksheet/handout for the pairs to work on.
-The teacher will instruct the students, On the handout, you have very similar problems to
what we did on the board together. You will have to find the area in square units of each
shape. Although you will be recording your data on the handout, you will be working with
concrete materials. The teacher will display the transparent grids and cutout shapes. S/he
will model for the students how they will position each shape under that grid.
-Remember, that for some of the trickier shapes, talk with your partner about estimation.
-The teacher should observe students during this time to make sure they are grasping the
concept.
-The teacher can pass out additional (more challenging) shapes if students finish early.
-Once the students have completed all of the shapes, the teacher will bring the classs
attention back to the board, and will turn on the overhead projector. Using the overhead, the
teacher will have student pairs come up to the classroom to share how they figured out the
area of each shape. The teacher will prompt with questions such as, How did you choose to
estimate to X? (Focus question)
-With the knowledge the students already have, the teacher will show them the solve and
share problem on the smartboard. The slide will show two postcards under different sized
grids. The teacher will ask, Look at both of these postcards. Are the measurements of the
areas the same? The students will likely reply, No, the squares are different sizes. (Funnel
question) The teacher will agree with the students, but further the thinking by explaining,
Yes, the squares are different sizes. This means that the unit squares are different sizes. If
our unit squares are different sizes, then we are going to have very different areas.
-The teacher will ask the students, So what does this tell us to pay attention to when
working with unit squares? (Focus question) The students will respond, That the area of
something can be different depending on the unit squares you use.
-The teacher will agree with students, and show further examples on the smartboard. How
many unit squares is each whole shape? and If we know how many unit squares each shape
is, then what is the area of each shape? (Funnel question) The students will answer, The
first square is 6 unit squares, which means that the area is 6 square units. The second square
is 20 unit squares, which means the area is 20 square units.
3. Closure:
-The teacher will have students at their seats for independent work that will be used as a
summative assessment. The handout will consist of multiple pictures asking students to find
the area of various shapes (very similar to smartboard slides). It will also ask students several
extension questions on measuring area from the Envision text (i.e. which of these shapes is 6
square units? Or how are these shapes alike or different). *Attached below

-The teacher will instruct the students, You are going to be working independently on this
handout. You all did a wonderful job with or smartboard work today and in pairs. This
handout is very similar to all the work we did together.
-As the students work, the teacher will check in with students to make sure they are on the
right track.
-The teacher will then collect the handouts and hand the students a quick exit slip, Before
we finish up, I want you all to write on your exit slips one important thing you learned about
are today? (Focus Question) The students could respond with, The area of the shape
depends on the size of the unit squares Or, If our shape isnt completely in the unit squares,
we can estimate. This will reinforce some of the key concepts learned in the lesson.
-The teacher will then end the lesson with, Tomorrow we are going to be taking what we
learned about measuring and actually be suing inches, centimeters and feet to measure area.
Accommodations for individual differences:
-If any of the lesson needed to be retaught, the teacher model more concrete examples with the
students on the overhead projector as well as with the smartboard. The teacher could also have
small groups meet around the projector or smartboard for a more intimate lesson, were the
students might be less intimidated to ask questions.
-For students who show mastery, the teacher could pair these students up with students who are
struggling on the formative assessment, and have them peer tutor. This would benefit both
students, and give the student with mastery an appropriate challenge. The teacher could also give
this student more difficult shapes to work with on the formative assessment, to ensure that s/he
really did have a solid understanding.