Math lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes
Area and perimeter in real-life problems
Geometry
CCSS 4.MD.A.3England: Y5 Measurement
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Area and perimeter in real-life problems.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Find a missing side from the area; Find a missing side from the perimeter
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Rulers and protractors, Squared or dotted paper, Shape cut-outs, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Find a missing side from the area; Find a missing side from the perimeter). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Mateo wants a rectangular vegetable patch with an area of 18 m². It must be 3 m wide. How long must it be? → 6Prompt: Area = length × width.
- Liam wants a rectangular vegetable patch with an area of 20 m². It must be 4 m wide. How long must it be? → 5Prompt: Area = length × width.
- Lucia wants a rectangular vegetable patch with an area of 16 m². It must be 2 m wide. How long must it be? → 8Prompt: Area = length × width.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a photo of a building, a tile pattern or a road sign and ask what shapes and angles students can spot.
- Share the objective: Area and perimeter in real-life problems. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Amara covers a rectangular floor 4 m by 6 m with carpet. How many square metres of carpet are needed?
- Step 1: 4 × 6 = 24 m²
- Answer: 24
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Omar puts a fence all the way round a rectangular garden 6 m by 4 m. How many metres of fence are needed? → 20Prompt: Is it the distance round the edge, or the space covered?
- A patio is 11 m by 7 m. It is covered with square slabs that are 1 m by 1 m. How many slabs are needed? → 77Prompt: How many slabs fit along each side?
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Leo's rectangular poster has an area of 99 cm² and a width of 9 cm. What is its perimeter? → 40Prompt: First find the length from the area.
- A patio is 7 m by 10 m. It is covered with square slabs that are 1 m by 1 m. How many slabs are needed? → 70Prompt: How many slabs fit along each side?
Watch out for
- Thinking a square turned on its corner is no longer a square.
- Reading the wrong scale on a protractor.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Find a missing side from the area.
- Use concrete materials: rulers and protractors.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder