• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Area of composite rectilinear shapes; Area of triangles). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. An L-shape is made by cutting a 6 yd by 4 yd rectangle from the corner of a 12 yd by 7 yd rectangle. What is the area of the L-shape, in yd²? → 60Prompt: Find the area of the big rectangle.
2. A garden is made of two rectangles: 2 ft × 3 ft and 6 ft × 4 ft. What is the total area, in ft²? → 30Prompt: Find the area of each rectangle.
3. An L-shape is made by cutting a 3 cm by 2 cm rectangle from the corner of a 9 cm by 10 cm rectangle. What is the area of the L-shape, in cm²? → 84Prompt: Find the area of the big rectangle.

• 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 of shapes made from rectangles and triangles. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: An L-shaped room is a 15 m by 7 m rectangle with a 9 m by 3 m rectangle missing from one corner. What is its floor area, in m²?
• Step 1: 15 × 7 = 105
• Step 2: 9 × 3 = 27
• Step 3: 105 − 27 = 78 m²
• Answer: 78
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. An L-shaped room is a 15 m by 8 m rectangle with a 6 m by 3 m rectangle missing from one corner. What is its floor area, in m²? → 102Prompt: Find the area of the big rectangle.
2. A house-shaped sign is a 6 cm wide, 6 cm tall rectangle with a triangle on top. The triangle has the same base and is 5 cm tall. What is the total area, in cm²? → 51Prompt: Split the shape into a rectangle and a triangle.

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. A rectangular pond is 7 m by 3 m. A path 1 m wide goes all the way around it. What is the area of the path, in m²? → 24Prompt: The outside rectangle is 7 + 2 × 1 long and 3 + 2 × 1 wide.
2. A house-shaped sign is a 10 cm wide, 9 cm tall rectangle with a triangle on top. The triangle has the same base and is 3 cm tall. What is the total area, in cm²? → 105Prompt: Split the shape into a rectangle and a triangle.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-6.