Triangles, Quadrilaterals, and their Area and Perimeter

A Unit Lesson Plan (incorporating Reading and Writing) designed by Rebecca A. Zeier

 

Goal:

Students will discover the uses of basic geometric shapes in everyday life.  Students will find

relevance to finding area and perimeter.

 

 

Day 1: Properties of Triangles and Quadrilaterals

 

Objectives:

* Students will read and comprehend names and definitions of different triangles and quadrilaterals.

* Students will discover the properties of each shape

* Students will be able to categorize different kinds of triangles and quadrilaterals using their properties.

 

Activity:

* Students will engage in a GMA activity to group their new knowledge

 

NCTM Standards:

* Geometry

 

 

Day 2:  Area and Perimeter

 

Objectives:

* Students will be able to differentiate between area and perimeter

* Students will be able to demonstrate understandings of measurements

* Students will be able to measure area and perimeter using counting

*Students will be able to measure and record area and perimeter.

 

Activity:

* Students will be required to take notes as we do examples in class

 

* Students will be required to keep a journal using the KWL format.  At the beginning of each class, they are to write down what they know of the topic (that will be written on the board) and what they want to know about the topic.  At the end of class, they will write down what they learned from that day’s lesson.  This will be a daily journal entry.

 

NCTM Standards:

* Measurement

 

 

 

Day 3:  Area and Perimeter (continued)

 

Objectives:

* Students will have understanding of dimensions.

* Students will be able to discover and apply rules for measuring area and perimeter

* Students will be able to compute the area of a triangle and the different quadrilaterals (formulas will be developed)

 

Activities:

* KWL format Journal

* Note taking

 

NCTM Standards:

* Numbers and Operations

 

 

Day 4:  How it all applies to real life situations

           

Objectives:

* Students will discover the relevance of Area and Perimeter and the different shapes in every day life situations

 

Activities:

* Students will research different areas of study that use area and perimeter

* Students will pick a topic and brainstorm (thinking with pencil in hand) with partners on a project to construct using their new knowledge of area and perimeter of objects.  (ex:  building a house)

 

NCTM Standards:

* Connections

* Representation

 

 

Day 5 (and possible 6 and 7):  Putting Plan into Action

           

Objectives:

* continued from day 4

 

Activities:

* Students will write out their plan.  They will be required to write it as if it were going to be an advertisement and wanted people to “buy” into their idea.  (creative writing)

* Students will present their project to the class explaining what shapes, what methods of finding area and perimeter, and what research they used.

* End with a “book talk” about different books on the subject.

 

NCTM Standards:

* Representation

* Communications

* Problem Solving