'Area of rectangles' tutor notes

The aim of the module is to remind learners that the area of a rectangle is length x width, area is measured in square units and measurements must be in the same units before calculating the area.

Students may find it useful to look at the Written multiplication section before starting this module.

Please let us know what you think of the factsheets, worksheets, activity and quiz at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

How does this tie in with the new curriculums?

• England
  MSS1/L1.9 - Work out the area of rectangles.
  
  
• Wales
  As England.
• Northern Ireland
  As England.
• Scotland
  See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.

In the Skillswise module you'll find:

Area of rectangles activity
In a short video DIY expert Craig Phillips (from BBC Housecall) shares his tips for working out the area of rectangles. He shows how to build some garden decking and explains how to measure the area of a rectangle, multiplying the length by the width.
Do you have any ideas of how we could develop video material on the site? Do you use video clips in class? Send us your thoughts at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

Area of rectangles quiz
The learner can choose their level. Level 1 is the easiest and level 3 the hardest.
Students can print out a certificate if they score 50% or more in the quiz. This will appear as a link on the results page - click on the link and the certificate will appear in a new window. Once printed students can write their name on the certificate.

Area of rectangles factsheet
There are three factsheets in this section which can be printed out and kept.

• Factsheet 1 - Counting squares.
• Factsheet 2 - Length x width.
• Factsheet 3 - Key words for area of rectangles.

Area of rectangle worksheets
There are four worksheets in this section.

• Worksheet 1 - Building decking.
• Worksheet 2 - Holding a car boot sale.
• Worksheet 3 - Questions where the area is given and students have to calculate the length or width.
• Worksheet 4 - Help Jeff buy a carpet.

Technical help:

To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':

• Realplayer
  The activity in this topic section uses Realplayer. This is software that allows you to view and hear the video clips. Realplayer is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
  Find out more

If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.
Find out more about WebWise.

You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.

Taking it further:

With Skillswise:
Visit the Skillswise Lesson plans area and Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching area of rectangles.

On the web:
Here's a suggestion of another place on the web that you might find useful for teaching the area of rectangles.

• GCSE Bitesize revision
  Though aimed at GCSE students this site contains useful revision, questions and answers on areas.
• DIY areas
  Use the DIY calculator to work out the area of floors, doors, windows and rooms. All you need to ensure is you buy the right amount of paint!

Do you know of any great online resources for practising area of rectangles? Tell us about them!