I like to begin any new unit or topic with a chance to hear what my students already know about the topic. Most of the class already knew the concept of area and perimeter from third grade, but in 4th grade, the concept becomes more difficult as students must find the area of not only squares and rectangles, but also of irregular shapes.
After reviewing the concept of area to my class and having some practice with the usual math worksheets, I wanted my students to have a little fun with the concept as they practiced. Using grid paper and two dice, students chose the size of their game board and began to play. Taking turns, they rolled the dice and drew an array on their game board. (Writing in the equation used inside the array) After a few rounds, students would see that they needed specific numbers in order to fill in the blank spaces in their game board. The first one to fill in the game board completely, would win the round and they could begin again!
My hope was that students would begin to make the connection to irregular shapes begin a combination of smaller rectangles and squares, which they already knew how to find the areas of. If nothing else, students got a fun review of the concept.
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