Day 75: Area of Rectangles

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.G.1 Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems. MA.1.a. Use the relationships among radius, diameter, and center of a circle to find its circumference and area. MA.1.b. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the measurements of circles

Objective: Calculate the area of a rectangle

Agenda:

1. Visual Pattern #53 
2. QSSQ 
3. Pepper and Review HW 
4. Area of Rectangles HW Models
5. Index Card Activity from Laying the Foundation
6. Area of Rectangle Practice

Assessment: Students did a homework model problem on their own; I checked their homework and collected weekly quizzes; the index card problems were done in partners

Glass Half-Full: The index card activity was a genuine measurement activity. Too often I rely strictly on worksheets for something that is very much a hands on math skill that my students even at twelve years old can completely wrap their heads around. We used rulers to measure an 8 inch by 5 inch index card. Students then got the area and perimeter of that index card.

Next, they cut the index card in half so that the five inch side stayed intact. To help them I had them lightly shade this side with a pencil. Again they found the area and perimeter of the index card. We kept repeating this process four times. At which time students could see that every single time the area was cut in half and the perimeter was also getting smaller obviously. I then did out the work for the next several areas and had the students say the word "limit" three times and told them that this was their first Pre-AP Calculus class.

Regrets: Time goes by quick today. The perimeter homework had many good problems on it, but some problems I would do with out. The second to last and third to last problems are among those problems. That being said the interleaving problem of a tape diagram was beneficial for many students and is featured again tonight on the homework.