Teaching of Perimeter and Area
Teaching of Perimeter and Area
Teaching of Perimeter and Area
Ideas of perimeter and area are used widely in everyday life. For example, these ideas are
largely used by builders, architects, painters and farmers.
Most children have some experiences of perimeter and area before they start school. They have
seen people making flower beds, fences or making paths around their homes.
Learners can also describe things as long or short and small or big. These activities are related
to perimeter or area.
The knowledge and skills of these concepts enable people to be more exact when carrying out
various activities. For instance, a contractor has to know the perimeter of land in order to
establish the cost of fencing it. Likewise, a farmer needs to know the area of a garden in order
to determine the amount of seed and fertilizer that are needed.
Therefore, it is important for learners to develop a sound understanding of perimeter and area
which they can apply in daily life.
Perimeter
Perimeter is the distance around a figure or an object.
The word perimeter is derived from the Greek words per which means around and metro which
means measure.
Perimeter of a figure is found by adding the lengths of all the outer edges that make up the
figure.
Length
Length is the distance between any two points.
The standard unit for measuring length is a metre (m).
Perimeter of circular shapes is called circumference.
Calculating circumference requires the use of pi (π) whose value is 22/7 or 3.14 rounded to
𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
two decimal places. Pi is the ratio of circumference to the diameter of a circle or .
𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
This ratio is the same for every circle regardless of its size.
𝐶
Perimeter of a semicircle is found by halving the circumference plus its diameter (i.e. P = [ ]+
2
D, where P is perimeter, C circumference and D diameter)
Area
Area is the measurement of the amount of surface that is covered by a 2-dimensional figure.
Finding the area of a given figure requires an understanding of basic unit of area such as one
square centimetre (1 cm2) which is the area of a 1 centimetre square.
Once this is established, it becomes easier to find areas of different shapes just by counting the
number of unit squares (in this case, square centimetres (cm2) within the boundary of each
shape.
Eventually, different formulae are derived which help to calculate areas of different shapes
such as rectangle, circle, kite and trapezium.
The standard unit for measuring area is square metre (m2).
Importance of perimeter and area in everyday life
Used in tailoring when taking measurements for clothes
In construction of houses for example, the length of the infrastructure has to be measured
In farming, area of land to be planted has to be known in order to determine amount of inputs
to be applied.
In painting, the costing of labour is determined by the area painted
Creation of boundaries between countries, states and town/ villages
Ways learners develop the concepts of perimeter and area
When playing games like zawana
As learners learn the concepts of 3-D and 2-D shapes
As the learners get involved in agricultural activities like making of seed beds
As learners classify, organise and draw objects and shapes
An effective way to introduce these concepts is to engage learners in various hands-on activities
starting with non-standard units before bringing the idea of standard units. For example, learners
can describe the perimeter of a chalkboard in terms of other objects such as sticks.
They can also describe the area of a table or desk in terms of number of smaller objects that can
fit on it such as leaves or notebooks. In this way, learners can realise the limitations of using non-
standard units and appreciate the importance of standard units in measuring perimeter and area.
Class Concepts Skills
4
Area Comparing flat surfaces
Measuring flat surfaces
Area Measuring area using squares
Square Presenting area of a given shape in
5 Flat surfaces squares
Finding area of given shapes by counting
number of squares
Perimeter Adding and subtracting length
The formula for perimeters of Multiplying and dividing length
rectangles and squares Calculating the perimeter of a rectangle,
Calculating the perimeter of a a square and a triangle
rectangle, a square and a triangle Calculating area of rectangles
6 Area Calculating area of squares
The formula for finding areas of Calculating area of triangles
rectangles Deriving the formula for the area of a
The formula for finding areas of rectangle, square and triangle
triangles
The standard units for area
Area of a //gram = base x height Establishing formula for finding area of
Area of a circle = 𝜋𝑟 2 a //gram and a circle
7 Area of a composite figure = sum Finding area of a //gram
of areas of shapes that make up the Finding area of a circle
figure
Circumference of a circle Solving practical problems involving
Composite figure circumference of circles
Perimeter of composite figures Solving practical problems involving
Area of composite figures perimeter of composite figures
Area of borders and lawns Calculating area of composite figures
8 Area of trapezium Finding area of borders and lawns
Developing the formula for area of a
trapezium
Finding area of trapezium using the
formula
Solving practical problems on area
Note: The concept of perimeter is closely related to the concept of length which is covered
starting from standard one. However perimeter and length as concepts are different.
Teaching measuring length in non-standard units
It is important to practice measuring things using non-standard units before bringing the idea of
standard units to learners.
Examples of non-standard units of length include sticks, foot, strides, cubit and arm span.
Stick …. Sticks
Foot …. Feet
Hand span …. Hand spans
Floor
Strides …. Strings
Sticks …. Sticks
Note:
Different types of objects vary in terms of length, height, depth and shallowness.
Words like long, wide, deep, shallow, tall or short are some of the terms which mean length
in everyday life.
Measuring length using standard units
A metre is a standard unit for measuring length.
When teaching standard units of length, introduce a metre first, then centimetre, millimetre and
kilometre.
Introducing a metre
Revise measuring objects using non-standard units
Let learners observe that results obtained are inconsistent (dependent on height of an
individual)
Explain that there is need to come up with a standard unit which is a metre (introduce a metre)
Show learners a metre ruler or metre stick
Guide learners to estimate lengths of objects around
Help learners check their estimates by measuring length with the metre ruler
Introducing a centimetre/ millimetre
Provide learners with objects shorter than a metre
Ask learners to measure length of these objects in metres. Learners will find it difficult to
measure in metres lengths of objects shorter than a metre
Discuss with learners the need for smaller units (centimetres/ millimetres)
Let learners measure lengths of the objects using a 30cm ruler
Let learners practice measuring objects in both metres and centimetres
Introducing a kilometre
Discuss problems of using metres or centimetres in measuring long distances and the need for
bigger units
Go to a football ground which is 100m long
Estimate the distance which is 10 times the length of the football ground
Establish that 10 x 100m is 1Km so 1Km = 1000m
INTRODUCING FORMULA FOR PERIMETER OF A RECTANGLE
INTRODUCING PI (π)
• Have a variety of circular objects such as tins, tyres, coins, plates rings and rim
• Measure the diameter and circumference of each circular object and record the findings in
a table as below
Note: Pi is the number of times the diameter is contained in the circumference of the same
circular object
Introducing non-standard units of area
Introduce area using non-standard units such as leaves, papers, books, plates and palms
Cover a given area e.g a floor or table using leaves
Describe the area in terms of the number of objects used. e.g the floor is ten leaves in size
Cover the same area using different objects e.g books and describe the area
Establish with learners that the non-standard units are not reliable because they are not
consistent and precise
• Join the pieces by rotating the top one clockwise as shown above so that it looks like the
one below
• Conclude by showing that the formula for the area of a trapezium is ½(sum of ‖ sides) x
height
• Place the two triangles formed in such a way that they fit each other exactly
• Discuss the relationship between the two triangles i.e they are of the same size
• Establish that the area of each triangle is half the area of the rectangle
• Deduce the formula for finding area of a triangle as: Area of triangle = ½ area of a
rectangle = ½(length x width)
• Let learners note that after cutting the rectangle, the length become the base and the width
the height. Hence, area of a triangle = ½ (base x height)
• Shade the alternative sectors that is one sector shaded, the other one unshaded as shown
in the figure above
• Cut through each line and separate through the centre
• Arrange the sectors alternatively as shown below
• Identify the formed shape as parallelogram and discuss the base and height
• Establish that:
The base of the parallelogram is ½ the circumference of the circle = ½ of 2πr
= πr
The height is the radius which is = r
• Therefore area of //gram above = base x height
= πr x r
= 𝜋𝑟 2
• ∴ the area of the circle is equal to 𝜋𝑟 2
Misconceptions and errors
Thinking that all shapes with the same area have the same perimeter
Attempting to find area of a rectangle by adding length and width rather than multiplying them