This resource contains three area and perimeter games to play in your classroom.
Always, sometimes, never game
Cut out these cards and sort them into statements that you think are always true, sometimes true and never true.
If you think sometimes, then explain when it is and when it isn’t true. If you think always or never then explain how you can be so sure. All members of your group must agree with each statement.
For example:
- The perimeter of a rectangle is greater than the area
- Area is the space inside the shape’s edges
- The area of a triangle is half the area of a rectangle
Teaching advice
You might feel that statements such as ‘the area of a rectangle is greater than the perimeter’ need unpacking with your class.
The intention of all of these ‘always, sometimes, never’ tasks is to draw out misconceptions. This statement, combined with the statements about units, should allow plenty of opportunities for this to occur.
You could offer learners squared paper to support them in working on some of these statements.
Multiple representations game
Cut out these cards and match any that show different ways of representing the same shape.
Teaching advice
This is a very straightforward multiple representations task. A follow-up task might be for learners to draw some more straightforward shapes that have an area of 6cm2 or 12cm2.
The ’12cm’ card has no matches and can be used for an extension task with learners deciding what part of the shape it might refer to and what the shape could look like, then creating a family for that shape.
Mystery game
Read these cards and solve the problem. All of the information you need to solve the problem is included in the cards.
Teaching advice
While it is possible to complete the mystery without knowing what the shapes used in it are, it is much more challenging.
Many groups will benefit from being given the scaffolding of the shapes used early in the task. These are provided at the bottom but can be trimmed off.
Discussion in a mathematics lesson is a powerful way for learners to test, clarify and develop their understanding. The complete Talking Maths series from ATM covers nine key areas of mathematics and promotes discussion, understanding, confidence and independence in learners. Browse more area and perimeter resources.
