Perimeter and Area - Area of Compound Shapes - Planning

The Year 5 lesson plan on the topic of area and perimeter focuses on the area of compound shapes. The lesson begins with a review of key vocabulary such as 'area', 'calculate', and 'compound shapes', with resources like worksheets and presentations provided to support learning. After a brief recap of previous lessons, the class is introduced to compound shapes through the first activity. Students are encouraged to discuss how to calculate the area of these shapes and to explore the idea of dividing them into rectangles, which allows them to apply the formula for the area of a rectangle. This concept is illustrated with an example where the area of each rectangle is calculated separately and then added together to find the total area. To deepen their understanding, children are given compound shapes to divide and calculate in various ways, discovering that the total area remains consistent regardless of the division method.

In subsequent activities, students encounter compound shapes with side lengths in different units of measurement, such as millimetres, centimetres, and metres. They are reminded of the importance of converting these measurements to the same unit before calculating the area. Through partner discussions, they decide on the most suitable unit of measurement and work on converting side lengths as needed. The lesson also includes group work and independent activities that challenge students to divide more complex shapes and calculate their areas. To conclude, students reflect on the skills they utilised during the lesson, such as finding missing side lengths and using multiplication and addition to determine areas. They also consider any difficulties encountered and the resources or support that aided their learning. The lesson plan caters to varying levels of proficiency, from those working towards fluency to those capable of handling greater depth challenges involving more intricate compound shapes.