Perimeter and Area - Area of Compound Shapes - Presentation

In Lesson 8 of a mathematics curriculum, students are introduced to the concept of calculating the area of compound shapes. This lesson builds on their existing knowledge of finding the area of rectangles by applying the same principles to more complex figures. A compound shape is essentially a shape that can be divided into simpler shapes, such as rectangles, for which the area can be calculated separately and then summed to find the total area. The lesson encourages students to explore different ways of splitting a compound shape and to discuss whether various methods of division lead to the same total area. The focus is on understanding that despite the complexity of a shape, it can still be broken down into familiar, manageable parts.

Through a series of activities, students are challenged to calculate the areas of various compound shapes by dividing them into rectangles and applying the formula for the area of a rectangle (length x width). These activities include converting units of length, such as millimetres to centimetres and centimetres to metres, to ensure consistency in calculations. The lesson also emphasises reasoning skills, asking students to consider multiple ways to approach a problem and to verify the correctness of their solutions. Independent work tasks further consolidate their understanding, offering opportunities to demonstrate different methods of finding the area of compound shapes and reinforcing the lesson's key concepts.