Max Maths, Year 4, Learn together, Area (2)

In a Year 4 mathematics lesson from Max Maths, students are introduced to the concept of area through a practical and visual exercise. Padma, a character in the lesson, explores this concept by measuring shapes made from 1 cm² tiles. She diligently records the length, width, and area of each shape in a chart. The shapes, labelled Shape 1 through Shape 5, vary in dimensions with lengths ranging from 4 cm to 5 cm and widths from 1 cm to 4 cm. The recorded areas of these shapes start from 4 cm² for Shape 1 and go up to 20 cm² for Shape 5, clearly illustrating the relationship between the dimensions of a rectangle and its area.

Through her observations, Padma uncovers a consistent pattern across all the shapes: the area of a rectangle can be calculated by multiplying its length by its width. This discovery is summarized by the formula for finding the area of a rectangle, which is simply area equals length times width. Padma's findings are a significant step in understanding the fundamentals of area for rectangular shapes, and the lesson prompts students to affirm her discovery by saying, "Well done, Padma!" The lesson then encourages further learning and practice by directing students to a workbook page where they can continue exploring the concept of area and apply the pattern Padma found to new problems.