Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Perimeter of shapes (1)

In an engaging lesson from Max Maths for Year 5, students explore the concept of perimeter using practical examples. The first scenario presents a school football field with a known perimeter of 64 metres and a width of 12 metres. Students are tasked with determining the length of the field. By applying the formula for the perimeter of a rectangle, which is 2 times the width plus 2 times the length, they calculate that the combined width (2 sides of the field) amounts to 24 metres. Subtracting this from the total perimeter leaves 40 metres, which represents twice the length of the field. Dividing by 2 reveals that the football field's length is 20 metres, demonstrating the practical application of mathematical principles in real-world settings.

The lesson continues with another relatable example involving a soccer ball, which features pentagonal shapes. Students learn that a pentagon has five sides of equal length and are asked to calculate its perimeter. Knowing that each side of the given pentagon measures 6 centimetres, they use the formula for the perimeter of a regular polygon—multiplying the length of one side by the number of sides. This simple multiplication of 5 times 6 centimetres results in a perimeter of 30 centimetres. Through these exercises, students gain confidence in their ability to calculate perimeters and understand the relationship between the lengths of different sides of polygons.