Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Area (1)

In an engaging lesson from Max Maths for Year 5, students learn about the concept of area through a practical example. Han, a character in the lesson, draws a rectangle that measures 8 cm in length and 2 cm in width. To help visualise the area, he divides this rectangle into smaller squares, each with sides measuring 1 cm. By filling the rectangle with these squares, Han creates a pattern of 16 individual squares inside the larger shape. This visual representation helps students grasp that the area of a shape refers to the amount of space it occupies, which in this case, is 16 square centimetres, written as 16 cm².

The lesson further encourages students to explore the relationship between the dimensions of the rectangle and the total area. With the length being 8 cm and the width 2 cm, students are prompted to find a connection between these numbers and the area of 16 cm². This activity not only reinforces the concept of area but also lays the groundwork for understanding the formula for calculating the area of a rectangle, which is length multiplied by width. The hands-on approach of dividing the shape into measurable units makes the abstract idea of area tangible and accessible for young learners.