Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Area (3)

In an engaging lesson from the Max Maths curriculum for Year 5, students explore the concept of area with a focus on squares. They are presented with a grid composed of individual squares, each measuring 1 cm by 1 cm. The task involves examining squares of different colours, each with varying side lengths, to determine their areas. For example, a blue square with a side length of 1 cm has an area of 1 cm², illustrating the initial concept that the area of a square is determined by the length of its side squared.

As the lesson progresses, students observe that as the side length of the squares increases, so does the area, but not in a linear fashion; it increases quadratically. A yellow square with a side length of 2 cm has an area of 4 cm², a pink square with 3 cm sides has an area of 9 cm², a green square's 4 cm sides yield an area of 16 cm², and an orange square with a side length of 6 cm has a substantial area of 36 cm². Through these examples, students learn the formula for calculating the area of a square, which is the side length multiplied by itself, succinctly expressed as Area = side × side. This foundational mathematical concept is a building block for understanding more complex geometric calculations.