Students learn how to find the area of composite shapes.  Learning progresses from counting the squares inside the shape to breaking them down into individual rectangles.  More able students are challenged to consider overlapping areas.At the start of the lesson students recap finding the area of rectangles and squares.  In the main part they learn how to find the area of composite shapes by breaking them down into their rectangular components.  In the plenary students are challenged to investigate possible perimeters for a fixed perimeter.

Differentiated Learning Objectives

• All students should be able to count the squares inside a compound rectilinear shape.
• Most students should be able to calculate the area of a compound shape.
• Some students should be able to find the area of a compound shape with algebraic lengths

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Properties of Shapes

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