Mathematics / Year 6 / Measurement

Curriculum content descriptions

establish the formula for the area of a rectangle and use it to solve practical problems (AC9M6M02)

Elaborations
  • using one centimetre grid paper to construct a variety of rectangles, recording the side lengths and the related areas of the rectangles in a table to establish the formula for the area of a rectangle by recognising the relationship between the length of the sides and its calculated area
  • using the relationship between the length and area of square units and the array structure to derive a formula for calculating the area of a rectangle from the lengths of its sides
  • solving problems involving the comparison of lengths and areas using appropriate units
  • investigating the connection between the perimeters of different rectangles with the same area and between the areas of rectangles with the same perimeter
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Area,  Rectangles

Video

Area and perimeter video

Use this video to connect area and perimeter to real world applications to set the context for why we are learning about area and perimeter.

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Café Fractions - Calculate

In this task, students take the role of the owner of a cake wholesaler, baking and supplying cakes to local café businesses. As café owners order their weekly cakes by the slice, students are required to add unit fractions together to calculate total cake orders. They then solve problems associated with subtracting fractional ...

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Work Unit: Mr Moon’s feathery problem - Calculate

This unit of work provides a rich, contextual activity through which students can explore the applications of measurement (length, area and capacity), to a real problem in an everyday context for Students in Years 5 & 6.

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Event Planner - Calculate

This investigative project gives students the experience of being a professional ‘event planner’, by organising a special event such as a wedding reception, farewell or special birthday party. Students are asked to prepare a comprehensive plan that outlines a floor and seating plan, a fully costed menu, a monetary quote ...

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'Mission to Mars' - An AMSI Schools 'Rich Task' in Number & Place Value - Calculate

This task aims provide a rich, contextual activity through which students can gain an understanding of the distances relevant to the size of our solar system, and how an understanding of place value, metric measurement systems and time measurement can be used to represent these large distances and convert calculations ...

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 50: How to use a tetrahedron to solve the tree problem

How can you place four trees exactly the same distance apart from one other? By making a model! By using miniature trees to make a model of the problem, it becomes clear that a 2D solution is impossible. We learn how objects can help us visualise the problem situation, which in this case requires a 3D solution: a tetrahedron.

Video

What skills are important for programming robots?

Listen as David McKinnon from UNSW describes some of the skills that are useful to have if you want to program robots. David explains an activity that exercises problem solving skills. Why don't you try doing it? Look at a map and find some towns that are close to yours. Use the scale on the map to work out the distances ...

Interactive

Numeracy wrap: The long and the short

In this resource students measure objects of different length in centimetres and millimetres, order lengths from shortest to longest, convert between millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres.

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ABC News: Mapping a sea voyage: calculating distance

Scientists involved in the Two Bays Project describe data collection methods for their 20-day expedition around Port Phillip and Western Port bays. Watch this clip to view the route mapped out by the scientists. Use Google Maps to recreate the route and calculate the total distance travelled.

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Catalyst: Measuring our coastline

How long is the Australian coastline? See Dr Derek Muller and Simon Pampena discussing the perimeter of the Australian coastline. Find out how the accuracy of that measurement depends on the length of the 'measuring stick' used. They discuss how a coastline is much like a fractal such as 'Koch's Snowflake'!

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BTN: Yes, fashion designers need maths skills!

Are you interested in becoming a fashion designer? Or an architect? Or a pilot? Did you know that you need maths skills to succeed in all of these careers? Watch this video to learn how fashion designer Cristina uses maths in her work. How does architect Thomas use it? And why is maths important to pilot Paul? Can you think ...

Video

Area of a square and a triangle

Do you know the formula for working out the area of a square? How about a triangle? Watch this short maths video to learn the formulas for both.

Video

Working out the areas

Do you know how to work out the area of a square, a rectangle or a triangle? Learn the simple maths formulas needed from this video. What would be the area of a rectangle with a height of 5cm and a length of 3cm?

Interactive

Numeracy wrap: Round the outside

In this resource students will calculate the perimeter of different shapes, choose the appropriate measuring device, make different shapes from given perimeters

Interactive

Playground percentages

Help a town planner to design two site plans for a school. Assign regions on a 10x10 grid for different uses such as a playground, canteen, car park or lawn. Calculate the percentage of the total site used for each region. Use a number line to display fractions and equivalent fractions.

Interactive

The divider: with or without remainders

Solve divisions such as 147/7 or 157/6 (some have remainders). Use a partitioning tool to help solve randomly generated divisions. Learn strategies to do complex arithmetic in your head. Split a division into parts that are easy to work with, use times tables, then solve the original calculation.