I-MATH
Perimeter and Area
I-MATH
Perimeter and Area
The following paragraphs are part of the NCTM Measurement Standard:
"Instructional programs from pre kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement; apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements. The study of measurement is crucial in the pre-K-12 mathematics curriculum because of its practicality and pervasiveness in so many aspects of everyday life.
The study of measurement also provides an
opportunity for learning about other areas of mathematics, such as
number operations, geometric ideas, statistical concepts, and notions
of function."
Measurement is a major part of the study of perimeter and area in geometry. Unfortunately, however, sometimes this topic is treated as just a collection of formulas to be memorized and applied. Students can gain a greater understanding of length, width and perimeter of a geometric figure as those measurements relate to the area enclosed by the figure, by doing investigative activities using interactive geometry software.
My students have worked on a project in which they explore geometric figures and measure their perimeters and areas to investigate the relationships between these measurements. They explore, using compass and straight-edge contstructions or Sketchpad, working in groups, and they communicate their procedures, conjectures, reasoning and verification in a project I call Perimeter/Area Exploration.
Click on the link below for a printable worksheet of the perimeter/area exploration:
The resources on the internet are amazing. Visit the following
site to explore a fascinating connection between perimeter, area and
fractals:
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/frac/koch2.html