Square tiles are uniform, one-unit squares that help students visualize and measure area. In a 3rd grade classroom, these tiles provide a concrete way to understand how many unit squares cover a shape, laying the foundation for area measurement.
Introducing Area in 3rd Grade
In third grade, students learn that the area of a shape is the number of square units that cover it without gaps or overlaps. Square tiles let them:
Explore Concepts: Understand that area is a measure of surface and can change even if the perimeter remains similar.
Cover Shapes: Place tiles on a shape to see how many are needed to fill it.
Count Units: Directly count the tiles to determine the area.
Classroom Strategies
Tiling Activities: Have students cover various shapes (rectangles, irregular figures) with square tiles and count them to calculate area.
Group Work: Encourage collaborative problem-solving as students discuss different ways to tile a shape.
Comparisons: Use tiles to explore the difference between area and perimeter, highlighting that shapes with the same perimeter can have different areas.
Shop Math Manipulatives
Disclosure: These are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
- Square Tiles (hand2mind)