Hey everyone! I have to teach a perimeter lesson to a fifth grade GT math class. I was wondering if anyone had fun or interesting ideas on how to teach this concept?
...using square tiles. Have students create rectangles with different dimensions, (3 x 5, 2 x 7, etc.) and have them find the perimeter. Then challenge them by giving them the perimeter and having them find the dimensions. You can even tie in area. Students can copy they're rectangles on graph paper.
Another activity could be with toothpicks. Have students create different shapes and find the perimeter with the toothpick being one unit.
I just taught a lesson on perimeter to third graders, but I had them use straws (you could use any type of measurement - ribbons, strings of paper clips...) and have them measure items around the room or items that you have enlarged and printed out from your computer. I guess it depends on how rowdy your class is - are they able to walk around the room and measure items with a manipulative?
Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!
use paper clips and a grid with pumpkins and have them make a paper ck=lip chain to measure how far around different shape rectangles and compare the perimeter... ( keep the same) with how many pumpkins can be enclosed ( area)
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the insight. I am teaching the lesson tomorrow and decided to do centers. I have sting and paperclips as well as manipulatives to use. One other thing I decided to do was have shapes for them to measure. Thanks so much and I will let you know how it goes!!
My lesson went extremely well this past thursday. I was able to set everything up and the children loved using the centers. I used the string and paperclips. It was interesting to see how students used the materials to do perimeter. I also took your advice intheloonybin and had students use tiles to create different shapes. After they created the shape, they then had to find the perimeter of that shape. This lesson was great and I would suggest this to any teacher looking to do perimeter.
My P.E. teacher had a big box of leftover jump ropes with 1-2 inch beads. I had my kids make rectangles and squares and tell me their measurements in jump rope beads.
This will probably sound really weird-but I teach 6th grade and work with a lot of ADHD and Learning Disordered kids and they have short attention spans and need odd activities to hold their attention and to stick in their brains!
I got so frustrated that my students kept having troubling remembering which is area and which is perimeter-they knew the formulas but would mix the words up...anyway-I decided to do a kinesthetic activity to put in our math scrapbooks to help sort it out. I cut some sheets of cardstock into rectangles and hole-punched around the edges, then we stitched pink yarn through the holes- around the edges. I went through a bunch of old fashion magazines and cut out sections of models' hair. I cut the "hair swatches" into 1 inch squares and in class the students used gluesticks and filled the AREA with "HAIR-ea". Oh yeah, and the P-ink yarn was to remember P-erimeter.
I know it's weird-and yes, I have too much time on my hands (also-small class sizes allow me to do prep-work more easily!) The Pink yarn was great because I have mostly boys and they complained about having to use a "girl color" so the excruciating experience of sewing AND using pink made the association all the stronger.
Also-to help them remember to square their answers to Area problems- we all chant : "When finding the Area, don't forget to Square-e-a!"
No one has mixed them up since the activity!
I am always trying to think of ways to create memories and experiences, make art, build things, tell stories to teach the concepts...because the textbook and the pacing guides, and other provided resources don't work too well with my kids.
If anyone has any creative math activities to share...I'm all ears!
02-27-2007, 07:49 AM
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