Ordering Rectangles

Ordering Rectangles

Students were given a set of nine rectangles and asked to put them in order from biggest to smallest. When everyone finished, we discussed the order that was decided for each group. Most groups ordered the rectangles based on height. This is a misconception that most second grade students have at the beginning of this lesson.

Each group of students were given a set of color tiles. We told students to imagine that the rectangles were chocolate bars. If you were able to pick a chocolate bar, which one would you choose? None of the students picked the rectangle that they believed to be the biggest. Now that students had this image in their head, they were asked to put their rectangles in order from biggest to smallest again. Students used the tiles to cover each rectangle and counted how many tiles were on each rectangle.

You can find the area of the rectangle by covering it with tiles. Now we know rectangle G has the biggest area. Our students can divide rectangles into rows and columns of same-size squares. Way to go mathematicians!