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Year 6

Explain how to calculate the area of a parallelogram

I can recall and explain how to calculate the area of a parallelogram.

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New
New
Year 6

Explain how to calculate the area of a parallelogram

I can recall and explain how to calculate the area of a parallelogram.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The area of a parallelogram is equal to the area of the rectangle created by rearranging the parts.
  2. Any parallelogram has a base and a perpendicular height.
  3. The area of a parallelogram is equal to its base multiplied by its perpendicular height.

Common misconception

Pupils might believe the perpendicular height of any parallelogram to be one of its side lengths. This is only true of a rectangle.

Take time to exemplify perpendicular height with a focus on the right angle created. Make use of examples within the lesson and include additional unusual parallelograms to secure understanding.

Keywords

  • Perpendicular - Two lines are perpendicular if they meet at a right angle.

  • Parallelogram - A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel and equal sides.

Pupils who find it challenging to identify a right angle (needed to identify perpendicular heights) may benefit from using, for example, the corner of a ruler as a right angle checker. They can then place this on the base of the parallelograms to check if it is a perpendicular height.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the shapes is 4-sided?
Triangle
Correct answer: Parallelogram
Pentagon
Hexagon
Octagon
Q2.
Choose the parallelograms.
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Which of the statements is true for parallelograms?
Correct answer: They can contain a right angle.
They can contain curved sides.
Correct answer: Opposite sides are parallel to each other.
All of the interior angles are always different to each other.
Correct answer: Pairs of opposite angles are equal.
Q4.
Number rods have been used to make shapes. Tick the statement that is true.
An image in a quiz
Neither are parallelograms.
Correct answer: Both are parallelograms.
The shape on the left is a parallelogram but the shape on the right is not.
The shape on the right is a parallelogram but the shape on the left is not.
Q5.
‘A square is a parallelogram’. Is this statement:
Correct answer: Always true?
Sometimes true?
Never true?
Q6.
Which of these statements are true?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: The two shapes have the same side lengths as each other.
Both shapes are rectangles.
Correct answer: Both shapes are parallelograms.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which line is the base of the parallelogram?
An image in a quiz
Line a
Line b
Correct answer: Line c
Q2.
Which line is the perpendicular height of the parallelogram?
An image in a quiz
Line a
Correct answer: Line b
Line c
Q3.
What is the formula for the area of a parallelogram?
Correct answer: Area = base × perpendicular height
Area = base + perpendicular height
Area = base ÷ perpendicular height
Area = base − perpendicular height
Q4.
What is the area of the parallelogram? cm².
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 24
Q5.
A parallelogram has a base length of 10 cm and a perpendicular height of 3 cm. What is the area of the parallelogram? cm².
Correct Answer: 30
Q6.
A parallelogram has a base length of 6 cm and a perpendicular height of 4 cm. What is the area of the parallelogram? cm².
Correct Answer: 24