New
New
Year 5
Measure the area of flat shapes using square centimetres
I can measure the area of shapes using square centimetres.
New
New
Year 5
Measure the area of flat shapes using square centimetres
I can measure the area of shapes using square centimetres.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Area can be measured in square centimetres.
- You write square centimetres as cm²
- Fractions of square centimetres can be added to make whole square centimetres.
Keywords
Square centimetres - Square centimetres are the area equal to a square that is one centimetre on each side.
Rectilinear - A rectilinear shape is a 2D shape with straight sides and right angles.
Common misconception
Some pupils count fractions of a square, such as a right-angles triangle, as a whole square unit.
Cut out the shape to show that two ‘parts’ of a square sometimes go together to make a complete square unit.
A useful way to give pupils an idea of the magnitude of a square metre when compared with a squared centimetre is placing a 1 cm cube inside four metre sticks put together to make a square shape.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
To which mathematical term does this definition belong? is the measurement of a flat surface. It measures a 2D space.
Perimeter
Polygon
Ruler
Q2.
Which shape is most commonly used to measure area?
Triangle
Rectangle
Circle
Q3.
What is the missing number? 6, 12, 18, , 30
Q4.
Order the following units of length from smallest to largest
Q5.
Match the image with the correct description.
b
c
a
Q6.
Match the shapes with their correct areas in square units.
b
a
c
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Order the following areas from largest to smallest.
Q2.
Match the item with the square unit that would be the most useful for finding its area.
a small town
the surface of a daisy petal
the floor in a bathroom
a phone screen
Q3.
Which of these is another way of writing 'square centimetres'?
2 cm
cm2
Q4.
Which of these is the best estimate for the area of the front of a note book?
10,000 cm²
10 cm²
1,000 cm²
Q5.
What is the area of this shape? cm²
Q6.
What is the area of this shape? cm²
