Understand that the perimeter of a regular polygon can be calculated by multiplication

I can calculate the perimeter of a regular polygon using multiplication.

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Year 4

Understand that the perimeter of a regular polygon can be calculated by multiplication

I can calculate the perimeter of a regular polygon using multiplication.

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Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

If you know the length of one side of a regular polygon you can calculate the perimeter.
Multiply the side length by the number of sides of the regular polygon to calculate the perimeter.

Common misconception

Pupils may overgeneralise and assume all perimeters can be calculated by multiplying one side length by the number of sides in the polygon.

'Noticing' is a key mathematical skill. Encourage pupils to take their time to notice whether the shape is regular or irregular, if that information is not already explicitly given.

Keywords

Perimeter - The distance around a two-dimensional shape.
Regular - A regular polygon has all sides equal and all angles equal.

Pupils will revisit multiplication tables learned in Years 2 and 3 within this lesson. Fluent recall will allow for pupils to focus on the concept. Consider providing multiplication grids for pupils who are less confident.

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).