

Perimeter and Area

trump cardMs. Jacobs is now ready to have her students work through some real problems. In this case, she is using our focus CAHSEE question:

The perimeter, P, of a square may be found by using the formula,

1/4 P = sqrt(A), 

where A is the area of the square. What is the perimeter of the square with an area of 36 square inches?

PDROM Bar Video

As you observe this classroom clip, remember that many of these students have been unwilling to even pick up a pencil towards working on such a problem in the past. To what degree are the students engaged in the mathematics? What strategies are they using to solve the problem? What structures appear to be successful in supporting their learning?