Alien planet maths quest: area
A story-led junior maths adventure using strange number systems and gravity jumps to cover floors, gardens and maps with squares.
Quick answer
You can find the area of a shape by counting how many square units fit inside it, or by using a simple formula for rectangles and squares.
Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will be able to find the area of rectangles and squares by counting square units or using the formula length × width.
- You can explain what area means using examples like a garden or a room.
- You can count squares to find the area of any shape.
- You can use the formula to find area quickly when you know the length and width.
- You can solve real-life problems about area, like how many tiles you need for a floor.
Why this matters
Area is how much space a shape covers. It's useful for many things!
When you're building a house, you need to know how much floor space you have. When you're planting a garden, you need to know how much area to cover with soil. When you're playing a game, you might need to know how big your playing area is.
Even aliens on a new planet need to know area to build their homes and plan their farms. In space, area helps you know how much space your spaceship can hold, or how big a landing pad needs to be.
Learning area helps you solve puzzles, build things, and understand the world around you.
How it works
Area is the amount of space inside a shape. It's measured in square units, like square centimetres or square metres.
For rectangles and squares, you can find area in two ways:
- Count the squares – If you draw a shape on a grid, you can count how many small squares fit inside.
- Use a formula – For rectangles and squares, you multiply length by width. Area = length × width.
Let's imagine you're on an alien planet. You want to build a house. First, you need to know how much floor space you have. That's area!
Examples you can see
Let's look at some examples with squares and rectangles.
Example 1: Counting squares
Imagine a rectangle drawn on grid paper with 4 rows and 5 columns of squares.
| Row 1 | Row 2 | Row 3 | Row 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
How many squares are there? 4 rows × 5 columns = 20 squares.
So the area is 20 square units.
Example 2: Using the formula
Now imagine you have a garden that is 6 metres long and 4 metres wide.
Area = length × width
Area = 6 × 4 = 24 square metres
So your garden covers 24 square metres of ground.
Example 3: Real-life garden
You're planning to plant flowers in a rectangular flower bed that is 3 metres long and 2 metres wide.
Area = 3 × 2 = 6 square metres
You will need enough soil and flowers to cover 6 square metres.
Example 4: Alien space base
An alien spaceship has a rectangular landing pad that is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide.
Area = 10 × 5 = 50 square metres
The landing pad covers 50 square metres of the alien planet.
Try it as a mini adventure
Alien Planet Maths Quest
You are on a mission to help the aliens build their new home on a strange planet. You must find the area of different spaces to know how much material they need.
Quest 1: The Alien Kitchen
The kitchen is 8 metres long and 3 metres wide. What is the area?
Area = 8 × 3 = 24 square metres
Quest 2: The Alien Garden
The garden is 6 metres long and 4 metres wide. What is the area?
Area = 6 × 4 = 24 square metres
Quest 3: The Alien Playground
The playground is 10 metres long and 7 metres wide. What is the area?
Area = 10 × 7 = 70 square metres
Quest 4: The Alien Storage Room
The storage room is 5 metres long and 5 metres wide. What is the area?
Area = 5 × 5 = 25 square metres
Quest 5: The Alien Living Room
The living room is 12 metres long and 6 metres wide. What is the area?
Area = 12 × 6 = 72 square metres
Great job! You've helped the aliens calculate the area of their spaces.
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Forgetting to use square units when giving the answer.
- Why it happens: Children might think area is just a number, not a measurement.
- Fix: Always say "square metres" or "square centimetres" after the number.
- Mistake: Confusing area with perimeter.
- Why it happens: Both are about shapes, but perimeter is the distance around the shape, and area is the space inside.
- Fix: Remember: perimeter = around the shape, area = inside the shape.
- Mistake: Using the wrong formula for a shape.
- Why it happens: Some shapes have different area formulas. For rectangles and squares, we use length × width.
- Fix: Remember: for rectangles and squares, use length × width.
Parent and carer guide
Helping your child with area is easy and fun! Here are some tips:
- Use everyday objects like books, tiles, or a grid notebook to count squares.
- Ask your child to find the area of their bedroom or a table top.
- Play the alien planet game together – pretend you're measuring different spaces.
- Use real-life situations like planning a garden or choosing a rug for a room.
- Don’t worry if they make a mistake – it’s part of learning!
- Encourage them to explain their thinking, like "I counted 10 squares in each row, and there are 5 rows, so 10 × 5 = 50."
- Keep it light and playful – maths should be fun!
- Point out that area is everywhere – in the kitchen, garden, playground, or even in games!
- Reinforce that area = length × width for rectangles and squares.
- Be patient – it takes time to understand how area works.
Practice questions
- What is the area of a rectangle that is 7 metres long and 4 metres wide?
- What is the area of a square that is 6 metres on each side?
- A garden is 8 metres long and 3 metres wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a rectangle that is 5 metres long and 9 metres wide?
- A classroom is 10 metres long and 6 metres wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a square that is 11 metres on each side?
- A playground is 12 metres long and 4 metres wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a rectangle that is 3 metres long and 7 metres wide?
- A swimming pool is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a square that is 8 metres on each side?
Answers:
- 7 × 4 = 28 square metres
- 6 × 6 = 36 square metres
- 8 × 3 = 24 square metres
- 5 × 9 = 45 square metres
- 10 × 6 = 60 square metres
- 11 × 11 = 121 square metres
- 12 × 4 = 48 square metres
- 3 × 7 = 21 square metres
- 10 × 5 = 50 square metres
- 8 × 8 = 64 square metres
FAQ
What is area?
Area is the amount of space inside a shape. It's measured in square units like square centimetres or square metres.
How do I find the area of a rectangle?
Multiply the length by the width. For example, a rectangle that is 5 metres long and 3 metres wide has an area of 5 × 3 = 15 square metres.
How do I find the area of a square?
Multiply the length of one side by itself. For example, a square with sides of 4 metres has an area of 4 × 4 = 16 square metres.
Why do I need to know area?
Area helps you plan things like gardens, rooms, and playgrounds. It helps you know how much material you need, like tiles or grass.
Can I use area in games?
Yes! In games, area helps you know how big your playing area is, how much space you have, or how many items fit in a space.