Arctic maths quest: area
A story-led junior maths adventure using ice maps, temperature and survival supplies to cover floors, gardens and maps with squares.
Quick answer
Area is the amount of space inside a shape, measured by counting how many squares fit inside it. You can find the area of a rectangle by multiplying its length by its width.
Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will be able to find the area of rectangles by counting squares or multiplying length and width.
- You can explain what area means using words or drawings
- You can count squares to find the area of a shape
- You can multiply length and width to find the area of a rectangle
- You can solve a real-life problem using area
Why this matters
Area helps you understand how much space something takes up. It's useful for many real-life situations:
- Planning a garden or playground
- Buying carpet or tiles for a room
- Building a snow fort or igloo
- Planning how much food you need for a party
- Creating a map or game board
Understanding area helps you solve problems in the world around you, whether you're an explorer in the Arctic or a child at home.
How it works
Area is the amount of space inside a shape. To find the area:
- Look at the shape
- Count how many squares fit inside it
- Or multiply the length by the width
For rectangles, we use the formula: Area = Length × Width
Let's imagine you're on an Arctic adventure. You need to find the area of different ice floes to plan your journey.
Examples you can see
Let's look at some examples using ice floes and snow maps:
Example 1: Small Ice Floe
Imagine a small ice floe that is 3 squares wide and 2 squares long.
| Length | Width | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 3 squares | 2 squares | 6 squares |
You can count all the squares to see there are 6 squares in total.
Example 2: Large Snow Fort
Imagine a snow fort that is 5 squares long and 4 squares wide.
| Length | Width | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 5 squares | 4 squares | 20 squares |
Using multiplication: 5 × 4 = 20 squares
Example 3: Arctic Map
Imagine an Arctic map that is 6 squares wide and 3 squares long.
| Length | Width | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 6 squares | 3 squares | 18 squares |
Using multiplication: 6 × 3 = 18 squares
Try it as a mini adventure
Arctic Maths Quest: Ice Floe Exploration
You are an explorer in the Arctic. You need to map out different ice floes to plan your journey. Each square on your map represents 1 square kilometre.
Adventure Step 1: Find the area of a small ice floe that is 4 squares long and 3 squares wide.
Adventure Step 2: Find the area of a large ice floe that is 6 squares long and 5 squares wide.
Adventure Step 3: You find a perfect spot for your igloo that is 2 squares long and 7 squares wide. What is the area?
Adventure Step 4: You need to plan a garden for your survival supplies. The garden is 8 squares long and 2 squares wide. What is the area?
Adventure Step 5: Your friend tells you that a large ice floe has an area of 24 square kilometres. If it is 6 squares wide, how long is it?
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Forgetting to include units when calculating area
- Why it happens: Children might count squares but forget to say "square metres" or "square kilometres"
- Fix: Always remember to add the unit squared (m², km²) when writing your answer
- Mistake: Confusing area with perimeter
- Why it happens: Perimeter is the distance around the edge, while area is the space inside
- Fix: Remember: area = length × width, perimeter = add all sides together
- Mistake: Not counting all squares when measuring area
- Why it happens: Children might skip some squares or count the edges instead
- Fix: Use a finger or pencil to trace each square as you count it
Parent and carer guide
Help your child understand area by:
- Using grid paper or tiles to build shapes and count squares
- Playing with ice cube trays or square blocks to show area
- Pointing out real-life examples of area in your home
- Practising multiplication facts to help with area calculations
- Encouraging your child to explain how they found the area
- Using the Arctic adventure as a fun way to explore the concept
- Checking that they include units in their answers
- Letting them make mistakes and correct them together
- Connecting area to other maths concepts like multiplication
- Using everyday objects like a book cover or a table top to find area
Practice questions
- What is the area of a rectangle that is 5 squares long and 3 squares wide?
- Find the area of a shape that is 7 squares long and 2 squares wide.
- A snow fort is 4 squares long and 4 squares wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a small ice floe that is 6 squares long and 1 square wide?
- A map is 8 squares long and 3 squares wide. What is its area?
- Find the area of a garden that is 9 squares long and 2 squares wide.
- A rectangle has an area of 12 square squares. If it is 3 squares wide, how long is it?
- What is the area of a shape that is 10 squares long and 2 squares wide?
- A small igloo is 2 squares long and 5 squares wide. What is its area?
- What is the area of a large ice floe that is 6 squares long and 4 squares wide?
Answers:
- 15 square squares
- 14 square squares
- 16 square squares
- 6 square squares
- 24 square squares
- 18 square squares
- 4 squares long
- 20 square squares
- 10 square squares
- 24 square squares
FAQ
What is area?
Area is the amount of space inside a shape. It's measured in square units like square metres or square kilometres.
How do you find the area of a rectangle?
To find the area of a rectangle, multiply its length by its width. Area = length × width.
Can you find area by counting squares?
Yes! You can count how many squares fit inside a shape to find its area. This works well for smaller shapes.
What units do you use for area?
Area is always written with a squared unit, like square metres (m²), square kilometres (km²), or square squares.
Why is area important?
Area helps us plan spaces, buy materials, and understand how much room something takes up. It's useful for building, gardening, and many other real-life situations.