Year 8 - Maths
Checking understanding of area
Perimeter, area and volume
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils extend their knowledge of shapes by exploring the properties of circles and composite shapes before developing understanding of 3-D shapes including surface area and volume.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to find the area of triangles, quadrilaterals and composite rectilinear shapes.
Key Notes
- The formula can be used to find the area of a triangle.
- There can be more than one way to find the area of a trapezium.
- The area of composite shapes can be found by splitting into shapes whose area can be found.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Area: The area is the size of the surface and states the number of unit squares needed to completely cover that surface.
- Trapezium: A trapezium is a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel opposite sides.
- Trapeziums/trapezia: The plural of trapezium can be referred to as trapezia or trapeziums.
- Composite rectilinear shape: A composite rectilinear shape is a composite shape made from rectangles.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may find the area by multiplying lengths which are not perpendicular.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Solve this in steps: explain the method from this lesson and why each step matters.
The formula can be used to find the area of a triangle. There can be more than one way to find the area of a trapezium.
2. Use this key word in a maths sentence and explain it clearly. 'Area'
The area is the size of the surface and states the number of unit squares needed to completely cover that surface. Use this word when showing your method, then check your final answer is reasonable.
3. Spot and fix this common maths mistake.
Mistake: Pupils may find the area by multiplying lengths which are not perpendicular. Correction: Area is measured in square units. The base and height of a square are perpendicular. We multiply perpendicular lengths to make square units.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Area of a circle Study Guide
- Area of composite shapes Study Guide
- Checking understanding of perimeter Study Guide
- Circumference of a circle Study Guide
- Finding a length in composite shapes Study Guide
- Multiplicative relationships in circles Study Guide
- Perimeter of composite shapes Study Guide
- Problem solving with perimeter, area and volume Study Guide
- Properties of prisms Study Guide
- Surface area of cuboids Study Guide
- Surface area of cylinders Study Guide
- Surface area of prisms Study Guide
- Using the formula for the area of a circle Study Guide
- Volume of cylinders Study Guide
- Volume of prisms Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Maths guide library.