MAFS.3.MD.3.6Archived Standard

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Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).
General Information
Subject Area: Mathematics
Grade: 3
Domain-Subdomain: Measurement and Data
Cluster: Level 1: Recall
Cluster: Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition. (Major Cluster) -

Clusters should not be sorted from Major to Supporting and then taught in that order. To do so would strip the coherence of the mathematical ideas and miss the opportunity to enhance the major work of the grade with the supporting clusters.

Date Adopted or Revised: 02/14
Content Complexity Rating: Level 1: Recall - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived
Assessed: Yes
Test Item Specifications
    Assessed with: MAFS.3.MD.3.5 
Sample Test Items (1)
  • Test Item #: Sample Item 1
  • Question:

    Alaysia counts all the tiles on her floor. Each of the floor tiles is a square. What measurement does Alaysia find by counting all the floor tiles?

     

  • Difficulty: N/A
  • Type: MC: Multiple Choice

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5012050: Grade Three Mathematics (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7712040: Access Mathematics Grade 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012055: Grade 3 Accelerated Mathematics (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012015: Foundational Skills in Mathematics 3-5 (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Formative Assessments

Dawn’s Vegetable Garden:

Students are given a diagram showing a garden shaped like an irregular hexagon and are asked to find the area by counting the number of unit squares the figure contains.

Type: Formative Assessment

Area of a Right Trapezoid:

Students determine the area of a right trapezoid.

Type: Formative Assessment

How Many Square Units?:

Students determine the area of a right triangle.

Type: Formative Assessment

Fenced Dog Run:

Students are given a diagram showing a rectangular dog run and asked to find its area.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

No Cracks Allowed: An EGG-cellent STEM Design Challenge with Surface Area and Gravity:

STEM design! EGG-cellent! Students will use hands-on inquiry to find out more about gravity and how surface area can oppose it. Through trial and error based on collected data, students will design, create, and drop a vehicle carrying precious "cargo" from a ten-foot ladder, using a parachute to ensure a safe landing. When completed, students should have a better understanding of how gravity interacts with falling objects and how the surface area of a parachute can oppose those interactions.

Type: Lesson Plan

Area Architects, Lesson 1:

In this unit on area, students explore geometric measurement by becoming "Area Architects" in order to learn the concepts of area. Using all five lessons will allow the students to discover, explore and eventually relate area to multiplication and addition. This lesson is the first lesson of the unit. In Lesson 1, students will develop strategies for finding area by counting square units. Students will learn the importance of accurately measuring area by exploring the concepts of area in realistic applications.

Type: Lesson Plan

Best Vegetable Garden:

The students will plan a vegetable garden, deciding which kinds of vegetables to plant, how many plants of each kind will fit, and where each plant will be planted in a fixed-area garden design. Then they will revise their design based on new garden dimensions and additional plant options.  Students will explore the concept of area to plan their garden and they will practice solving 1 and 2-step real-world problems using the four operations to develop their ideas.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Count Those Square Units:

Students count unit squares to find the area of rectangles and play a matching game for practice.

Type: Lesson Plan

What Does Your Garden Grow?:

In this model eliciting activity students use data about the temperature and water requirements of plants to figure out when the plants should be planted. They also use data such as space requirements and time until harvest to make judgments about which plants would best suit the needs of students planning a school garden in Florida.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Playground Protection:

Students will decide which type of protective surface should be put in under a new playground unit. They will consider many factors before ranking their decisions about the best surface.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Area Designers:

This hands-on lesson makes a real-world connection for students in measuring area by counting square units. Students become area designers during an activity that illustrates area, and then make a real-world connection with area when they are shown a residential blueprint. Students gain practice determining the area and recording the area of rectangular rooms in square units.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Ariana Explores Area:

Ariana explores Area as she plants vegetables in her rectangular garden boxes. Help Ariana cover rectangles with unit squares without gaps or overlaps and count the squares to find the area with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Golden Gardening Girls: An Area Adventure:

Explore the relationships between tiling an area, multiplication arrays and calculating area using a formula in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

Best Vegetable Garden:

The students will plan a vegetable garden, deciding which kinds of vegetables to plant, how many plants of each kind will fit, and where each plant will be planted in a fixed-area garden design. Then they will revise their design based on new garden dimensions and additional plant options.  Students will explore the concept of area to plan their garden and they will practice solving 1 and 2-step real-world problems using the four operations to develop their ideas.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Playground Protection:

Students will decide which type of protective surface should be put in under a new playground unit. They will consider many factors before ranking their decisions about the best surface.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

What Does Your Garden Grow?:

In this model eliciting activity students use data about the temperature and water requirements of plants to figure out when the plants should be planted. They also use data such as space requirements and time until harvest to make judgments about which plants would best suit the needs of students planning a school garden in Florida.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

MFAS Formative Assessments

Area of a Right Trapezoid:

Students determine the area of a right trapezoid.

Dawn’s Vegetable Garden:

Students are given a diagram showing a garden shaped like an irregular hexagon and are asked to find the area by counting the number of unit squares the figure contains.

Fenced Dog Run:

Students are given a diagram showing a rectangular dog run and asked to find its area.

How Many Square Units?:

Students determine the area of a right triangle.

Original Student Tutorials Mathematics - Grades K-5

Ariana Explores Area:

Ariana explores Area as she plants vegetables in her rectangular garden boxes. Help Ariana cover rectangles with unit squares without gaps or overlaps and count the squares to find the area with this interactive tutorial.

Golden Gardening Girls: An Area Adventure:

Explore the relationships between tiling an area, multiplication arrays and calculating area using a formula in this interactive tutorial.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorials

Ariana Explores Area:

Ariana explores Area as she plants vegetables in her rectangular garden boxes. Help Ariana cover rectangles with unit squares without gaps or overlaps and count the squares to find the area with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Golden Gardening Girls: An Area Adventure:

Explore the relationships between tiling an area, multiplication arrays and calculating area using a formula in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.