Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 5

Measurement: perimeter, area and volume (Grade 5) – Week 3 focus

Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.

Subject: Mathematics

Class: Grade 5

Term: 3rd Term

Week: 3

Theme: General lesson support

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

Lesson summary

This week, we delve into the exciting world of measurement, focusing on perimeter, area, and volume. Understanding these concepts is crucial because they help us solve everyday problems, from figuring out how much fencing is needed for a garden (perimeter) to calculating how much paint is needed to cover a wall (area) or determining how much water a cooler box can hold for a braai (volume). In a country like South Africa, where building and construction are vital, these measurement skills are fundamental for future careers and practical life skills. They are also important when planning community events and gardens.

Lesson notes

2.1 Perimeter Definition: Perimeter is the total distance around the outside of a two-dimensional shape. Think of it as walking all the way around the edge of a field or a room.

How to Calculate: To find the perimeter, you simply add up the lengths of all the sides of the shape.

Units: Perimeter is measured in units of length (mm, cm, m, km). We do not use squared units (like cm²) for perimeter.

Example 1: Perimeter of a rectangular garden A farmer in Limpopo wants to fence his rectangular vegetable garden to keep out goats. The garden is 12 meters long and 8 meters wide. How much fencing does he need?

Solution: Rectangle has two lengths and two breadths. Perimeter = Length + Breadth + Length + Breadth = 2 x Length + 2 x Breadth = 2(Length + Breadth) Perimeter = 2 (12m + 8m) Perimeter = 2 (20m) Perimeter = 40m Therefore, the farmer needs 40 meters of fencing.

Example 2: Perimeter of an irregular polygon A Grade 5 class in Durban is designing a flower bed in the shape of an irregular polygon. The sides are 3cm, 5cm, 4cm, 6cm, and 2cm. What is the perimeter of the flower bed?

Solution: Perimeter = Add the lengths of all the sides. Perimeter = 3cm + 5cm + 4cm + 6cm + 2cm Perimeter = 20cm Therefore, the perimeter of the flower bed is 20cm. 2.2 Area Definition: Area is the amount of surface a two-dimensional shape covers. Think of it as the amount of carpet needed to cover a floor or the amount of paint needed to cover a wall.

How to Calculate: Rectangle: Area = Length x Breadth Square: Area = Side x Side (since all sides are equal)

Units: Area is measured in square units (cm², m², km²).

Example 1: Area of a rectangular classroom floor A rectangular classroom in Cape Town is 8 meters long and 6 meters wide. What is the area of the classroom floor?

Solution: Area = Length x Breadth Area = 8m x 6m Area = 48 m² Therefore, the area of the classroom floor is 48 square meters.

Example 2: Area of a square tile A square tile used in a kitchen in Johannesburg measures 20cm on each side. What is the area of the tile?

Solution: Area = Side x Side Area = 20cm x 20cm Area = 400 cm² Therefore, the area of the tile is 400 square centimeters. 2.3 Volume Definition: Volume is the amount of space a three-dimensional object occupies. Think of it as the amount of water a bottle can hold, the amount of sand in a bucket, or the space inside a box.

How to Calculate: For a rectangular prism (like a box), Volume = Length x Breadth x Height.

Units: Volume is measured in cubic units (cm³, m³).

Example 1: Volume of a cooler box A rectangular cooler box used for a braai is 40cm long, 30cm wide, and 25cm high. What is the volume of the cooler box?

Solution: Volume = Length x Breadth x Height Volume = 40cm x 30cm x 25cm Volume = 30,000 cm³ Therefore, the volume of the cooler box is 30,000 cubic centimeters. This tells us how much cold drinks and ice it can hold!

Example 2: Volume by Counting Cubes Imagine a small building block structure made of unit cubes. It is 3 cubes long, 2 cubes wide, and 2 cubes high.

Solution: Length = 3 cubes Breadth = 2 cubes Height = 2 cubes Volume = 3 x 2 x 2 = 12 cubic units.

Therefore the volume of the structure is 12 cubic units. 2.4 Differentiating Between Perimeter, Area and Volume Perimeter: Distance around a 2D shape. (1 dimension)

Units: cm, m, km Area: Space inside a 2D shape. (2 dimensions)

Units: cm², m², km² Volume: Space inside a 3D object. (3 dimensions)

Units: cm³, m³, km³ Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: A rectangular swimming pool is 10 meters long and 5 meters wide. What is the perimeter of the pool?

Solution: Perimeter = 2(Length + Breadth) Perimeter = 2(10m + 5m) Perimeter = 2(15m) Perimeter = 30m Answer: The perimeter of the swimming pool is 30 meters. We use the formula for the perimeter of a rectangle.

Question 2: A square window measures 1 meter on each side. What is the area of the window?

Solution: Area = Side x Side Area = 1m x 1m Area = 1 m² Answer: The area of the window is 1 square meter. We use the formula for the area of a square.

Question 3: A rectangular brick is 20cm long, 10cm wide, and 8cm high. What is the volume of the brick?

Solution: Volume = Length x Breadth x Height Volume = 20cm x 10cm x 8cm Volume = 1600 cm³ Answer: The volume of the brick is 1600 cubic centimeters. We use the formula for the volume of a rectangular prism.

Question 4: A farmer has a piece of land that is in the shape of a pentagon (5 sides). The lengths of the sides are 15m, 12m, 10m, 8m and 11m. What is the perimeter of the land?

Solution: Perimeter = Add the lengths of all the sides Perimeter = 15m + 12m + 10m + 8m + 11m Perimeter = 56m Answer: The perimeter of the farmer's land is 56 meters. This problem reinforces the basic principle of adding all sides. Independent Practice (Questions Only) A rectangular piece of fabric is 3 meters long and 2 meters wide. What is its area? A square garden has sides of 7 meters each. What is the perimeter of the garden?