Maryland Math 6.GR.A.1
The Standard
Find the area of triangles, quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and quadrilaterals to solve problems.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · SOLVE PROBLEMS IN CONTEXT INVOLVING AREA, SURFACE AREA, AND VOLUME
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students split triangles, quadrilaterals, and other polygons into simpler shapes, or combine pieces to make a rectangle. They use lengths and perpendicular heights to find area in square units.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can mark useful cuts on a trapezoid or L-shaped floor plan and calculate the area of each piece. They add or subtract the pieces correctly and explain why none of the shape was missed.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may use a slanted side as a triangle's height or forget to halve base times height. They may add a missing corner instead of subtracting it, or leave out a piece after splitting a shape.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Sketch an 8 m by 5 m rectangular garden with a triangular extension along its 8 m side. The triangle's height is 3 m. Mark the two parts and find the total area in square meters.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a paper house shape with an 8 cm by 5 cm base and a 3 cm high triangular roof; cut and calculate both areas.
Draw a trapezoid with an 8 cm bottom base, centered 4 cm top base, and 3 cm height; discuss two ways to split it.
Post four grid-paper shapes, an L, a trapezoid, a house, and a right triangle; pairs mark cuts and compare areas.
Give students an 8 m by 6 m playground plan with a 3 m by 2 m corner removed; calculate the turf needed.
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Printable 6.GR.A.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.GR.A.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
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Determine the area of composite rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas.
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- 4.GR.A.4
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