Katy Campbell

Abigail Heckman

Lesson Focus: Area and Teamwork! (Kinetic Math)

Grade Level Third Grade

Time Duration: 30 minutes introductory lesson, 5-10 minutes for

subsequent lessons

Prior Assessment: Noticing students need a kinetic modality for

understanding multiplication in arrays and/or finding the
side lengths of given areas

Standards: CCSS.Math.content 3.MD.C.7B

Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with
whole-number side lengths in the context of solving real
world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-
number products as rectangular areas in mathematical
reasoning.

PE Standard Grade 3: 5.6 Work in pairs or small groups to

achieve an agreed-upon goal.

Objective: The students will be able to represent all possible side

lengths of an array by arranging their bodies as “square
units” to create arrays in teams.

Materials and Resources: 1. Whistle

2. Grid Paper
3. Pencils
4. Whiteboard and Whiteboard pen
5. Chalk(optional)
Instructional Sequence:
Introduction (5 min): Break students into groups of 4 or 6 to start (depending on the total
number of students). Students practice finding all possible side lengths of arrays with an area
of 6 on scratch paper in class.
Guide them to practice getting into the array with side lengths (either 2x2 and 4x1 or 2x3 and
6x1). Explain that we’ll repeat with groups of 8 (or 10, or 12, depending), and we’ll move
outside to construct even larger rectangles.

Connection: “We make an array everyday. What are the side lengths of the array we make
when lining up as Evens and Odds?”

Body of Lesson (20 min)

Go outside and demonstrate with a group that works well together if needed. “Notice how they
decided one side length first, and then filled in the other side length!” Group students and have
them practice. Time them, and any odd students out could be outlining the arrays in chalk,
writing down the side lengths, and/or coaching their groups). Model this role and assign it to
different students several times throughout the lesson.

Use whiteboard to display the given side lengths of the rectangle they’ll construct and call it
out. As they become more comfortable getting into arrays, move onto calling out the area (“12
square students!”) and leave the side lengths to them to figure out.

Extension:
After some practice smoothly getting into various arrays, extend this for more movement.
Move onto locomotor movements while keeping in array formation. Start small with arrays of
4 to 6. When in arrays with even areas, for example, the locomotor movement is bunny hops.
When the area is odd, students might skip. The object becomes shifting into the various arrays
smoothly and then moving as one to beat their best time. Teacher could take part in this to
build comradery with the rest of the class.

Check for Understanding (throughout lesson):

● We will be walking around, observing students as they make their arrays, joining in
when necessary to complete an array and to model.
 ● If a group is having trouble, we will jump in to assist and scaffold.

Modifications: If need be, we could draw the arrays out in chalk to start out, especially for
emergent bilingual students who potentially need more visual direction to start out. Students
with hearing impairment could be accommodated to see the white board with its visual
directions on it at all times.
For students with limited mobility, the activity could be modified like so: Student is helped
into the particular array, and the whole group is instructed to do a particular movement or
stretch while in the array (that this student can do). The movement changes with each array,
but is consistent, so they can start to remember which movement corresponds to which side
lengths.