3 Exciting ways to teach the Perimeter of Composite Figures

Do your kids feel lost while learning about the perimeter of composite figures? Teaching the perimeter of the composite shapes can be a daunting task, and I get it as I’m no stranger to the nagging guilt all math teachers have that maybe we’re not delivering the lesson as effectively as we would like to.

You might be thinking, “Is my geometry lesson engaging enough? Could my students secretly think my math class is boring as hell?” Well let me tell you this, you aren’t alone. We’ve all been there especially when it comes to teaching the perimeter of composite figures during your first year of teaching math to elementary kids.

But guess what? I’ve got some good news that might just put positive hope in you for having your teaching abilities. You see, teaching perimeter in a way that makes you feel like a rockstar teacher isn’t as out of your reach as you might think.

I promise by the time you leave this page you will have some killer tricks up your sleeve. No more guilt, just pure math teaching awesomeness. Ready?

Let’s dive in and turn those boring geometry math lessons into exciting ones.

1. Perimeter of composite figure puzzles to promote creative thinking

So you are in front of a classroom filled with eager young learners, all excited to teach the perimeter of composite figures to your young kids.

But the guilt starts to sweep in as you wonder if there is a way to make the lesson more engaging. 

This is where having perimeter puzzle resources can be a great handy tool for your students. Picture a rectangle, but not just any rectangle. But the one with jigsaw-like edges. Now, the job of your students is to figure out the perimeter. Since it’s an irregular shape they cannot just rely on a good old formula to solve instead, they have to get crafty.

You might be thinking? Aren’t I complicating things more for them? But guess what? You are actually giving them the opportunity to be creative with their thinking and problem solving skills. They’ll experiment with different ways to break the shapes and now suddenly math has become art for them.

2. Perimeter challenges to cultivate Teamwork and Collaboration

What if I told you that your kid’s math journey could be a group adventure?

Imagine your students are huddled around a massive odd shape figure on the class projector screen. They are discussing ways to split the shape into smaller pieces and finally calculate the perimeter of the whole composite shape.

Now, you might think my class isn’t a sophisticated group working type. But here’s the catch: With this digital perimeter of composite resource “Pick a Robot Game” your students will cultivate teamwork skills like nothing else before. You can even award points to make them help each other and try to win as a team.

This way they will have to collaborate, bounce ideas off each other develop negotiation, and solve problems collectively. It’s like Avengers assembling, but instead of saving the world, they are saving their math class team.

3. Elevate the Class Fun Factor with Perimeter Color by Number Resource

Alright, let’s face it. Teaching perimeter is already fun as you can use project-based learning to help your kids develop their real life math sense. But what if I told you there is a surefire way to crank up the good old way of teaching perimeter using classic teaching resources like worksheets by just adding a little twist? 

If the answer is yes then say hello to the magic of Perimeter Color by Number resources.

You might feel like Coloring! In math Class? Isn’t it a bit too childish? Well, think again: coloring not only keeps them excited in learning and solving problems but also engages them more in one sense, which actually helps more in terms of Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) which is a proven and effective way of learning math in this 21st century.  

Now, what better way for you to make your kids practice the classwork problems without groaning? All they have to do is solve the problem to know which color to paint the artwork with. You can even instruct them to show their work at the back of the sheets to make it more meaningful for them.

In my class, I use color-by-number activities with nearly every topic I introduce. They really set the mood of the class in a positive and cheerful direction. What’s best is most of the kids can solve the problems independently while maintaining the classroom’s peace, which is the thing every teacher wants in her day.

Want some math sub plans to help? Print these in every topic and keep a stash of them in your classroom storage. Just print the one you feel like your kids would like more and voila you now have an engaged class and a happy sub-teacher.

Looking for some extra Free activities to try in your classroom?

Join in to get special FREEBIES and Insider’s FUN!