The purpose of this activity is for students to encounter larger square units, specifically the square meter and the square foot. There are two options for introducing square meters and square feet for the first time. Students get a sense of the size of a square meter and a square foot from the images in the activity. Also, consider constructing and displaying a square foot and a square meter, using rubber bands, 4 meter sticks, and 4 rulers.

• Display examples of each square unit used so far (square centimeter, square inch, square foot, and square meter).
• “How are the square units that we’ve learned about in this activity different from square inches and square centimeters?” (They cover more space. They could be used to measure larger areas.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to consider the units to use when measuring given areas. Students choose from square inches, square centimeters, square feet, and square meters. Students have not spent much time with these square units, so examples should be displayed during this activity to support students in choosing the unit that makes the most sense in the given situation.

• “What did you think about the area of each item?” (We thought about the size of the area we were measuring to decide which unit made sense. Then we thought about one unit, like 1 square foot, and then thought about what 3 square feet would be like.)
• Consider asking:
  • “Is it reasonable to think this number of these unit squares could fit in this area?”
  • “Why would this make sense with the given area?”
  • “How do you imagine the units fitting in this area?”

The purpose of this activity is for students to find things they can measure with the standard area units they have learned about. This activity can be completed in the classroom, but could also be completed during a walk around the school or community if time allows. This activity is optional because it could be condensed into a discussion about areas with which students are familiar and what units they would use to measure them. If time doesn't allow for taking a walk around the school or community, this activity could also be completed at a time when students are already walking around the school.

When students recognize the mathematical features of familiar real-world objects and use those features to solve problems, they model with mathematics (MP4).

• Select students to share responses for 3–5 things they saw around the classroom (or school).
• For each object or space that students present, ask if others also chose that object or space and if they chose the same square unit: “Could other square units be used to measure its area?”
• “How did you decide which square unit to use to measure each area?” (I thought about whether it was a smaller area or a larger area. I chose small units for smaller areas and larger units for larger areas. I thought about how carefully I would want to measure the area.)