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Pebbles

Place four pebbles on the sand in the form of a square. Keep adding as few pebbles as necessary to double the area. How many extra pebbles are added each time?

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Great Squares

Investigate how this pattern of squares continues. You could measure lengths, areas and angles.

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Square Areas

Can you work out the area of the inner square and give an explanation of how you did it?

Areas of Parallelograms

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3
Try drawing a rectangle around the parallelogram. If you can work out the area of the rectangle and the areas of the parts of the rectangle outside the parallelogram, then you should be able to find the area of the parallelogram.

Don't forget that you can break up complicated shapes into simpler small shapes (such as triangles and rectangles) whose areas are easier to find.
The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.