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Features

Pieces of wrapping paper on a grid: count the squares and the units around
Ribbon around the edge is the perimeter, paper to cover it is the area
Find a missing side from the ribbon or from the paper
Same ribbon, different paper: which piece covers more, and the reverse
L-shaped leftover pieces split into two rectangles
Gift-wrapping stories with two-digit sides, a spool of ribbon and a missing side
Patterned paper on the color pages: candy stripes, dots, stars, zigzags and little trees
Every page in color and in black and white
Answer keys included

Skills Covered

Find area by counting square units
Find perimeter by counting and adding sides
Multiply side lengths to find area

Find a missing side from the perimeter or the area
Compare rectangles with the same perimeter or the same area
Find the area of an L-shape by splitting it into rectangles

How to Use This Pack

Six pages of area and perimeter with Christmas wrapping. Page 1 has six pieces of wrapping paper on grid paper: count the squares for the area and the units around for the perimeter. Page 2 has cards, a gift tag and box lids with their sides labeled: the ribbon around the edge is the perimeter (add the four sides) and the paper to cover it is the area (length times width). Page 3 gives the ribbon or the paper and one side, and the missing side is a blank to fill in from an equation. Page 4 puts two pieces side by side with the same perimeter or the same area: find both measures and circle the piece that covers more or needs more ribbon. Page 5 has L-shaped leftover pieces with every side labeled: split each into two rectangles and add their areas, then add the sides for the perimeter. Page 6 is six stories with bigger numbers, for 4th grade: circle area or perimeter, write an equation and answer with the unit. The first problem on each page is worked as an example, and pages 1 to 5 keep every side inside the times tables.

In the Classroom

Bring in a gift box, a sheet of wrapping paper and some ribbon. Before page 2, ask which job needs the ribbon around the lid and which needs paper to cover it, then measure the lid in inches and find both. Square tiles on every table make page 4 concrete: build the two pieces and lay a string around each one.

At Home

While wrapping presents, measure a gift tag or a card with a ruler and work out how much ribbon would go around its edge and how much paper would cover it. Cut a leftover piece of wrapping paper into an L and find its area by cutting it into two rectangles.

Tips for Success

Area is the space inside, in square units: count the squares or multiply length × width
Perimeter is the distance around, in units: add all the sides
Ribbon around the edge means perimeter; paper to cover it means area
Opposite sides of a rectangle are equal, so a ribbon is two lengths and two widths
Split an L-shape into two rectangles and add their areas

Common Core Standards Alignment

This pack supports the following Common Core State Standards for Mathematics:

3.MD.C.5a Know that a square with 1-unit sides has an area of one square unit and can be used to measure area.
3.MD.C.5b Know that a flat shape exactly covered by some number of unit squares, with no spaces or overlapping, has that many square units of area.
3.MD.C.6 Find an area by counting how many unit squares cover it, in square centimeters, meters, inches, feet or made-up units.
3.MD.C.7a Tile a rectangle with whole-number sides and show that the number of tiles matches multiplying its length by its width.
3.MD.C.7b Multiply length by width to get the area of whole-number rectangles in story and math problems, and picture products as rectangles.
3.MD.C.7c Use tiles or area models to show that splitting a rectangle's side into two parts splits its area into two products (the distributive property).
3.MD.C.7d Find the area of shapes made of rectangles by splitting them into separate rectangles and adding their areas, including in real problems.
3.MD.D.8 Solve perimeter problems for polygons: add side lengths, find a missing side, and compare rectangles with equal perimeters but different areas, or the reverse.
4.MD.A.2 Solve story problems on distance, time, liquid volume, mass and money with any operation, simple fractions or decimals and unit changes, using number-line diagrams.
4.MD.A.3 Solve real and math problems with rectangle area and perimeter formulas, such as finding an unknown side from the area and the other side.

Wrapping Presents: Area and Perimeter

3rd – 4th Grade

Area and perimeter with Christmas wrapping paper, gift tags, cards and ribbon. Students count squares of paper and units around, find the ribbon around a card and the paper to cover it, work out missing sides, compare pieces and solve gift-wrapping stories.

Download PDF

What’s Included

6 worksheets, each with a matching answer key
Every worksheet in color and in black and white
Wrapping paper on a grid, and cards and tags with side lengths
Missing sides, same perimeter or same area pairs, and L-shaped pieces
Six gift-wrapping stories for 4th grade

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