Perimeter and area of rectangular shapes are concepts with which fourth grade students should be familiar. Surface area and volume of rectangular prisms are topics generally and formally studied in fifth or sixth grade and these attributes are often studied in sequence. This poster presentation displays the results of my dissertation study. The first goal of the study was to provide evidence that fourth grade students are capable of:
• understanding the concepts of perimeter, area, surface area, and volume and the relationships among them;
• solving problems that require the application of the concepts of perimeter, area, surface area, and volume in the construction of 3-D models.
The second goal of the study was to identify and to provide insight into:
• learning experiences and manipulative materials that may enhance the understanding and application of perimeter, area, surface area, and volume;
• obstacles and challenges that fourth grade students may encounter with respect to the concurrent study of perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.
Twenty-one students, 10 - 11 years of age, from a suburban, fourth grade public school (a) predicted and verified perimeters of 2-D models and areas, surface areas, and volumes of 3-D models; (b) completed geometric measurement tasks, solved problems, and constructed 3-D models; (c) discussed, and wrote about their findings. During eight instructional sessions, the students used manipulatives that are typically found in elementary classrooms (e.g., square grids, tiles, and rectangular shapes and prisms) as well as magnetic cubes and connected cubes, which allowed students to compose and decompose 3-D shapes in order to investigate surface area and volume with ease.
A two-part pretest/posttest was administered. The first part of the pretest/posttest consisted of released questions from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The second part of the pretest/posttest was specifically developed for this study and required students to use rectangular prisms to answer questions. Students also constructed 3-D structures given minimum and maximum measurement restrictions on the surface area and volume of their structures. Analysis of the written test data comparing participants’ pretest versus posttest scores and participants’ post scores with those of the student population in previous years is included. Photos of the materials used in the study and student constructions, written work, and reflections are also included.