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Area of Trapezoids

  • Area of Trapezoids

    Grade: 6th to 8th

    This applet investigates how changes in the base and height of a trapezoid affect its area.

    Activity

    Instructions

    How to Use

     

    The goal of this interactive is to discover and explore the area of a trapezoid.

    Drag the vertices of the trapezoid to manipulate its shape and dimensions.

     

    Buttons

     

    Show Hint- will reveal/hide helpful facts to help you discover the area of the trapezoid.

    Show Area- will reveal/hide the area of the trapezoid, so that you can check your work. Note that measurements are rounded to the thousandths, while the area is rounded to the nearest hundredths.

     

    Exploration

    Before using any of the buttons, explore the following:

    • What is the formula for finding the area of a trapezoid?
    • The midline is created by connecting the midpoints of the non-parallel sides. What is the relationship between the midline and the bases?
    • Where do we see trapezoids in real life?

     

    Objectives and Standards

    NCTM Standards and Expectations
    • Geometry / Measurement
    • Understand that by similarity, side ratios in right triangles are properties of the angles in the triangle, leading to definitions of trigonometric ratios for acute angles.
    • 6-8
    • Geometry