International Journal of Education and Social Science (IJESS)

The author describes a conceptual, two-day teaching strategy addressing the area of a rectangle and the volume of a rectangular prism. The purpose of the study was to determine if students could generate these formulas. The study was completed in a fourth grade classroom in which students would be engaged in tasks finding these measures, first conceptually with paper square inches and wooden square inches, then with a challenge to relate the physical to the conceptual meaning of multiplication (groups). Once the connection was made, students were then challenged to find area and volumes using the standard algorithms. Eight weeks later, a follow up was completed with students to determine what they remembered. Students, even those with less mathematical confidence and achievement, were able to recall much of the conceptual learning though no follow up tasks were undertaken during the interim.