Rectangles, Squares
Cut squares out of rectangles!
Exploration
2 to 4
Principle: Starting with a rectangle, keep cutting out the largest possible squares and see what’s left.
A rectangular sheet of paper measures 3 by 5. Cut it in a straight line to get the largest possible square. Discard the square and repeat the process with the remaining piece. Keep cutting like this as long as you can. What’s the size of the smallest square you end up with?
What about when the sheet measures 20 by 10? And 24 by 15?
Note: All rectangles and squares must have whole-number dimensions (no fractions).
Explanations and Materials
This activity comes with an explanatory sheet that presents it.
The use of the following materials is required for the success of the activity:
- Appendix 1
- Scissors
- Multi base block boxes or small Lego blocks (optional)
Teachers
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