Checkpoints

Year 7 diagnostic mathematics activities

Perimeter and area

Fourteen Checkpoint activities
Ten additional activities

Published in 2021/22
 Checkpoints 1–6

Checkpoint Underpins Code

1: Bigger?
2: Paper cutting
3: Strange staircases 6.2.1
The concepts of perimeter and area
4: Sticky note patterns 6.2.2
5: Mosaics
6: Tile changes

This three-digit code refers to the statement of knowledge, skills and understanding in the NCETM’s Sample Key Stage 3 Curriculum Framework
(see notes below for more information).
 Checkpoints 7–14

Checkpoint Underpins Code

7: Shapes on a grid
8: Building plots
9: Goldilocks and the three rectangles
10: Area or perimeter 6.2.1
Calculating perimeter and area
11: From one vertex 6.2.2
12: Labels
13: Holes
14: Dozen or doesn’t?

This three-digit code refers to the statement of knowledge, skills and understanding in the NCETM’s Sample Key Stage 3 Curriculum Framework
(see notes below for more information).
The concepts of perimeter and area

Checkpoints 1–6
Checkpoint 1: Bigger?

a) Which of these shapes do

you think is the biggest?
Why?
b) Does including a square grid
help? *
c) In what way/s is the shape
you chose bigger than the
others? In what way/s is it the
same?

*In present mode, the square grid will appear

on the image alongside this question.

Can you create shapes with this same area? How

many possibilities are there?
Checkpoint 2: Paper cutting

a) A sheet of paper is cut in two. Which b) A different sheet of paper of the same
of the two pieces has the longest size is cut in two. Which of the two pieces
perimeter, A or B? Why? has the longest perimeter, C or D? Why?

How would you order the four pieces of paper from shortest
to longest perimeter?
Checkpoint 2: Paper cutting (animated solution)
Checkpoint 3: Strange staircases

The perimeter of each rectangle is 26 cm.

How long is the red line each time?

A B C

Sketch another line, joining the same corners, that is longer than
the one in A. Then sketch one that is shorter and one that is the
same length.
Checkpoint 3: Strange staircases (solution)

The perimeter of each rectangle is 26 cm.

How long is the red line each time?

A B C
Checkpoint 4: Sticky note patterns
Some square sticky notes are used to make a pattern of shapes.
One more sticky note is added each time.

A B C D E

The perimeter of shape A is 4 units.

The perimeter of shape B is 6 units.
a) Find the perimeters of shapes C to E.
b) Explain why the perimeter sometimes changes and sometimes stays the same.
Predict the perimeter for shapes F and G. Continue the patterns to
draw shapes F and G – were you correct?
Checkpoint 5: Mosaics
Marius is making mosaic patterns using these Estimate how many
square tiles. Estimate how many tiles he will need to tiles he will need for
completely cover each different shape. this circle.

In present mode, click on each shape to reveal

the tiles. Was your estimation correct?
Checkpoint 6: Tile changes

On the right is a square made up of nine tiles.

By adding, removing or moving tiles, can you change the
shape so that:
a) The area changes, but the perimeter doesn’t?
b) The perimeter changes, but the area doesn’t?

Is it always, sometimes or never true that:

• Increasing the perimeter of a shape will increase the
area of that shape?
• Increasing the area of a shape will increase the
perimeter of that shape?
Explain how you know.
Calculating perimeter and area

Checkpoints 7–14
Checkpoint 7: Shapes on a grid

a) How many squares of the b) How many squares of the c) How many squares of the
grid below are covered by grid below are covered by grid below are covered by
the rectangle? the parallelogram? the triangle?
Explain how you know. Explain how you know. Explain how you know.

Can you draw a different rectangle, parallelogram and triangle that

will cover the same number of squares as each of these?
Checkpoint 8: Building plots

Bev wants to buy a plot of land to build a house. In Plot Area (m2) Perimeter (m)
the table on the right is some information about the X 100 40
sizes of three plots. Y 120 242
a) Which plot do you think she should choose?
Z 120 52
Below the table are the plan views of the
10 m
three plots. 20 m
b) Match each image to a row in the table. 10 m
BROWN 6m GREY
c) Do you want to change your answer to
part a)? Why or why not?

1m GREEN
120 m

Sketch another rectangular plot with the same area as X.

Can you make the perimeter larger? How about smaller?
Checkpoint 9: Goldilocks and the three rectangles
Goldilocks wants to work out the area and perimeter of each of these rectangles.
40 mm
25 m
6m

40 mm

40 mm
Y Z
13 cm

13 cm
X

40 mm

a) When is there too much, not enough or just the right amount of information?
b) Find the area and perimeter of the rectangles where it is possible.
c) Goldilocks works out the area of Z using the calculation 40 × 40 × 40 × 40. What has she
done wrong?

For the rectangle that had not enough information, the perimeter
is between 41 and 44. What might the area be?
Checkpoint 10: Area or perimeter?

B
A

D
For each triangle, do you
have enough information to C
calculate the area, the
perimeter, both or neither?
Explain how you know. E

F
Drawn to scale.

For the ones that are not possible, write the minimum additional
information you need. Is there more than one way to do this?
Checkpoint 11: From one vertex

Gaynor says that the area of this

parallelogram is found by working
out 10 6.
Ollie says that the area of this
parallelogram is found by working
out 7.5 8.
Who do you agree with? Why?

Drawn to scale.

Carefully draw a different parallelogram with a base of 10 cm and

a perpendicular height of 6 cm. Measure the other base and
perpendicular height. What is the product of these values? Why?
Checkpoint 12: Labels

The three shapes are a square, a

rectangle and an isosceles triangle.
Choose values for the labels so that:
a) Each shape has a perimeter of 12 cm.
b) Each shape has a perimeter of 30 cm.
c) Each shape has an area of 16 cm2.
d) Each shape has an area of 25 cm2.

Which boxes are never filled at the same time? Why?

 Checkpoint 13: Holes

a) What is the same about these shapes? What is different?

1 2 3 4

3 mm

3 mm

3 mm
8 mm
3 mm

8 mm
8 mm
8 mm

3 mm
3 mm

10 mm 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm

b) Which shapes have the same area?

c) Which have the same perimeter?

Design another shape that has the same area and

perimeter as each of your shapes.
Checkpoint 14: Dozen or doesn’t?

Some of these shapes have an area of 12 cm 2. Some have a perimeter of 12 cm.

Some have neither.
Decide which shapes are in which category.
G
All E
A angles
are right
angles.

B
C D F
H

Design your own shapes with an area of 12 cm 2 or

perimeter of 12 cm.
Additional activities

Activities A–J
Activity A: Shifting sticky notes

Five square sticky notes are used to make a shape

with a perimeter of 12 units.
a) How might you move one of the sticky notes so
that the perimeter stays the same?
b) How might you move one of the sticky notes so
that the perimeter decreases by two?
c) How might you add another sticky note but not
change the perimeter?

How might you move one of the sticky notes so that the
perimeter increases by two?
Activity B: Decorating

Mia is decorating a wall in her house. It is in the shape

shown on the right below, and has an area of 9 m 2 .
a) Which of the options below would be easiest to
use to decorate the wall? Why?

TileTsile2s Tiles
Wallpaper
m ile2 s 2
0.205.25Tm 2 m2 per roll
2
.
m 2 5 m
0.20
5
4 £24
for
£12

b) Explain what Mia would need to do to decorate the

wall with each option.

Which is the best-value option for Mia? Would your answer

change if it had an area of 10 m2? How about 11 m2?
Activity C: Fencing

Farmer Dave has 120 m of fencing. He creates a different-shaped

pen for each animal.

a) What could the length of each of

Animal
the sides be if the pens have
different lengths for each side?
Pens’
b) How would your answers number of 3 4 5 6
change if the pens were sides
regular?

How might your answers change if he had 150 m of fencing?

Activity D: Impossible rectangles
Class 6 were asked to sketch rectangles with a perimeter of 30 cm.
Some of their responses are shown – rectangles A to F.
a) Which of these are possible?
b) For those that are possible, what must the missing lengths be?
c) For those that are not possible, what do you need to change? Diagrams not
drawn to scale.
40 mm
16 cm
10 cm
A
F
m
20 cm
D 3 cm E
c
14 A square
B C
10 cm

How many different perimeters can you find for rectangles with a
an area of 30 cm2?
Activity E: L shapes

Tyrell cuts a section out of a 10 × 10 square to create

4 cm
an L shape. 4 cm

a) What is the area of his L? What is the perimeter?

Below are some more L shapes created from 10 × 10 squares.

b) What is the area and perimeter of each L shape? What do
you notice?

4 cm
4 cm

4 cm

9 cm
2 cm 9 cm
6 cm

9 cm
1 2 3 4
Can you use a 10 × 10 square to create an L shape with an area
of 100 m2? How about a perimeter of 36 cm? Why or why not?
Activity F: Perimeter of 100

a) Match each of shapes 1 to 4 to a name.

2
Isosceles triangle 4
Equilateral triangle 1
3
Isosceles trapezium Scalene triangle

All the shapes have a perimeter of 100 m. Their side lengths are integers.
b) What might the side lengths be? Are they all possible?
c) How would your answers to change if the side lengths were not specified to
be integers?

What is the minimum and maximum each side length can be?
Activity G: Coordinate perimeters
y

Find the perimeter of each of the

rectangles on the left .

The rectangle below has a

perimeter of 24 units. What could
the coordinates be?
y

x x
Activity H: Comparing fields

Three different rectangular fields are for sale.

Area of field Perimeter of field a) How is it possible to have three fields

with the same area, but such different
1 km2 4 km perimeters?
b) Jen wants to buy a field for her horse.
1 km2 5 km Which should she choose? Why?
c) Rani wants to buy a field to build a
1 km2 8.5 km runway for her plane. Which should
she choose? Why?

How many other rectangle perimeters can you find that give
an area of 1 km2?
Activity I: Base and height

a) Mark on a pair of
base and
perpendicular height 1
for triangles 1 to 3. 2
b) Can you mark on
more than one
different pair?

4 How about for triangle 4?

Activity I: Base and Height (animated solutions)

1
2

3
Activity J: Triangle sliding

A triangle is constructed between a pair of parallel lines.

As just the top point of the triangle moves:
a) When is the perimeter the longest? When is it the shortest?
b) When is the area the greatest? When is it the least?
How would your answers change if the top point was fixed and
one of the bottom points moved?
Printable resources
Marius is making mosaic patterns using these square tiles. Estimate how many
tiles he will need to completely cover each different shape.

Estimate how many

tiles he will need for
this circle.
How many tiles were needed to cover each shape? Check your estimations by
counting the tiles.

Estimate how many

tiles he will need for
this circle.
This is a square made up of
nine tiles.
By adding, removing or moving
tiles, can you change the shape
so that:
a) The area changes, but the
perimeter doesn’t?
b) The perimeter changes,
but the area doesn’t?
 3 mm

3 mm

3 mm
8 mm
3 mm

8 mm
8 mm
8 mm

3 mm
3 mm

10 mm 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm

3 mm

3 mm

3 mm
8 mm

8 mm 3 mm

8 mm
8 mm
3 mm
3 mm

10 mm 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm

3 mm

3 mm

3 mm
8 mm

3 mm

8 mm
8 mm
8 mm

3 mm
3 mm

10 mm 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm
Drawn to scale.
All angles are right angles