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Restaurant Rush: Learning Area and Perimeter 

Grade level: 4th-6th grade

Duration: 90 minutes

Objective: Students will understand and apply the concepts of area and perimeter while designing a restaurant floor plan.

Learning Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.D.8

Materials:

  • Graph paper

  • Rulers

  • Pencils

  • Restaurant floor plan template (optional)

  • Calculator (optional)

Lesson Opener:

  • Ask: How do you measure how big a room is?

  • Tell: Area and perimeter are important concepts that come up all the time in real-life situations. You could use them to measure the square footage of a room or calculate how much fencing you need for your yard. Today, we're going to focus specifically on how we can use these concepts when designing a restaurant.

  • Ask: Do you know what the difference between area and perimeter is?

  • Tell: Area is the measurement of the amount of space inside a 2-dimensional shape. For example, if we were designing a restaurant, we might need to know the area of the dining room so that we can determine how many tables we can fit inside. 

  • Tell: Perimeter, on the other hand, is the measurement of the distance around the outside of a shape. In the context of designing a restaurant, we might need to know the perimeter of the dining room to figure out how much space we need for the waiters to move around.

  • Ask: Have you ever wanted to open your own restaurant? What do you think it would look like? 

  • Tell: Today, you’ll be designing a restaurant of your own! Be creative and include things like tables, booths, a kitchen, and a hostess desk. You'll be able to choose the dimensions of each element, but make sure to keep in mind that you'll need to use area and perimeter to ensure everything fits in your design.

  • Do: Provide students with a restaurant floor plan template or have them create their own using graph paper. 

  • Ask: What table shapes do you think would allow for the best flow of people around the room? (Talk about how rounded vs. angular shapes might affect the space).

  • Tell: Next, it's time to measure and label the dimensions of each element on your restaurant floor plan, including the length and width of tables, booths, and the kitchen. Make sure to label the measurements clearly so that you can refer to them later. 

  • Tell: Now, there are two important formulas you’ll need to know. The formula for the area of a rectangle is A = l x w. The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2l + 2w. 

  • Tell: Let's start with the formula for the area of a rectangle (A = l x w). To use this formula, we need to know the length and width of the rectangle. We can then multiply the length and width together to get the area.

  • Tell: The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle (P = 2l + 2w) calculates the distance around the outside of a rectangle. To use this formula, we need to know the length and width of the rectangle. We can then multiply the length by 2 and add it to the width multiplied by 2 to get the perimeter.

  • Do: Have students calculate the area and perimeter of each element using the formulas A = l x w and P = 2l + 2w. You can choose whether or not you want them to use a calculator.

  • Do: Once students have calculated the area and perimeter of each element, have them add up the total area and perimeter of the restaurant. 

  • Ask: Why do you think these measurements are important, and how can they be used to make decisions in real-life situations?

Feedback

  • Tell: Now, we’ll compare and contrast your floor plant to see the advantages and disadvantages of each design. This is an important skill for any designer or architect because it allows you to make informed decisions about which design will work best for your project.

  • Do: Allow the students time to walk around to other desks to view class designs.  

  • Ask: What do you notice about the different designs? Are there any similarities or differences that stand out to you? 

  • Ask: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each design? (Example: having more tables might mean that you can serve more customers at once, but it might also mean that the restaurant feels crowded and uncomfortable.)

Assessment:

Assessment will be based on the completion of the restaurant floor plan, accuracy of area and perimeter calculations, and participation in class discussions. Students will also be assessed on their ability to apply the concepts of area and perimeter to real-life situations.

Additional Options:

  • Have students use their restaurant floor plans to calculate the cost of installing carpet or tile.

  • Have students estimate the number of tables and chairs needed to accommodate a certain number of customers.

Written by Sherry French
Education World Contributor
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