Take area beyond the basics with this high-engagement enrichment activity that challenges students to think flexibly about complex polygons by decomposing them in multiple ways.

In this task, students analyze composite polygons and determine the total area using two different strategies:
✔ decomposing into familiar shapes and adding the areas
✔ enclosing the figure and subtracting the missing parts

This approach strengthens conceptual understanding, promotes mathematical discourse, and gives students meaningful opportunities to explain and justify their thinking.

It’s perfect for:

• gifted & advanced learners
• early finishers
• math workshop rotations
• small-group enrichment
• performance tasks
• math discourse routines