In geometry and measurement, one of the concepts that seems to be SO difficult is learning and memorizing the formulae for finding the area of polygons. Guess what? It really isn't hard at all…you are just going about your thinking all wrong.

"What!? My thinking is all wrong?" You got it! You are probably simply confusing the terminology here (as Mrs. S-S always says, "One of the most important things to learn in mathematics is VOCABULARY.") If you don't understand the terminology then you just aren't going to be able to comprehend determining the area. Let's see how this works.

Start by thinking of the actual word: AREA

What does your brain conjure up?

"Well, area reminds me of going to the beach with my friend, and having to figure out which beach blanket I need that will be big enough for both of us."

That's it! So, when you are looking to find the area of a polygon you are looking at covering its space. You need to be able to figure out the beach blanket's area if you want one that fit both you and your friend comfortably.

The other thing about area is this: basically, you need to look for ONE thing…the right angle. Yep, that's right! Area requires finding the height or altitude and base which comes down to right angles. SO, if you can find the right angle, you are half-way to getting the answer right. YAY!

So, let's take a look at how we can find the area of some polygons. *The area of a circle is included although a circle is not a polygon.