Students learn the meaning of area as the size a surface takes up. They learn that you can find the area by counting squares. Students practice counting area this way with several shapes. Students learn that area is always measured in squares and are shown the various units that are used to measure area such as inches, feet, centimeters, or meters. Next, students are shown the length and width of the shape. They learn that you can find area faster by multiplying these two measurements. Several opportunities to practice using multiplying length times width are provided. Students also solve story problems requiring them to determine area.