Calculating the Perimeter of Irregular Quadrilaterals

Sheena Doria

This educational math video provides a clear, step-by-step guide on how to calculate the perimeter of various quadrilaterals, specifically focusing on shapes that are not standard squares or rectangles. Through the use of animated characters and scenarios, it introduces the concept of perimeter as the total distance around a two-dimensional shape and demonstrates the standard algorithm of summing all side lengths to find the answer. The video covers multiple examples, starting with a character running around an irregular quadrilateral track, moving to geometric shapes like parallelograms and trapezoids, and culminating in a real-world word problem about fencing a plot of land for sheep. It concludes with a practice problem for students to attempt on their own, reinforcing the procedural knowledge required to solve these math problems. Teachers can use this video to introduce the concept of perimeter or to model problem-solving strategies for geometry word problems. The step-by-step visual calculations (stacking numbers for addition) model good mathematical habits for students. The video is particularly useful for visual learners who benefit from seeing side lengths highlighted and summed sequentially.