Perimeter Explorer

Perimeter Explorer is an interactive maths tool where students build shapes from coloured tiles and watch the area, perimeter, and side lengths update live. It's a great way to help students develop an intuitive understanding of measurement concepts through hands-on exploration.

How do I access Perimeter Explorer?

You can access Perimeter Explorer in three ways:

• Through Teach Mode - open Perimeter Explorer directly from the bottom bar of Teach Mode.

• From the Apps library - browse or search for Perimeter Explorer in the Apps library.

• In your slide deck, search for Perimeter Explorer in the apps panel on the right and tap it to drop it onto your slide. From there, you can move and resize it however you like.

How do I use Perimeter Explorer?

Choose a tile colour from the row at the bottom of the screen, then tap any cell on the grid to place a tile. Tap a tile again to remove it. Students can build any shape they like - rectangles, L-shapes, irregular polygons - and the measurements update automatically as they build.

The settings panel on the left gives you control over how the app looks and behaves:

• Tile size -choose Small, Medium, or Large to change how big each tile is on the grid. Larger tiles make shapes easier to see on a big screen.
• Display - turn on or off what appears on the screen:
  • Show grid lines - displays the grid to help students count tiles accurately.
  • Show area total - shows the total area of the shape as students build.
  • Show perimeter total - shows the running perimeter measurement.
  • Show perimeter values - labels each side of the shape with its length, so students can see individual measurements at a glance.

• Units - set the label that appears alongside measurements (e.g. "u" for units, "cm", "m"). This lets you match the app to whatever unit your class is working with.
• Palette - choose a colour palette for the tiles. Options include Hive, Pastel Rainbow, Botanical, Neutral, Neon, and Primary. Once you've selected a palette, pick individual colours from the row at the bottom of the screen.

• Use the Clear all button to wipe the grid and start fresh.

Tips

• Click on the star icon to add Perimeter Explorer to your favourite apps.

• Click the connection icon to connect Perimeter Explorer to your timetable. (Read more about timetable connections here)