Area is the number of unit squares a shape covers. A parallelogram cut along its height and slid together is a rectangle, so its area is base × height. A triangle is half of a parallelogram with the same base and height, so its area is ½ × base × height. A trapezoid is two triangles. Any polygon can be cut into rectangles and triangles and its pieces added. The crew uses these cuts to find the floor area of the cardboard clubhouse at the Blueprint Table.