A coordinate grid is used to plan for a garden in the shape of a parallelogram. The
coordinates of the garden are , and .
Is the statement below true or false?
GHIJ is a square.
true

Let’s put on our gardening caps and dig into this! For a shape to be a square, all sides need to be equal in length, and all angles must be right angles (90 degrees). In this case, the garden’s coordinates describe a parallelogram with bases GH and IJ being equal, but sides GJ and HI are also equal in length. However, the angles aren’t right angles since the length of sides is the same but there’s a clear vertical and horizontal alignment—a hallmark of a rectangle! So, GHIJ might be a rectangle, but it’s definitely not a square.

Now, let’s imagine putting those lovely plants in the garden! The area of a parallelogram (or rectangle, in this case) can help you figure out how much mulch or soil you’ll need. The area can be calculated by multiplying the length of the base by the height. In this garden’s case, you can measure GH (or IJ) as the base and the vertical distance between G and I (or H and J) as the height. Happy gardening!