What's a meter squared?

I tutor 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in math.  As I was working with my sixth graders on area, it became clear to me that they did not actually understand what one meter squared was.  To them it was just a unit, a letter with an exponent.  At that point I took out a meter stick and a piece of chalk.  I explained to them that a meter squared was simply a square that was a meter long on each side.  So I had them take the meter stick and the piece of chalk and begin to draw a squared meter on my classroom floor.  From there, I had the students estimate the area of my classroom is squared meters.  In this short tutoring session, it became clear how important visuals and hands on activities are for students. It makes their learning experience much more meaningful.