Smallest perimeter

Practical Task 

Take four multi-link cubes and arrange these on a sheet of paper to make as many different shapes as you can.
All four cubes need to be flat on the piece of paper and have sides touching. Reflections or rotations of a shape do not count as different shapes.
 
a)
 
Draw around each shape as you make it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
b) Circle the shape that has the smallest perimeter.
 
c)
 
What do you notice about the area of all the shapes you have drawn?