Multiplication: Week Two

Day 1: Multiplication Storybook Problems

Seat the students on the floor with a marker, tissue, and dry erase paddle. Read Humbug Rabbit by Lorna Balian (or another seasonably appropriate book) and stop to ask students multiplication problems throughout. (Example: Mother and Father Rabbit have five rabbit children. How many feet do five rabbits have?) Students should write the multiplication problem (either 4 x 5 = 20 or 5 x 4 = 20 would be correct) on their dry erase paddle and show it to the class. Continue reading the story and stopping for multiplication problems until you reach the end of the story.

Day 2: Review and Commutative Property

Briefly review the multiplication facts we've learned so far. (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10.) Remind students that they can find the answers to threes and fours by skip counting. Play an Around the World multiplication game. Set chairs in two rows facing each other with one extra chair at the head of the rows. (You'll need an ODD number of people for this to work, so play yourself if necessary.)

X X X X X

________X (head chair)

X X X X X

Students sit in the chairs and are given a multiplication flash card. When the person in the head chair says "go", one line asks their multiplication question and the other line answers. (Tell students that they're going to be the expert on their card, so they need to help their partner figure it out any time their partner has trouble.) Then the other line asks their question and the first line answers.

When both sides have asked and answered, players advance one seat clockwise. They are now in front of a new partner with a new question (and a new person is saying "go"), so rows take turns asking and answering again. Continue playing until students have gone all the way around the circle. Give each of the students a new card and play the game again.

If there's time for a third round, have students think of their own problem (anything 0-5 or 10 is fair game.) You can also introduce the commutative property by having them ask the reverse of the question printed on their card (e.g. 7 times 2 rather than 2 times 7.) Save the flash cards to use on day 3.

Day 3: Nines and Review

Teach the students their nine times tables by learning the nines trick. (Show the video to the students if possible.)

Review multiplication facts by putting students in groups of two or three and having them play the Multiplication Board Game. (You can use any multiplication flash cards for the game cards; just make sure all the cards in play are facts the students have learned.)

Day 4: The Big Test!

Give the students their final multiplication test. Students who finish early can work on a multiplication math maze or multiplication coloring page.

Give the students their multiplier's licenses and teach them how to use the multiplication table on the back. Congratulate the students on working so hard and learning so much.