The Digit Card Challenge

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Mathematics

Grade(s)

4

Overview

This resource is a performance task that allows students to apply their knowledge about place value and multiplication strategies to arrange digits to create multiplication problems. These problems must fall within a given product value.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Mathematics (2019) Grade(s): 4

MA19.4.11

Find the product of two factors (up to four digits by a one-digit number and two two-digit numbers), using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations.

UP:MA19.4.11

Vocabulary

  • Product
  • Factor
  • Compose
  • Decompose
  • Digit
  • Strategy
  • Place value
  • Properties of operations
  • Equation
  • Rectangular array
  • Area model
  • Partial product
  • Multiple of 10

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How to compose and decompose numbers in a variety of ways using place value and the properties of operations.
  • How to represent the product of two factors using an area model.
  • Use strategies based on place value (partial products), the properties of operations, arrays and area models to represent a two digit factor times a two digit factor.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use strategies based on place value and the properties of operations to find products.
  • Illustrate the product of two factors using rectangular arrays and area models.
  • Explain the product of two factors using equations.
  • Make connections between models and equations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • arrays, area models, place value strategies, and the properties of operations can be used to find products of a single digit factor by a multi-digit factor and products of two two-digit factors.

Learning Objectives

The students will apply their understanding of place value strategies to create multi-digit multiplication problems that have a certain product value.

Activity Details

  1. Show slide one to the students. Ask students the following questions to activate student knowledge. "What is a challenge?" "What could this task be about?"
  2. Show slide two to the students. The teacher will say, "What do you know about the digit cards displayed?" "Can we arrange them to get different multiplication problems and different products?"
  3. Read the task with the students and ask, "When it says the product must fall between 700 and 800, what does that mean?" Have students turn and talk with their neighbor or group. Ask students to share their thinking.
  4. The students will work in groups or partners to discover a solution(s) to the challenge.
  5. Allow students to share their strategies and thinking with the class. 
  6. Show slide three to the students. Read the second part of the task with the students, and ask, "What is Janet's challenge?" Slide three can be completed independently, with a partner or in groups.

Assessment Strategies

Check student work at the conclusion of the activity to assess their understanding. You can use the following guidelines to ensure students meet the learning objective.

Check that the student:

  1. used place value strategies to solve the problem
  2. answer was within the correct product value

 

Variation Tips

This activity can be modified to include any multi-digit multiplication combinations. (Example: 2-digit by 1-digit; 2-digit by 2-digit) These slides may be changed to provide extension/challenge problems or to remediate during small group.

Background / Preparation

The teacher will need a computer and projector to show the Google Slide Show. Students will need math journals/paper and pencils to work the problems.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OxzvrT_0pd98kcD0igAlHbGswY60T7WG_w_tQb7…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

mfrye
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