Learning Activity

Greatest Product Wins!

Subject Area

Mathematics

Grade(s)

4

Overview

Students will play a game in which they will use place value understanding and strategies to create and solve multi-digit multiplication problems that have the greatest product.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

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.

Unpacked Content

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.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will apply what they know about place value strategies in multiplication to create problems that result in the greatest product.

Activity Details

The students will play in partners and will need 4 sets of digit cards.

  1. Each player will draw 4 cards. (Make sure the deck is shuffled.) 
  2. Arrange the cards to make a three-digit by one-digit multiplication equation. The goal is to create the greatest product possible. 
  3. Solve the multiplication equation. 
  4. Check the products by solving each other’s problems (you can use a calculator). 
  5. The player with the largest product gets 1 point. 
  6. The 1st player to score 10 points wins!
Assessment Strategies

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 number sense to arrange their digit cards
  2. solved the problem correctly
  3. used place value strategies

Variation Tips

This game can be used to find the least product and can be used with any combination of multi-digit multiplication problems. This is a great game for Tier II small group or used in math stations or review.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Each student will need 4 sets of digit cards. These can be printed from http://mathwire.com/templates/digitcards.pdf. Students will also need their math journals or paper to solve the problems. Students can keep score in their journals/paper or use the score sheet. 

Digital Tools / Resources

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14zP8U9IXSh30uJpDtIkyNTlPdsZnvbGRJ9czJ9iGRa8…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

mfrye
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