Workshop: Multiplication Methods

Est. Class Sessions: 1–2

Developing the Lesson

Part 2: Multiplication Methods Workshop

Set Up Workshop. Have students read the explanation of the Workshop activity on the Workshop: Multiplication Methods pages in the Student Guide. The menus and problems for this Workshop are on these pages and on the Moving Ahead with Multiplication pages in the Student Activity Book. The Workshop is divided into four sections that address Expectations as shown in Figure 4. Minis of the Student Activity Book and Student Guide pages not shown here are in the Answer Key.

Students begin each section by first answering the Self-Check Questions, either individually or with partners. These questions serve two purposes. First, they clearly communicate the content of the related targeted practice to students. Second, they help students quickly self-assess their progress with the Expectations to help them choose which problems to work on in the Workshop.

After students complete the Self-Check Questions in a section, discuss each of the questions with the whole class. Ask students to share their solutions and explain their reasoning. Facilitate a class discussion of students' solutions. Next, have students think about each question in the left-hand column of the menu following the Self-Check Questions. Ask students to review their work on the Self-Check Questions to decide which problems to choose from the following groups:

Students who are “working on it” and need some extra help should circle the problem set marked with a triangle (). These problems provide scaffolded support for developing the essential underlying concepts as well as some opportunities for practice.
Students who are “getting it” and just need more practice should circle the problem set marked with a circle (). These problems mainly provide opportunities to practice with some concept reinforcement and some opportunities for extension.
Students who have “got it” and are ready for a challenge or extension should circle problems marked with a square (). These problems provide some practice and then move into opportunities for extension.

Check students' choices to see how well they match your own assessment of their progress on the related Expectation(s). Help students make selections that will provide the kind of practice they need.

Note that students' self-assessment of their own abilities may vary between rows in a menu or between menus. For example, a student might circle the “” questions in one row and the “” or “” questions in another row or in a subsequent menu. A student's comfort and ability may vary by Expectation, and the Workshop allows each student to choose problems flexibly based on what type of practice he or she needs for each “Can I…?” question.

Once students select the questions to complete in a section of the Workshop, match groups of students who have chosen similar sets of problems from the menu. Have students work with their groups to solve the problems they chose. Again, flexibility is important. If problems seem either too easy or difficult for students, they should adjust their choices from the menu.

After the first few groups of students have completed their selected problems (but before all students have completed their problems), introduce the next section to the whole class. See the Meeting Individual Needs box. Again, have students try the Self-Check Questions, discuss solutions, and choose problems from the menu with your guidance. Follow this pattern through all four sections of the workshop.

Some students may not have completed all of their selected questions in a section before you introduce the next section with the whole class. While this may mean interrupting students' flow of work, it is also important that students who complete problems more quickly are able to continue working. For students who need more time, unfinished problems can be completed at the end of the Workshop lesson as needed, or else for homework. For students who finish all of their selected problems before the rest of the class, encourage them to work on more advanced problems from the menus or to play the Multiplication Digits Game.

Review Multiplication Digits Game. Students play this game during the Connecting Multiplication Methods section of the Moving Ahead with Multiplication pages in the Student Activity Book. After students have completed Self-Check: Question 1 and chosen their practice, but before they continue to work problems, briefly review the game. The directions are in the Student Activity Book. Students have played addition, subtraction, and multiplication versions of this game in previous units.

Draw a sample 2-digit by 2-digit game board for all to see and ask:

How is this game board different from the ones you have played with before? (There are four boxes. We are going to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers.)
What would the value of a 3 be in this box? [Point to box in ones column.] (30)
What would the value of a 3 be in this box? [Point to box in tens column.] (3)
Share a strategy for getting the largest product. (Possible strategy: Put the larger digits in the tens place and put the smaller digits in the ones place.)
Share a strategy for getting the smallest product. (Possible strategy: Put the smaller digits in the tens place and put the larger digits in the ones place.)
How are these strategies similar to ones you used when you played the addition version of the game? (We put the larger digits in the tens place and put the smaller digits in the ones place to make the largest sum.)