Clarifications
Clarification 1: Instruction focuses on helping a student choose a method they can use reliably.Clarification 2: Instruction includes the use of models or equations based on place value and the distributive property.
Benchmark Instructional Guide
Connecting Benchmarks/Horizontal Alignment
Terms from the K-12 Glossary
- Distributive Property
- Expression
- Equation
- Factor
Vertical Alignment
Previous Benchmarks
Next Benchmarks
Purpose and Instructional Strategies
- The purpose of this benchmark is for students to choose a reliable method for multiplying 3 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers. It builds on the understanding developed in grade 3 (MA.3.NSO.2.2, MA.3.NSO.2.3, MA.3.NSO.2.4), builds on automaticity (MA.4.NSO.2.1) and prepares for procedural fluency (MA.4.NSO.2.3 and MA.5.NSO.2.1).
- For instruction, students may use a variety of strategies when multiplying whole numbers and use words and diagrams to explain their thinking (MTR.2.1). Strategies can include using base-ten blocks, area models, partitioning, compensation strategies and a standard algorithm.
- Using place value strategies enables students to develop procedural reliability with multiplication and transfer that understanding to division. Procedural reliability expects students to utilize skills from the exploration stage to develop an accurate, reliable method that aligns with their understanding and learning style.
- The area model shows students how they can use place value strategies and the distributive property to find products with multi-digit factors.
Common Misconceptions or Errors
- Students that are taught a standard algorithm without any conceptual understanding will often make mistakes. For students to understand a standard algorithm or any other method, they need to be able to explain the process of the method they chose and why it works. This explanation may include pictures, properties of multiplication, decomposition, etc.
Strategies to Support Tiered Instruction
- Instruction includes explaining mathematical reasoning while solving multiplication problems. Instruction also includes determining if a method was used correctly by reviewing the reasonableness of solutions.
- For example, students determine 5 × 137 using an area model and place value understanding.
- For example, students solve 5 × 137 using partitioning and place value understanding.
- For example, students determine 4 × 43 using base-ten blocks and place value understanding.
- For example, students determine 4 × 43 using partitioning and place value understanding.
Instructional Tasks
Instructional Task 1
Paul orders tomatoes for The Produce Shop. Each box has 24 tomatoes in it. If Paul orders 32 boxes of tomatoes, how many tomatoes will The Produce Shop have to sell? Use a strategy of your choice to find the number of tomatoes The Produce Shop has to sell. Explain your thinking and why your method works.
Instructional Items
Instructional Item 1
The product of 57 and 92 is ____.- a. 627
- b. 4,644
- c. 5,234
- d. 5,244
*The strategies, tasks and items included in the B1G-M are examples and should not be considered comprehensive.
Related Courses
Related Access Points
Related Resources
Educational Game
Educational Software / Tool
Formative Assessments
Lesson Plans
Original Student Tutorials
Perspectives Video: Teaching Ideas
Problem-Solving Tasks
Tutorials
STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
Fourth graders will help Cookies and Treats find cost-effective and eco-friendly packaging for its cookies. Students will organize data and compare prices using decimal notation in order to develop a procedure for choosing packaging for cookies. Students will use multiplication and division of whole numbers to plan for how many packages to order.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
In this Model Eliciting Activity, MEA students will analyze different carnival rides to determine which ride would make the most profit by looking at factors such as number of tickets per ride, the cost per ticket, the length of the ride, the number of hours the ride is open, and the cost to operate the ride. Students will need to use different operations in order to solve the tasks and will be required to do multi-steps.
In this MEA, students will decide which entertainer an owner of an entertainment company should hire. They will base their decisions on information provided on resumes. Students will calculate the cost of hiring the entertainer (multiplication of whole numbers) as well as compare the statistics of their talent competitions and attendance turn-out (comparing fractions). Students will write letters to the owner of the entertainment company ranking the entertainers and providing explanation and justification of their strategy for doing so.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
The P.T.A. President at ABC Elementary needs your students' help in selecting a robotics model that fits the needs of the students and the after school enrichment program. There is a budget of $2,000 that the students must adhere to. Students will be asked rank 4 models based on criteria given to them and the budget. Students will be given a data set to help them develop a procedure for doing so. In their teams they will write a letter to the P.T.A President giving their procedures and explanation of the strategy they used. Students will practice adding, subtracting and multiplying numbers to the thousands in order to calculate the amount of models that can be bought of a certain model without going over the budget. Rubrics are included to help grade students.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
In this Model Eliciting Activity, MEA, students will be asked to rank and choose from the potential docks the Lake Wonder Camp could purchase before next summer based on the data given. In the process, students will need to find area and perimeter as part of their criteria for ranking. The data provided is: dock dimensions, price per square foot for materials, warranty, and material quality. In the twist, students will be asked to calculate the cost of adding a safety bumper around each dock (after finding the perimeter) and calculate the total cost of each dock with the price of the safety bumper added. They must also stay within a $5,000 budget. Students must decide how to change their procedure with the new information.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
MFAS Formative Assessments
Students are asked to multiply a four-digit number by a one-digit number and two, two-digit numbers using an array or area model.
Students are asked to solve two multiplication problems using a partial products strategy.
Students are asked to multiply a four-digit number by a one-digit number using a strategy based on place value.
Original Student Tutorials Mathematics - Grades K-5
See the magical power of area models when multiplying multi-digit numbers in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 2 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 1: Arrays
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 2: Area Models (Current Tutorial)
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 3: Recording Partial Products
Learn to use arrays to solve multi-digit multiplication problems in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
Calculate the product of multi-digit factors by decomposing factors and recording partial products in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 3 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 1: Arrays
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 2: Area Models
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 3: Recording Partial Products (current tutorial)
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Calculate the product of multi-digit factors by decomposing factors and recording partial products in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 3 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 1: Arrays
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 2: Area Models
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 3: Recording Partial Products (current tutorial)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
See the magical power of area models when multiplying multi-digit numbers in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 2 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 1: Arrays
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 2: Area Models (Current Tutorial)
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 3: Recording Partial Products
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to use arrays to solve multi-digit multiplication problems in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a 3-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series.
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 1: Arrays
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 2: Area Models
- Multi-Digit Multiplication Magic Part 3: Recording Partial Products
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Educational Game
In this activity, students are quizzed on their ability to estimate sums, products, and percentages. The student can adjust the difficulty of the problems and how close they have to be to the actual answer. This activity allows students to practice estimating addition, multiplication, or percentages of large numbers. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.
Type: Educational Game
Educational Software / Tool
In this activity, students solve arithmetic problems involving whole numbers, integers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This activity allows students to track their progress in learning how to perform arithmetic on whole numbers and integers. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.
Type: Educational Software / Tool
Problem-Solving Tasks
The purpose of this task is to give students a better understanding of multiplicative comparison word problems with money.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
The purpose of this task is to generate a classroom discussion that helps students synthesize what they have learned about multiplication in previous grades. It builds on applying properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide and interpreting a multiplication equation as a comparison.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view a demonstration of how to set-up an area model for multiplying a two-digit number by a two-digit number on graph or grid paper and then link this to the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, view an example of how to multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number using the area model. The video makes a connection between partial products and the area model.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view an example and a description of how the distributive property can be used to multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number. The second example uses the area model with the distributive property.
Type: Tutorial
In this Khan Academy video tutorial, view an example of multiplying a 4-digit number by a 1-digit number by expanding the 4-digit number and multiplying by each digit individually in an area model. This video will help to build an understanding before teaching the standard algorithm. Multiplying with a 4-digit factor is larger than some standards which limit factors to 3-digits.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, view an example of how to multiply a 2-digit number by another 2-digit number. Be sure to stick around for the second example! The key is understanding the value of each digit!
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view an example of how to solve a problem in which a 3-digit number is being multiplied by a 1-digit number using the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial
Parent Resources
Problem-Solving Tasks
The purpose of this task is to give students a better understanding of multiplicative comparison word problems with money.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
The purpose of this task is to generate a classroom discussion that helps students synthesize what they have learned about multiplication in previous grades. It builds on applying properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide and interpreting a multiplication equation as a comparison.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view a demonstration of how to set-up an area model for multiplying a two-digit number by a two-digit number on graph or grid paper and then link this to the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, view an example of how to multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number using the area model. The video makes a connection between partial products and the area model.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view an example and a description of how the distributive property can be used to multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number. The second example uses the area model with the distributive property.
Type: Tutorial
In this Khan Academy video tutorial, view an example of multiplying a 4-digit number by a 1-digit number by expanding the 4-digit number and multiplying by each digit individually in an area model. This video will help to build an understanding before teaching the standard algorithm. Multiplying with a 4-digit factor is larger than some standards which limit factors to 3-digits.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, view an example of how to multiply a 2-digit number by another 2-digit number. Be sure to stick around for the second example! The key is understanding the value of each digit!
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, view an example of how to solve a problem in which a 3-digit number is being multiplied by a 1-digit number using the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial