Multiplication word problems

📖 Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.4.NBT.B.5 Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. (Common Core Standards)

H.3-5.3     Describe the North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings. (US State – ND – Social Studies 2019 Standards)

📃 Summary

In this integrated lesson, students learn about responsibilities of children in traditional Dakota society and discuss their responsibilities today. They learn a problem-solving strategy that can be applied to a wide range of situations, including mathematics. Students play Spirit Lake: The Game or watch videos solving multiplication problems set in the context of a story based on Dakota culture. Students can complete a written assessment in class and on-line classes can complete these problems in Google doc or other preferred method .

📲 Technology required

The game in this lesson plan, Spirit Lake, can be played on Mac or Windows computers. Once students have logged in, they can continue playing, even if the Internet drops. The program should be installed on devices before the lesson. Students will create a username and password the first time they play the game. If students need to play offline, they can play Spirit Lake Beginnings – Lakota . If students do not have access to a Mac or Windows computer they can watch similar content in the linked videos.

Time Required

30-40 minutes

📚 Lesson Plan

1. Presentation on responsibilities and problem-solving

Begin with the PowerPoint presentation discussing student responsibilities. Also available as Google slides. Discuss with students the responsibilities they have at home. Explain that whether students are baking a cake or solving a multiplication problem they can take the same four steps to solve their problems. You’ll also use this presentation for practice during the lesson and assessment at the end of the lesson.

Time: 5-10 minutes depending on length of student discussion.

2. Practice

Complete multiplication table on page 11 of Google slides presentation independently 2-3 minutes

3. Game Play

Play the Spirit Lake game, In levels 1 and 2 of the game, players solve multiplication problems set in the context of a story based on the history and culture of the Dakota people. They learn a problem-solving strategy that can be applied to a wide range of situations, including mathematics. .After this lesson, students will be able to solve word problems using multiplication of one-digit numbers and understand the general application of problem-solving steps. (10-15 minutes)

Option for students without access to Mac/ Windows computers

3a. Game Play Video

For schools that want the game play and multiplication problems from Spirit Lake: The Game but now your students are at home, without a computer, what do you do? You can have them watch this four-minute preview up to the multiplication word problem. Your students will learn a few words in Dakota, see the game and be set for your lesson on multiplying one-digit numbers.

3b Instructional Video

In this six-minute video, students learn four steps in solving a problem: understand what’s required, select a strategy, do it, and test it. Multiplication word problems are used as examples, but these scaffolding strategies for Grades 3-5 can be applied to any problem in math.

Assessment

Individual Assessment

Have students work independently to solve the problem in the PowerPoint or Google slides linked above. Have students present their solutions. Show one recommended solution that is in the presentation.

If students will be completing the assignment in class, print out pages 11,12 and 14 for assessment. On-line classes can complete these problems in Google doc or other method used by the teacher for assignments.

Estimated time: 5 minutes

A second assessment is in the reports for the Spirit Lake game, which show whether students answered correctly the problems in Levels 1 and 2, whether they read the hint before answering the problem, and whether they were correct on the first try or had to attempt the problem more than once. Note that these reports are NOT available for Spirit Lake Beginnings, which is played offline.

Group Assessment

Continue with the PowerPoint presentation or Google slides. Students will work in groups to solve 4 multiplication problems. Estimated time: 5 minutes

State Standards

Minnesota Math Standard 4.1.1.3 – Multiply multi-digit numbers, using efficient and generalizable procedures, based on knowledge of place value, including standard algorithms.

One thought on “Multiplication word problems

  1. Pingback: UNIT: Word Problems with Multiplication and Division | Growing Math

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *