Unit 2

Developing a Conceptual Understanding of Multiplication

Unit 2 Overview:

In this unit, students will begin exploring multiplication. They will solve to find the area of squares and rectangles. Students will use a variety of manipulatives and models to represent their understanding of multiplication. Students will also work to understand that multiplication can be depicted in arrays, equal groups, and repeated addition.

Before students begin memorizing their multiplication facts, it is important that they understand what multiplication means. You can help your child with this by using any of the following online resources.

  • Students will recognize area as attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. (MD.C.5)
  • Students will understand that a square with a side length of 1 unit, called a “unit square” is said to have “one square unit” of area and recognize that a plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n units. (MD.C.5ab)
  • Students will measure area by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). (MD.C.6)
  • Students will use manipulatives and pictorial representations to model various multiplication situations and identify the factors: the number of groups and the number of items in each group and interpret the product as the total number of objects. (OA.A.1)
  • Students will apply the commutative and associative properties as strategies to multiply, exploring the use of parenthesis within the Associative Property. (OA.B.5)
  • Students will use multiplication within 100 to solve word problems in product unknown situations involving equal groups, arrays and measurement quantities (area) and write an equation to represent the problem with a symbol for the unknown whole number in the problem. (OA.A.3)
  • Students will understand that multiplying a whole number by a multiple of 10 is the same as multiplying n groups of y tens (For example, 4 x 30 is the same as 4 groups of 3 tens). (NBT.A.3)
  • Students will apply repeated addition or multiplication strategies to find areas. (MD.C.5ab, MD.C.6, MD.C.7b)
Grade 3 Unit 2 Family Resource

Home Activities

  • Take an array hunt - Look for real life objects that are arranged in an array, for example...
      • egg carton, cans of soda, window panes, etc
  • Take a groups & sets hunt - Look for real life objects that are arranged in groups & sets, for example...
      • sports teams, packages of fruit snacks, etc
  • Note real life examples of area, for example...
      • find the area of a section of floor tiles
      • find the area of a post card
  • Use Cheez-Its to determine the area of a picture, book, etc
      • Area is found using square tiles that touch, but do not overlap
      • Use the Cheez-Its as the square tiles to find the area of various objects

Resources

Websites/Videos/Games

  • "Pop Up" Online Multiplication Game - Students need to hit the correct product in order for the frog to go back into the hole before time runs out.
  • "Deep Dive" Online Multiplication Game - Help the scuba diver correctly answer various multiplication equations to dive deeper into the ocean.
  • Fishing for Facts - Practice basic fact acquisition with this online game.
  • Cookie Capers - Online fact acquisition to practice repeated addition and math vocabulary such as “groups of” and “in each group”.
  • Multiply using the Grouping Strategy - An online game where students make equal groups to satisfy the commands given. This game does not require an equation.
  • Using Arrays - Directions to a printable game where students build the array which matches the roll of the dice.
  • Printable Digit Cards - Digit cards can be printed and used for different games.
  • Multiplication Square Game - This is a printable game giving students and families the opportunity to play and practice basic math facts.
  • Multiples of 10 - A printable games where students use their knowledge of multiples of ten to play.

Other Resources

Math Words

These are vocabulary words that students will be exposed to throughout the unit.

  • area
  • attribute
  • covering
  • dimension
  • gap
  • length
  • measure
  • overlap
  • plane figure
  • rectangle
  • side length
  • square
  • square centimeter
  • square feet
  • square inches
  • square meter
  • square unit
  • unit square
  • width
  • 2D
  • tiling
  • area model
  • array
  • columns
  • equal groups
  • factor
  • jumping/skip counting on a number line
  • manipulative
  • multiplication
  • pictorial representation
  • product
  • repeated addition
  • rows
  • times
  • total quantity
  • (x) as the multiplication symbol
  • identify
  • model
  • operation
  • formula
  • apply
  • associative property
  • commutative property
  • conjecture
  • generalization
  • multiply
  • identity property
  • zero property
  • equation
  • expression
  • parentheses
  • strategy
  • groups of
  • multiply
  • represent
  • symbol
  • equation
  • solve
  • unknown
  • variable
  • A = L x W