Unit 4-  How Many People and Teams?

In this unit, students solve multiplication problems and learn and practice the U.S. standard algorithm for multiplication. Students focus on refining and efficiently using division strategies. They solve multi-step problems. 

Activities to Try at Home 

Solving Multistep Problems In this unit, students solve complex problems that involve several operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Look for familiar and interesting situations that you can use as a basis for exploring these types of problems with your child. Here are some examples: 

• This package contains 40 crackers. How many packages do you think are on the grocery shelf? How many crackers is that? How long would it take our family to eat them?

•   If you sleep 8 hours per night on week nights and 10 hours per night on weekends, how many hours do you sleep each week? Each month? Each year? 

Estimating Large Products and Quotients Notice when you use multiplication and division in your everyday life, and look for ways to estimate the answers with your child. Here are some examples: 

• About how many cars are parked today at the mall? Are there more or less than 1,500? 

• If you usually read 35 pages each day, about how long will it take you to finish the book you are reading now? Will it take more than a week? 

How Did You Solve That? Ask your child to tell you about how he or she is solving problems. Also ask your child to record his or her work so that you can understand it. If some of the strategies your child is using are unfamiliar to you, ask your child to explain them carefully. Learning to clearly communicate thinking to others is an important emphasis in this unit.