Multiplication is essentially repeated addition, or growing numbers by doubling, tripling, quadrupling, and so on. This unit presents mental models and strategies that help students learn and review the concept of multiplication. Students explore multiplication using arrays, partial products, doubling methods and the standard algorithm to solve numerical and word problems. Students will multiply whole numbers and simple decimals by base ten exponents (i.e. .3 x 103).

Understanding how our ten number system works enables students to see interesting and useful patterns and relationships in these math activities. These patterns allow students to develop more efficient mental math strategies when multiplying by multiples of 10 or 100. Students will also review rounding and apply this skill to larger numbers - up to 100,000’s place.

This guided lesson builds upon third graders' understanding of multiplication in order to further develop fluency with this operation. The lesson first reinforces the various strategies for doing multiplication (for example, repeated addition), then teaches kids to apply those strategies within practical exercises. Designed by our team of teachers and curriculum experts, the goal is to provide numerous ways to conceptualize multiplication problems.