Lesson Activity Plan Template
Title of Activity:
Which Is Faster? A Lesson in Real World Use of Multiplication and Addition
Grade Level:
Fourth Grade
Mathematics Concept Standards:
Numeration: (4) N-6 Use models, explanations, number lines or real life situations, describe or
illustrate the process of multiplication.
Numeration: (4) N-7 Use models, explanations, number lines or real life situations, describe or
illustrate the relationship of multiplication and addition.
Estimation and Computation: (4) E&C-2 Recall basic multiplication facts, products to 100, and
corresponding division facts.
Functions and Relationships: (4) F&R-1 Extend patterns that use addition, subtraction,
multiplication, or symbols up to 10 items, represented by models (function machines), tables,
sequences, or in problem situations
Learning Objectives:
After students review multiplication facts, examine and discuss real world situations related to the
need for faster counting. After listening and discussing literature presented by the classroom
teacher, students will be able to show and explain in writing or with illustrations how
multiplication relates to addition and how both are useful, but why multiplication is faster and
why we use it.
Math and Literature Connection:
Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story
by Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by Liza Woodruff, Math Activities by Marilyn Burns.
Learn the Content:
1) To begin this lesson, review multiplication facts as your hook. Play around the world (pick
one student to stand next to another, show a multiplication fact, and whichever student
says the answer first moves on in the game, the other sits down. This continues until one
rotation has been made through the class).
2) Tell students in the math lesson today you will be linking literature to multiplication to
better understand when in life multiplication is more useful. Create a chart and ask
students to tell you when, other than during the game, the ability to count numbers
quickly would be helpful in real life situations. Introduce the story Amanda Bean’s
Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story by Cindy Neuschwander. Read through the story,
pausing to discuss at various points where addition is something she can do well and it is
not too difficult to do quickly. Review with students how the same addition the character
completes can be done with multiplication. Show some of these comparisons on the
board (draw a vertical line to separate and show one side as the addition she is trying to do
and then show how the same problem can be solved with multiplication). As you continue
through the story, ask various students to try and show a multiplication or addition
equation quicker than you. As the story describes the character’s dream and her inability
to add so many items quickly, discuss with the class that multiplication would be a quicker
strategy to find the total she is interested in and why. Be sure to use the proper vocabulary
(addition,sum, multiplication, product, array) while discussing the story and the math
shown on the board during the comparison. After the story concludes, return to the Chart
and ask students for ideas created during the story they believe addition or multiplication
would be more useful for. Try to collect 6-8 ideas where multiplication would be more
helpful. Ask students to come up with specifics, such as seeing five cars drive by their
house and wanting to know how many tires are on each vehicle. Students could also use
examples from the story.
Reinforce the Content Learning:
Tell students they will now be working with a partner to determine which strategy would be more
useful in certain real-life situations. Number the partners 1 and 2. Each partner will work on the
same problem as another partnership so they can compare and discuss their solutions. Give each
two partnerships one of the ideas from the chart.
For example, John and Sam are partners and along with the partnership of Sara and Hallie,
each set will work on solving the problem of how many wheels there are on the five cars
that drive by a house.
Have each two sets work through the problem, the ones completing the problem using addition
and the twos completing the problem using multiplication. Give students chart paper big enough
to split in two (just as you have done with the class on the board) and a timer. Students will show
how they solved each equation on their own side one at a time as the other partner times. The
time it took to solve should be written at the top of paper when the corresponding student is
finished. Many strategies can be used to show how problems can be solved. You are looking for
students to explain how they solved the problem and why it is faster, the same, or slower. When
each partnership has finished, give students time to show and discuss their work with the
corresponding partnership. Finally, bring the class back together and have one of the two
partnerships explain to the class what was done and why to solve each problem and talk about
which strategy (addition or multiplication) would be better, if one is more so than another, and
why.
Consolidate the Learning:
As teaching progresses with learning multiplication, refer back to the literature and the lesson to
remind students why multiplication is used and how it is helpful. Ask students to explain these
concepts periodically when reviewing.
Implement the Content:
After the reflection written above is completed, post a problem on the board for students to copy
into their math notebooks and solve. This should be written in letter format to Amanda Bean.
Students should include both an illustration of the two strategies of computation and an
explanation of how each is done and why one may be better than another. Teachers need to walk
the room and conference with students as work is being completed to address misconceptions or
answer questions.
Variation/Extension Activities:
For students who have less understanding of the concept, ask him or her to write about a time
when he or she has ever had to use addition to figure out something quickly and if he or she thinks
multiplication could have been faster, why or why not?
For students needing a challenge, add on to Amanda Bean’s story by creating amazing dreams for
other students of the same level to solve.
Web Resources:
www.mathsolutions.com
www.multiplication.com
www.helpingwithmath.com
www.teachnology.com
Lesson Plan Created By:
Amanda Bonadurer
Mat-Su Borough School District
amanda.bonadurer@matsuk12.us
Lesson Related References:
Marilyn Burns, who created the math activities at the end of the book, is the developer of Math
Solutions for professional development. The ideas created to extend the literature concepts are
helpful for both students and parents. Check out the article below on Scholastic.com.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3596