Hillsborough County Public Schools
Elementary Mathematics Parent Connection
Grade 3 – Unit 7: Applying Multiplication and Division Facts and Strategies
In this unit your child will work to build an understanding of the following:
o Building an Understanding of the Associative property:
o You child will be introduced to the Associative property of Multiplication, also known as the
“Grouping Property” , which states that the grouping of factors does not change the product. For
example, 3 x (2 x 6) = (3 x 2) x 6. This property allows your child to change the grouping of factors
in order to use facts they know.
o The Associative Property is another strategy for making multiplication flexible, easy and fast.
o Your child will begin by creating concrete models of the Associative Property.
For example:
o
Students will work towards writing equations using the Associative Property to match given
problem solving scenarios.
For Example:
“Each car on the roller coaster has 2 rows of seats. Each row has 3 seats. There are 4 cars on the roller
coaster. How many seats are on the roller coaster?”
The equation which matches the problem is (2 x 3) x 4 = 24; however, a child could solve for the product by
solving 2 x (3 x 4) = 24.
o Building an Understanding of the Commutative Property:
o Your child using the Commutative Property of Addition in 2nd grade and
3rd grade Unit 1 with addition.
o They will continue to apply the property with multiplication,
understanding that the order of the factors does not change the product.
o Building an Understanding of the Distributive Property:
o The Distributive Property refers to the idea that one of two factors can be split into two or more
parts and each multiplied separately, then added back together.
 Example: 9 x 5. I could break apart the nine into 4 and 5. Then I would multiply (4 x 5)
+ (5 x 5). 20 + 25 is 45. So 9 x 5 = 45
o As your child is learning the distributive property, you want to encourage them to model the
process with an array.
 Example for 6 x 4:
(3 x 4)
(3 x 4)
So (3 x 4) + (3 x 4) is the
same as or equal to our
original problem of 6 x 4
o Apply Strategies for Making Sense of Story Problems:
o Your child will explore a variety of strategies to help them make sense of mutli-step problem solving
scenarios, such as making a table to organize information, or using a graphic organizer, such as the
K-W-P-L shown at below.
o
Students will write equations to match multi-step story problems, as well as write multi-step problems
for a given equation.
For Example:
A student given the equation 5 x 2 + m = 25 might write the scenario, “Teresa gave 5 of her friends each 2 friendship
bracelets, and she also gave some to her sister. She started with 25 bracelets. How many did she give to her sister?”
Check out the “Parent Quick Smarts” video by scanning
the QR code or using the Internet link provided.
Other Helpful Links:
http://wwwk6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/math/hspmath/na/common/me
ga_math_9780547585062_/megamathcd5/cm/launch.html?strActi
vityName=g36_2_4_D&strAssignID=1 – students interpret and
apply the strategy of “Make a Table”
http://youtu.be/KOL05t7w5DM
Sample tasks your child should be able to work through by the end of the unit:
On Saturday, Kelly made $3 for each room she
vacuumed at her Grandma’s house. She rewarded
herself for all her hard work and bought a $2 ice cream
cone on the way home. If Kelly vacuumed all 7 rooms
in her Grandma’s house, how much money did she
have when she got home?
Use the order of operations to solve the
equation below:
6 +5 x 2 = x
Write an equation to match the story, and then solve.
Purposeful Practice you and your child may work on at home together.
o Use everyday items (cereal, toys, pennies, etc) to make equal groups of arrays, then write an
expression that matches the model. Apply the Associative Property of Multiplication to find other
expressions that would have the same product. Prove they have the same product using the items.
o Pose a two-step story problem to your child. Ask them to write an equation to match the story
problem. Ask them questions such as:
o Why did you choose that operation?
o What does the variable represent from the problem?
o Give your student an equation with one or two operations and challenge them to write a story
problem that would match the equation.