Grade: 4th, Marion
Title: Multiplication Relay Race
Author: Jennifer Langell and Lauren Mali
Enduring Understanding:.
Students will use friendly competition to help
them practice fluency in multiplication.
Overview:
Students will begin by looking at a piece of art.
After looking at the picture, students will be put
into five groups. We will count them off by the
Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Superior, Michigan,
Ontario). This is more interesting than counting 1,
2, 3, 4, 5. Each great lake will be a team, and
each team will get a poster board labeled with an
empty times table that they will race to fill in.After
students finish the game, they may pick their own
groups of three to play multiplication salute. They
will pay this until there is a half hour left of class,
and then we will play Plickers.
Objectives:
SWBAT:
Complete basic multiplication problems.
Think about how colors, shapes, and lines
affect a piece of art.
Work cooperatively in groups.
Content Standard(s):
N.FL.04.10 Multiply fluently any
whole number by a one-digit number
and a three-digit number by a
two-digit number
Art Standard(s):
VA:Re8.1.4a: Interpret art by referring to
contextual information, and analyzing relevant
subject matter, characteristics of form, and use
of media.
Materials:
15 poster boards
Sharpies
2,160 regular sized index cards
10 decks of cards
Markers/Pencils/Crayons
Tape (at least five rolls)
Other Resources:
Plickers
Piece of art
Vocabulary (Art and Content Area):
Multiplication
Array
Repeated Addition
FROM THE NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS-Create: Students will create their own times tables using
multiple approaches (one is drawing)
-
Skip Counting
Present: Students will present their times table when it
is complete.
Respond: Students will respond to a piece of art using
an artful thinking strategy.
Connect: Students will connect to the art as they make
observations, and will (hopefully) make a connection
between multiplication and having fun!
Assessment Strategies
FORMATIVE: Students will complete different multiplication problems in many different ways. Their
options are- arrays (5 dots by 5 dots), skip counting (5, 10, 15, 20, 25), drawing pictures (5 groups of 5),
repeated addition (5+5+5+5+5=25), or writing the problem (5x5=25). They must choose three for each
index card, but it doesn’t have to be the same on every index card. Students will also play Salute.
Teachers will walk around and observe students as they practice. Are they following each approach
correctly? Are they able to multiply fluently? Are they getting problems correct? Students who are
struggling with salute may refer to the times tables they made. Students who struggle with the times
tables will be working in a large group, so they can ask for help from their peers, or a teacher may sit with
them to help.
SUMMATIVE: Students will show their times table to the teachers when they are finished, explain their
different approaches, and have each answer checked. Students will also show what they know through
Plickers. ​Sample questions for Plickers:
-
What is 6x7?
What is 4x5?
Are 4x5 and 5x4 the same?
What is 2x4?
What is 6x9?
What is 6x3?
What is 10x7?
Fill in the blank: 6x_=60
What is the rule for multiplying by zero?
What is the rule for multiplying by one?
If you multiply by five, which two numbers might your answer end in?
Instructional Activities & Strategies
ENGAGE: Students will be engaged through analyzing the following piece of art.​They will be asked to
think about what is going on in the picture and what it means, using colors/shapes/lines as
reference.
We will discuss colors, shapes, and lines, and how they add to the meaning of the art. Students will also
love the competition of the project. It will motivate them to perform at their best. After the race, we will
keep our engagement by having them play Salute. ​Each group has a deck of cards, minus the
kings. Aces are 1, Jacks are 11, and Queens are 12. Players 1 and 2 sit across from each
other and each draw a card. Without looking, they put the card on their forehead. Player 3
looks at both cards and says the product aloud. Players 1 and 2 then try to be the first to say
what number is on their forehead. The first one to say it wins a point. If there is a
disagreement, player 3 decides who wins. The first student to get three points wins the round
and the students switch roles.
BUILD: Students will build their own, handmade times table using different approaches. E
​ ach
team will get 144 note cards. On each note card, the students will do a multiplication problem
in three ways. They can write the problem, make the array, draw pictures, use repetitive
addition, or use skip counting. They must pick three to do on a note card. As a team, they will
fill in the entire multiplication table. As an example, if a student has 5x5, they could write
5x5=25, make an array 5 by 5, draw five groups of five, add five five times, or count 5, 10, 15,
20, 25. If there are 6 students in each group, then each student will make about 24 index
cards. The first team to finish (with all problems correct) wins the race!
APPLY: Students will apply knowledge of multiplication strategies to help them finish the race.
They will continue to apply this knowledge with Salute, and will stretch even further through
Plickers. Sample questions for Plickers:
- What is 6x7?
- What is 4x5?
- Are 4x5 and 5x4 the same?
- What is 2x4?
- What is 6x9?
- What is 6x3?
-
What is 10x7?
Fill in the blank: 6x_=60
What is the rule for multiplying by zero?
What is the rule for multiplying by one?
If you multiply by five, which two numbers might your answer end in?
REFLECT: Students will reflect on the different approaches they used after they finish the
times table. Students will think about what helped them think faster, and what caused them to
slow down. Were there any mistakes you made during this activity that will help you learn and
do better next time?
What STUDIO HABITS of MIND will students
use in meeting the content standard in the
lesson?
What STUDIO HABITS of MIND will students use in
meeting the art standard in the lesson?
Observe:
Students will observe a piece of art and analyze the
different colors, shapes, and lines, and how they
contribute to the meaning of the art.
Engage & Persist: The race will be very
difficult. These students struggle with basic
multiplication, so they will have to think very
hard to get through. I expect the race to take
anywhere from 30-50 minutes.
Students will use drawing pictures as one of their
approaches. They will have to be careful to make their
drawings clear so they can be counted.
Reflect: Students will reflect on approaches
taken, time taken, and the benefits of
mistakes made.
Stretch & Explore: Students will explore new
approaches to multiplication.
Students will explore their own drawing style as they
complete the index cards.
Express: Students will express their level of
skill in multiplication throughout the lesson.
Students will express moods and feelings through
drawings.
Develop Craft: Students will develop different
strategies and approaches for multiplication,
and hopefully memorize a few facts on the
way.
Students will develop an ability to draw quickly,
but clearly.
Envision:
Students must use their drawings to help them
envision math problems.
Understand Art (or other) World: