Making a Multiplication Lesson Matter

Most teachers have heard this complaint from students when they are trying to teach multiplication tables - "Why do I need to know this?" While a really irritating question, it’s also a valid one. Students may be willing to learn addition and subtraction in the early grades without too much thought, but multiplication always seems to bring with it some existential questioning. For some children, learning multiplication tables can seem boring and useless. This is a crucial time to link real life to multiplication lessons. If students know why learning something is important, then they are more willing to try to give it their all.

Usually, teachers engage in pre-lesson activities that involve dividing objects, such as M&M’s, into groups to explain the concept of multiplication. While a useful intro, this doesn’t get students from learning the concept through the arduous task of memorizing their multiplication tables up til 12. There are lots of great supplemental learning materials, like CD’s, that have students learn their multiplication facts while rocking out to some catchy music. There are also many games you can play.

This still, however, doesn’t answer the question of why we need to know multiplication facts. As an adult, we encounter many situations where multiplication is necessary - when calculating how much rug you need to carpet your living room, or how much the gratuity should be on a meal. I’ve included multiplication lessons below that take real life experiences, like going to a supermarket to buy fruit, and show why multiplication matters.

Elementary:
Fiddle Dee Diddle – It’s Time for a Riddle: This lesson asks student to solve math riddles to better understand multiplication. It comes with a great list of resources, including books about multiplication, such as “Math Potatoes” by Greg Tang. The riddles were based on real life examples, such as how many oranges you could get from the store if you bought them in pre-packaged quantities.

Circles, Stars, and Candy Bars: This lesson focuses on giving students real life examples to solve multiplication problems. Students work on math games to reinforce the idea of multiplication, and do such activities as figure out how to arrange a candy tray using mathematical principals. It also incorporates technology into the lesson since students use computers, software, and calculators.

Confucius Says 2+2+2=2x3: Click on Second Grade, and look under Early Civilizations.This lesson has students learn about multiplication using an abacus. I thought this lesson was interesting because it tied the study of Ancient China to mathematics, and gave students the opportunity to learn how to use an abacus. It comes with several multiplication worksheets, and an instruction sheet for making an abacus from a shoe box. Review more abacus worksheets.

A Financial Flower Garden: This lesson has students find their state flower, and answer multiplication problems related to it. It comes with a worksheet for students to complete. It’s a quick and easy way for students to practice multiplication.

T-Shirt Lettering: Students use this lesson to design a T-Shirt, and estimate how much it would cost them.  They use multiplication to determine how much a certain number of letters will cost.

Junior Consumer Skills: This lesson provided a terrific way to connect multiplication to real life. Students learn how to calculate percentages in relation to sale items. There are great worksheets, and some helpful information for teachers.