2nd Grade Math Multiplication Dice Game

Essential Question: Can students solve multiplication problems using

addition, multiplication, and arrays?
3. Foster active engagement in learning and positive social
interactions (ACEI 3.4; NAEYC 1.1)
6. Use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate,
and strengthen instruction (ACEI 4; NAEYC 3.1 & 3.2)
Standards: 2.OA.34: Solve number stories (word problems) about equal
groups using geometric models/rectangular arrays and repeated addition.
Objective
Students will be able to write
repeated addition sentences,
multiplication sentences, and arrays.

Students will be able to work

together for a common purpose.

Assessment
Students will play a game with their
partner and have to complete a
worksheet, filling in the multiplication
sentence, the addition sentence, and
the array. The teacher will check
these worksheets for understanding
of all these concepts.
Students will take turns rolling the
dice and playing the game. They will
then work together to complete the
worksheet. The teacher will make
sure that the students can work
together in a respectful and
productive manner.

Introduction: The teacher will put the following problem of the day on the
board to prepare the students for the multiplication game today. The problem
states: Betty has 4 plants. Each plant has 5 flowers in it. How many flowers
does Betty have in total? Write the multiplication sentence and repeated
addition sentence. Draw an array to help you. The students will have a few
minutes to complete the problem and the teacher will review how to solve
this and how to write repeated addition, multiplication sentences, and arrays.
Prior Knowledge: The students have been learning about and practicing
multiplication as repeated addition and drawing arrays to help solve
multiplication problems.

Instructional Plan: The teacher will tell the students that today they will be
demonstrating everything they have learned in multiplication while playing a
game and working together. The teacher will explain the directions to the
game. Each set of partners will have a dice. One partner will roll the dice the
first time and record the number that comes up in the column on the
worksheet that says number of rows. The other partner will then roll the dice
the second time and record that number in the number in each row column.
Next, the students will each write the addition sentence, the multiplication
sentence, the array, and the product. The students will have about twenty
minutes to play the game and the worksheet will be double sided so they can
continue until the whole time is up.
Differentiation: While the students are playing the game, the students that
need extra help will meet with the teacher at the small table to play the
game as a group.
Transitions: The students will move from their seats to the carpet for the
problem of the day and the instructions and back to their seats to play the
game.
Questions: What did you notice about the numbers that come up on the
dice? What are some new multiplication facts that you learned?
Closure: The teacher will regain the attention of the students and ask them
what they noticed about the numbers. They should have noticed that the
numbers do not go over 6x6. Next, the teacher will have the students share
a new multiplication fact that they learned while playing the game.

Building Sets Dice Game

One partner rolls a die. This number tells you how many
rows you have.
The other partner rolls again. This number tells you how
many objects in each row.
Record your sets as a repeated addition sentence.
Arrange your set into an array and draw a picture.
Record your array in a multiplication sentence and write the
product.
Continue on the back.
Number of
rows

Number in
each row

Repeated
addition

Array

Multiplication

Math Lesson Rationale

This was an exemplary math lesson in the multiplication unit because
the students got to practice all of the concepts they learned up to this point
in the unit while working together and having fun. The students absolutely
loved taking turns rolling the dice and were practicing positive social skills
while doing this. Next, they were able to write the multiplication sentence,
repeated addition, and array independently and then check their answers
with their partners. In this way, they were going back and checking their
work for mistakes, which is another valuable lesson for the students to learn.
This multiplication lesson allowed students to practice math, checking their
work, and social skills, which are all valuable.
Prefacing the lesson as a game enticed the students and got them
excited about the math lesson. The majority of the students in the class love
math time, but incorporating a game and working together allowed all the
students to be excited for math. The lesson engaged every student.
Furthermore, the students who do struggle with the concepts were able to
work with the teacher in a larger group. Working in a larger group with the
support of the teacher led to these students being successful in this activity
as well. These students were encouraged to work hard and try their best.
With some early on support, these students were then able to work in a
partnership while playing the game.

Finally, the students were excited about learning new multiplication

facts. At this point in the unit, the students were able to solve multiplication
problems by drawing pictures, writing repeated addition sentences, and
drawing arrays. This multiplication game let them practice all these skills,
while also teaching them multiplication facts. This lesson was so successful
because it used hands on learning to practice and learn multiplication.
3. Foster active engagement in learning and positive social
interactions (ACEI 3.4; NAEYC 1.1)
This lesson includes this NCATE standard because it allowed the
students to work together and have positive social interactions. This lesson
taught the students a lot, but also let them work with diverse partners in a
fun learning environment. They had to have positive social interactions while
taking turns rolling the dice and reviewing their answers after they
completed the worksheet. They were not able to choose their partners and
were expected to work together well. The students were all engaged and all
participating in this activity.
6. Use formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate,
and strengthen instruction (ACEI 4; NAEYC 3.1 & 3.2)
This lesson also included assessment strategies that allowed me to
assess and inform my instruction. This lesson was taught nearing the end of
the multiplication unit. After the students played the multiplication game as
well as while they were playing, I went around the room to assess what they
knew and did not yet understand based on their answers on the worksheet.

This activity was part of a formative assessment, which was informal, to

evaluate what the students know and what they still need to work on. During
the next math lesson, I met with a small group of students who needed
additional support and instruction with these math concepts. While I met
with the group of students, the rest of the students were reviewing and doing
extension work on the Chromebooks that we used in class.