LESSON PLAN

Name: Shelby Astin

GENERAL INFORMATION
WGU Task Objective Number: 602.4.15
Lesson Title & Subject(s): Multi-Step Multiplication, Mathematics
Topic or Unit of Study:Solving multi-step mathematical problems
Grade/Level: 4th
Instructional Setting:
Standard size class (20 - 27 students)
Standard classroom, students will be sitting in their normal seating arrangement for first part lesson
and will be dispersed into small groups towards the middle of the lesson, and will return to normal
seating at the end of the lesson
Students will have materials to be distributed to each student, whiteboards/markers
There will be a projector and board used for direct instruction

STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES

Your State Core Curriculum/Student Achievement Standard(s):

Tennessee Curriculum
Subject : Mathematics
Level : 4
Standard : Standard 2 - Number and Operations
GLE 0406.2.2 Develop fluency with multiplication and single-digit division.
SPI 0406.2.11 Solve problems using whole number multi-digit multiplication
Lesson Goals:
The goals of the lesson include making sense of mathematical problems, to reason abstractly &
quantitatively, to make reasonable estimates with 2-step problems, and to solve 2-step problems
using a variety of strategies

Lesson Objective(s):

of 4

After completing the lesson activities, the student will be able to demonstrate proficiency in
solving multi-step multiplication problems by estimating and then correctly solving 3 out
provided word problems.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Materials:
Task Cards (1 set per student group - 3/4 students)
Math notebooks/journals for each student
Blank (or graph) paper
White boards & markers for each student

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

Sequence of Instruction
1. Identification of Student Prerequisite Skills Needed for Lesson (5 minutes):
Prerequisite skills:
Students should be familiar with estimating sums for various math problems
Students should understand how to use multiple strategies for multiplication, as well as explaining
the strategies
Teacher will go over with the class the previously mentioned prerequisites, with a few problems
ready for the class to do together, the teacher checking for understanding to solidify the
prerequisite skills are present with all students
Teacher will already have story problems ready to display, as well as the sets of task cards cut
apart and bagged for each group

2. Presentation of New Information or Modeling (10-12 minutes):

The teacher will let students know that todays lesson will be focused on solving multi-step
multiplication problems.
What are multi-step multiplication problems?
Math problems that involve doing more than 1 multiplication problem in order to find the answer.
For example: (the teacher will write on the board):
On the board, the teacher will present the following problem:
The students are filling bags of cotton candy for the Fall Carnival. Sara has filled 3 bags of cotton
candy. Eric has filled 9 times as many as Sara. Jessica has filled 5 times the amount of bags as
Eric. What is the overall total amount of cotton candy bags that have been filled?
The teacher will ask students to mentally estimate the total number of cotton candy bags.
The teacher will then write out and discuss a few volunteers methods of mental computation and
reasoning for their computation:
i.e.
10 x 3 = 30 (Eric has about 30 bags)

5 x 30 = 150 (Jessica has around 150 bags)

150+0+30 = 180 (Didnt add Saras bags since it was only 3)
The teacher will then write out and discuss how to find the answer to the problem
3 x 9=27 (Eric has 27 bags)
27x5=135 (Jessica has 135)
27 + (135 +3) = 165 bags of cotton candy

3.

Guided Practice (20 minutes):

The teacher will place a new problem on the board for all students to see
The library has 280 books. If the librarian buys 15 books every month for six months, how
many books will the library have in total?
The teacher will have students estimate the answer (like with the previous problems) and write
down their steps on their white boards. Once this is done the teacher will begin a classroom
discussion to gauge the different types of estimates that students have come up with.
The teacher will have several students share there strategies on the projector with the entire
class. Ask question to check for understanding and help students make connections with the
estimates.
The teacher will ensure to go over the problem to find the correct answer:
15 x 6 = 90
90 + 280 = 370 (the amount of books the library will have in all)
Teacher will repeat the previous process with another problem, to ensure ample guided
practice:
Mark, Josh and Tyler collect trading cards. Mark has 33 cards and Josh has twice as many as
Mark. Tyler has 20 more cards than Mark and Josh have together. How many cards are
available to trade?

4. Independent Student Practice (20-25 minutes):

Teacher will divide the class into groups of 3-4 students per group
Teacher will explain the next activity Show Down
-Teacher will appoint one student in each group as leader and will give the leader a set of
cards w/ multi-step multiplication problems
-The student will show and read the problem to the group
-Individually, students will write an estimate to the problem on their white board (keeping their
estimate private)
-When all students are ready, the group leader will say Show Down and all students will show
their estimates
-The group leader will have each group member explain how they arrived at the estimate (the
students may also use the whiteboard to explain)
Once all students have shared, the teacher will prompt all students to solve the current problem
by, instead of estimating, finding the exact answer. When all students are finished, the group
leader will say Shown Down, having each student show their strategy for solving the problem.

The groups will discuss the correct answer and strategies. Students will write the answer they
found for each problem in their math journal.
During this process, the teacher will float from group to group, asking questions, checking
answers/strategies, and observing.
The student groups will have 4 problems in all, and will be reminded that they must write the
answers to each in their math notebook, which will be taken up and graded at the end of the
lesson.

5. Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event (5-8 minutes):

The teacher will have students finish writing their answers in their math journals and turn them in.
Students will be prompted to return to their individual seats.
The teacher will close the lesson with a short classroom discussion of the concept of multi-step
multiplication and where it could be possibly used in real life.
Allow students to ask any final questions.

Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies):

Direct Instruction w/ classroom discussion - A fusion of these strategies is used in the initial stages of
the lesson in order to model the concept for the students and ensure understanding and participation
in multiple problems before doing the work independently
Cooperative learning groups- Students are placed in cooperative groups in order to practice the
concept independently. The group activity is designed in a way that allows students to do their own
work, but also have the ability to share with, learn from, and be supported by peers

Differentiated Instruction:
Learning disabled: Those who are learning disabled may be allowed to practice one-step problems; a
student may be placed with another student who has mastered the concept in order to get extra
attention in understanding a specific part of the concept; Students may be prompted to use other
problem solving strategies, such using visualization to draw out the problem
Gifted/Accelerated Learners: These students may be grouped together and given the task of creating
their own multi-step problems when the pre-prepared problems have already been solved

Student Assessment/Rubrics:
Formal: Teacher will take up math journals and a grade the answers to the set of problems. Mastery
would be getting 4 out of 4 problems correct, Solid understanding would be 3 out of 4 problems correct
Informal: Teacher will float around the classroom, checking for understanding. Teacher will observe
whiteboard answers throughout the lesson and also stop students to have a quick check with the
whiteboards.