Date Last Revised: 12/9/14

Mr. Joshua Hansknecht

Grade Level: 4
English Proficiency: Beginning to Intermediate
Unit: Distributive Property Multiplication Algorithm
Lesson: 2
Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Background:
Students have been working with multiplication, working on fluency of multiplication of
any whole number by a one-digit number and a three-digit number by a two-digit
number. Continuing working with multiplication students will be practicing fluency
with speed practice throughout the unit, looking for improvement.
This is lesson two of learning the distributive property as an algorithm for solving
multiplication problems of 2-digit numbers by 2, 3, 4, and 5. Students are aware how to
use the algorithm from last lesson, this lesson will focus on becoming more familiar with
the algorithm by creating their own generalized visualization of the algorithm and asking
students to conjecture how else they can use the distributive property algorithm to make
multiplication easier.

Objectives:
Content:
N.FL.04.10 Multiply fluently any whole number by a one-digit number and a three-digit
number by a two-digit number; for a two-digit by one-digit multiplication use distributive
property to develop meaning for the algorithm.
N.ME.04.09 Multiply two-digit numbers by 2, 3, 4, and 5 using the distributive property.
After this lesson students should be able to fluently use the distributive property
to solve 1-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems and should be able to make a
conjecture how to further apply the property to other multiplication scenarios such
as 2-digit by 2-digit or 1-digit by 3-digit.

Language:
Students will be able to speak in a sentence a mathematical conjecture using known
information to guess the unknown.
Students will be able to describe by speaking how they chose to represent the distributive
property algorithm with Legos.
Vocabulary Words: Conjecture, Generalize
Materials:
Speed Practice 1.2.A
Speed Practice 1.2.B
Legos
White/Chalk Board Supplies
Procedures:

Introduction:

Time: 8 min

Have both language and content objectives written up on the board; include the
vocabulary words of the day. Discuss with class the vocabulary words, reach a definition
for each. Students must write down the vocabulary words with definitions into their
vocabulary notebooks.
The introduction is the same process every day; students should automatically start these
things upon entering the classroom.

Speed Practice:

Time: 7 min

2 min Instruction: [Pass out Speed Practice 1.2.A face down while giving instructions] Tell
class to keep the paper face down until you say to begin. Explain that this practice is not
graded; it is to show improvement throughout the unit on their multiplication fluency.
Additionally, encourage students to use the distributive property algorithm that was
learned last lesson for solving any 1-digit number by 2-digit number problem. They are to
complete as many problems as they can in 2 minutes. Remember, it is more important to
get the problems right, than to rush and make mistakes, speed will come with practice,
not rushing.

2 min Speed Practice 1.2.A: Administer Speed Practice 1.2.A. Stop the students after 2
minutes exactly. Collect afterwards.
1 min Instruction: [Pass out Speed Practice 1.2.B face down while giving instructions] Tell
class to keep the paper face down until you say to begin. Again, the practice is not
graded. The objective of these practices is to increase multiplication fluency.
2 min Speed Practice 1.2.B: Administer Speed Practice 1.2.B. Stop the students after 2 minutes
exactly. Collect afterwards.

Instruction:

Time: 5 min

Review with students the distributive property and how it is used in multiplication of
two-digit numbers by 2, 3, 4, and 5. This review should consist of an example you do for
the class and 1-2 examples that students work in pairs to solve with you also going over
solutions.
Next you should introduce the activity for today: Lego Stories. Each table will have
Legos (you can pass out the Legos at any time before they are to work with them) at it
and students will work in table groups to visually represent how the distributive property
is used for multiplication in any way they chose, explain to students how their visual
model should be a generalization of the algorithm. They will be responsible for
explaining how their model represents the distributive property algorithm. Students will
also be required to make a conjecture to how use their model for the distributive
algorithm for multiplication that is not just 1-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers. You
should have an example of a visual model; however, the students should not be allowed
to use yours.
Practice:

Time: 20 min

Students will work in table groups (4 students) using Legos to create a visual model to
represent the algorithm they have been working with. As the teacher you should expect
some creative interpretations of the algorithm; however, there is a high risk of students
not fully understanding how to visually represent the algorithm, be prepared with a
variety of ideas to guide the students in the right direction, and be prepare to correct
students who are thinking about the problem in the wrong way. You should spend
adequate time at each table so all tables are successful. Additionally during this time
students should work on how they can adapt their models to incorporate other scenarios
of multiplication beyond 1-digit by 2-digit. This is a secondary goal, and should spend
time on initial visualization until complete.

Application:

Time: 8 min

Have each table group share their visualization and their conjecture on how to apply the
distributive property in other scenarios. Make sure that every group member has a chance
to speak, because speaking is important to their language development.
Review:

Time: 2 min

End class by going over todays objectives, both language and content and asking
students if they thought that they covered them. Ask them to also define todays
vocabulary words and how they used them in class.

Speed Practice 1.2.A

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Speed Practice 1.2.B

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