Name of the Lesson: Properties of Multiplication

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Suggested Group Size: Whole group and small groups
Subject: Grade 3 Mathematics Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Standard: Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication
and division. CCSS.MATH. CONTENT.3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to
multiply and divide. Examples: If 6x4=24 is known, them 4x6=24 is also known. (Commutative
property of multiplication.) 3x5x2 can be found by 3x5=15, then 15x2=30, or by 5x2=10, then
3x10=30. (Associative property of multiplication.) Knowing that 8x5=40 and 8x2=16, one can
find 8x7 as 8x(5+2)+(8+2)=40+16+56. (Distributive property.)
Objective: Students will understand how to implement and distinguish between the three
following properties of multiplication; the commutative, associative, and distributive properties
of multiplication. They will understand and implement that the commutative property of
multiplication, the other in which numbers are multiplied does not matter because they will
always produce the same answer. They will understand and implement the associative property
of multiplication where product of three or more numbers will be the same no matter how
numbers are grouped when multiplied. Lastly, they will distinguish and implement that the
distributive property of multiplication the product of a number that is distributed into two
numbers will be the same if the number was just multiplied by the sum of the two other numbers.
Materials: Construction paper, colored pencils, pencil, scissors, white boards, markers, board
erasers, and dry erase markers.
Procedures: 1st step: Allow students to choose a piece of construction paper.
2nd step: Ask students to fold the construction paper hot dog style.
3rd step: After folding the paper in in half open the paper and cut three equal sections to the
middle of the paper.
4th step: After the three cuts have been made label the top portion of the paper Commutative
Property of Multiplication with a maker.
5th step: The middle tab should be labeled Associative Property of Multiplication with a different
color.
6th step: The bottom tab should be labeled Distributive Property with a different color from the
previous two steps.
7th step: Behind the tab that is labeled Commutative Property of Multiplication the students will
write the following definition: Any two or more numbers can be multiplied in any order and the
product will be the same. On the other side of the following examples will be written: 2x5=10 is
the same as 5x2=10 2x3x4=24 is the same as 3x4x2=24 and 4x2x3=24.
8th step: Behind the middle tab of Associative Property of Multiplication the following definition
will be written; The product of three or more numbers will be the same no matter how the
numbers are grouped. Across the middle the following examples will be written: 4x5x6 can be
grouped like 4x5=20 and 20x6=120 (4 and 5 are grouped together and then their product is
multiplied by 6. Is the same as Multiplying 5x6=30 and 30x4=120.
9th step: The bottom tab behind Distributive property the following definition will be written;
When a number is multiplied the sum of two numbers, the first number can be distributed to both
of those numbers and be multiplied by each of them separately and the product of the two will be
the same if the first number would be multiplied by the sum. The examples across would be
5(2+3) =5x2+5x3=25 (Notice that the first number 5 is distributed to 2 and 3. Next example
below that would be 3(1+3+5) =3x1+3x3+3x5=27
10th step: Allow students to decorate for 5 min.
Example of what the final product should look like

Assessment: To make sure that my students have learned the material I have just taught them I
would take informal and formal assessments. For this part I will talk mostly about the formal
assessment area using Formative Evaluation in two different forms. First after having completed
the activity of the lesson they will be given a couple of minutes to work in groups of 4 using
white board and marker. Each group will be assigned a problem in each of the categories of the
properties. After the time is up, one student from the group will go up in the front of the class
and demonstrate to the remainder of the classroom on how they came to their answers. If
mistakes are made they will be corrected. All students from all individual groups will present
until all the groups in the class have presented. After the lesson is over the students will be
assigned a couple of homework questions from each property to make sure that all students grasp
the concepts. The white board problems will graded as participation and the homework will be
graded based on how many they get correct.