LEARNING OBJECTIVE

CHAPTER 111
TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR MATHEMATICS
SUBCHAPTER A. ELEMENTARY
GRADE 4

4) NUMBER AND OPERATIONS. THE STUDENT APPLIES MATHEMATICAL PROCESS STANDARDS TO DEVELOP AND USE STRATEGIES AND METHODS FOR WHOLE
NUMBER COMPUTATIONS AND DECIMAL SUMS AND DIFFERENCES IN ORDER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY. THE STUDENT IS
EXPECTED TO:
(C) REPRESENT THE PRODUCT OF 2 TWO-DIGIT NUMBERS USING ARRAYS, AREA MODELS, OR EQUATIONS, INCLUDING PERFECT SQUARES
THROUGH 15 BY 15;
(D) USE STRATEGIES AND ALGORITHMS, INCLUDING THE STANDARD ALGORITHM, TO MULTIPLY UP TO A FOUR-DIGIT NUMBER BY A ONE- DIGIT
NUMBER AND TO MULTIPLY A TWO-DIGIT NUMBER BY A TWO-DIGIT NUMBER. STRATEGIES MAY INCLUDE MENTAL MATH, PARTIAL PRODUCTS, AND
THE COMMUTATIVE, ASSOCIATIVE, AND DISTRIBUTIVE PROPERTIES;
 TASK
Distributive Property of Multiplication over Addition

Students will compute their work

using the distributive property
while solving arithmetic operations.
They will apply methods or strategies
learned through out the lesson
or prior knowledge from 3rd grade
(mainly arrays).

• The activity analyzed in this presentation was given by Dr. Telese during Week 3 of this module as part of the required
readings.

• I decided to use this activity for this project because of its structure, design and the details it includes.

• This presentation is a simulation of what students would have thought, understood and mastered if this lesson would
have been taught.
DESCRIPTION OF STUDENTS' WORK
IDEAS THAT STUDENTS SEEM TO UNDERSTAND

1. They understand how to solve operations or problems using two-steps.

2. They know how to represent additions and multiplications from a given problem.
3. They are aware of how manipulatives or drawings can help them to find the answer.
4. They know what an equation is and how it can look like.
5. They know the concept and purpose of an array.
DESCRIPTION OF STUDENTS' WORK
MISCONCEPTIONS OR POINTS OF CONFUSION

• They seem to struggle to setup an equation for a given problem.

• They still get a little confused setting up arrays to add the multiplied operations.
• Some students don’t know how to describe/explain the distributive
property using arrays or variables.
DESCRIPTION OF STUDENTS' WORK
MODELS USED BY STUDENTS

These pictures show how students would have represented the answers using models in this activity.

(Pictures were added to this slide using Google Images)

 LEARNING GAPS

• Understand that the equal sign represents a relationship rather than just the answer to the operation.
• Reading skills to comprehend word problems.
 STUDENT’S RESPONSE
ANYTHING WRONG OR MISSING?

Some students were not able to answer some of the activity questions or their answers were vague and incomplete.
Examples of questions are: “B. What do you notice about your arrays? Explain your thinking.”, “D. Why does this rule
use two different variables (b and c)? “ and two more questions that were asking them “How?”. Many students are able
to represent the word problems with the variables but the reasoning behind the words is difficult for them.
 WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO HELP THE STUDENT(S) TO
BECOME PROFICIENT IN UNDERSTANDING A CONCEPT?
• A technique that has always worked in my classroom is to give them the correct answers for an operation or word problem and what
they turn in to me is the explanation as a short answer or the work that matches with the given answers.
• I suggest that in order for students to get a grade, they have to explain in their own words the process and hence, this will create a
connection and understanding of the topic.
• Give the students 1 problem to take home that involves at least two concepts or objectives that need to be mastered in a certain
grade level.
• Give the students their incomplete or incorrect work to take home and finish it to get extra points on a challenging assignment. This
will motivate them to work hard.
• As teachers, we need to provide immediate feedback so they can correct misconceptions or acquire knowledge.
• If they are struggling to read and therefore comprehend, it will be good to show them how to break down a word problem by sections,
highlight with different colors or circle/square around important words.
• Lastly, equality needs to be guided by the teacher and answered by the students. So, my recommendation is to always ask them
“How is this equal?” and let them write the explanation so they can organize their ideas.
 IN MY CLASSROOM:

• …students always feel confident to ask questions and comfortable when they get feedback from me.
• …I am very structured and always try to picture how each student will respond to the activities or questions I want to implement in a lesson.
• …I love collaborative group work. I believe that students learn from each other and their language is easier than our very complex vocabulary.
• …I will also give them a cut and paste or a matching cards activity or even an edible assignment to have a little fun or entertaining while learning.
• …I believe that teaching kinesthetic lessons is how the majority of our students learn and are able to retain that information for a longer time.