Multipication Mania!

We have been working on multi-digit multiplication in 5th grade. The students have learned concrete, representational, and abstract ways to model multiplication. The benefit of teaching multiple strategies is that it deepens the students' understanding of what multiplication is and how it relates to their previous knowledge of place value. Most recently, I utilized the "Circle the Sage" cooperative learning structure to practice the different multiplication strategies. This engaging structure allowed the students to practice multiple approaches to multiplication and learn from one another.

Based on observation in the classroom and formative assessments, students were chosen to be the "sage" for one of the three different multipication strategies. After introducing a multiplication problem to the sage, they were responsible for solving the problem using their chosen strategy and explaining it step by step to the peers in their group. The students who remained were then assigned to the group focusing on the strategy that best met their needs.

Although the sage assumed the role of the "teacher," all students were encouraged to pose clarifying questions, share observations, and provide support to their peers. Once the group learned from their sage, they took the information back to their teams to share. Each teammate then reviewed how to multiply using either the area model, partial product, or algorithm. Circle the Sage was the perfect choice for my class, encouraging active participation, communication, and the sharing of knowledge among students.