6.1 Learning about Multiplication Using Dynamic Sketches of an Area Model - 29 views
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The figure below shows a rectangle with width 3 and height y. The product 3y represents the area of the 3-by-y rectangle. Change the value of y by dragging the red point up and down the vertical axis. Note that as the point is dragged, the area of the rectangle changes simultaneously.
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mwellis on 31 Aug 12This is a great exploration for students to begin making connections between whole number multiplication and decimal multiplication. One modification I would make is to have students make a partition (on grid paper) to show the partial products so I could connect the figure to a symbolic algorithm for multiplication and the distributive property. For example, if it was 1.2 x 3, the partial products might be (1x3) + (.2 x 3).
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