To get better at multiplication, let's practice what you've learned about solving problems that involve coins. For this activity you will need 5 dimes, 5 nickels, a piece of paper, and a pen or pencil. You'll also need a cup or box.
Put the cup or box on top of a table. This will be your basket. Sit in front of it, but stay two or three feet away. You need to throw your coins, which will be the balls, into the basket.
Start with the dimes. Here's how you should throw: Grab the coin with your thumbs only. Next, place your hands flat on the table. Be sure the coin is still between your thumbs. With your thumbs, lift the coin up and then shoot it into the basket.
Shoot all 5 dimes into the basket. How many times did you score? Count how many dimes are in the basket.
Now write a coin word problem on a piece of paper. Say you got 2 dimes in the basket. You would write:
If you have 2 dimes, how many cents do you have?
Now solve for the number of cents. Trace the dimes and draw the multiplication number family below it.
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As in addition and subtraction, multiplication number families have two lesser (smaller) numbers and a greatest (larger) number. The problem says you have 2 dimes. So 2 is the other lesser number. The first lesser number is 10 because each dime is worth 10 cents. You solve for the missing greatest number by multiplying the two lesser numbers. That's 10 × 2, which equals 20. The product, or answer, is 20 cents!
Do the same with the nickels. Write the same kind of word problem. Be sure to replace "dimes" with "nickels" and change the number to show how many baskets you made. Make sure you also change the value of each coin to the value of a nickel.
Good luck!
Ready to move on to the next lesson?
Multiplication Number Families Basics Review
