Lesson Plan #: AELP-ATH0205

Fact Families

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan Submitted by: Cynthia Rager
Email: cynthiarager@yahoo.com
School/University/Affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Date: January 23, 2002

Grade Level: 3, 4

Subject(s):

Duration: 35-40 minutes

Description: Students are introduced to fact families and arrays. Students will complete a fact families worksheet and compose story problems using fact families.

Goals:

  1. Students will learn ways to relate multiplication and division.
  2. Students will be able to compose multiplication and division story problems.
Objectives:
  1. SWBAT (Students will be able to) define and describe what a fact family is.
  2. SWBAT use a set of factors to solve multiplication and division problems.
  3. SWBAT create multiplication and division story problems using factors from the same fact family.
  4. SWBAT to create arrays for fact families.
Materials: Vocabulary:
  1. fact family - A group of multiplication and division facts that come from a set of numbers. (Example: 3, 5, 15)
  2. array - An orderly arrangement of items organized in rows and columns.
Procedure:

Anticipatory Set:
Draw out prior knowledge by beginning with an array of orange circles that represent glasses of orange Kool-Aid. Ask, "If your parents poured 12 cups of Kool-Aid for you and your friends, and each of you will get exactly three cups each, how many children, including yourself, are there?" Questions like this will get the students actively thinking about where this lesson is headed. When students reply, have them explain their answers. They most likely divided 12 by 3 and got the answer of 4. Write the answer on the board. Then ask the students to think of three more problems, using the same three numbers (3, 4, and 12). The students are creating a fact family. When the students have all four facts, introduce the concept of a fact family. Provide another example of a fact family -- one that uses the same number twice.

Divide students into small groups. Reinforce the class rules for group work. Explain the directions for the fact families worksheet each group will be completing today. The students are to use the numbers on the worksheet to develop a fact family. They will also draw an array on the worksheet. After this is accomplished, students will write a story problem (either multiplication or division) on the back of the worksheet. Ask the students if there are any final questions before group work begins.

Lesson Focus / Students Work:
Students will work on this part of the lesson for about 10 minutes. During this time, walk around the room and evaluate students' work, asking a few questions to each group and answering any questions they may have. Once the groups accomplish their tasks, a representative from each group will be instructed to come to the front of the room to explain their fact family, their plan for an array, and their story problem. Students will be instructed to return to their seats. Now they will develop another array using a fact family of their choice. (Teachers can provide a model to help students get started.) Students must show an array, the four problems it will make, the fact family numbers, and create a division story problem. All of this information will be shown on a sheet of construction paper. Students will have time to glue on small objects to represent their fact families. All the division story problems will be posted on a bulletin board in the room.

Closure / Discourse:
Students will gather together on the floor in a designated area of the classroom. Children will share what they have learned from the day's lesson. The concepts of how multiplication and division are related and how easily they can be displayed with an array will be discussed. At this time, students will have an opportunity to share their individual story problems.

Assessment: Students will be assessed by their eye contact during the lesson explanation, accomplishing group work according to directions, by their explanations using logic when asked questions by the teacher, completing the individual assignment correctly, and the group discussion at the end of the lesson. Look over all the individual fact families for any possible mistakes before posting them in the room.

Special Comments: Special Needs Adaptations: For low-ability students, the teacher may want to review multiplication and division facts with flash cards prior to the lesson. For gifted students, the teacher may want to give them fact families that have larger numbers. Gifted students can also be asked to prepare two story problems at the end of their individual work.

Useful Internet Resource:
* Definition of Array
http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math2/define/gr3/array3.html