Multiplication Hop
The purpose of the Multiplication Hop is to increase multiplication and skip counting fluency.
Have your students start with the Pre-Test below. Then, spend some time jumping on the mat, using the activities below to guide you!
PRE-TEST
Before hopping on the mat:
Ask your child how many of these by problems they know. (Mark it off and try to remember for the final survey!)
6×1
3×6
3×2
6×7
2×4
3×8
6×5
7×9
2×5
5×10
NOW, LET'S TRY SOME ACTIVITIES!
Have students stand next to the pattern of skip counting numbers, either by the row or the column. Have the students jump on each number while skip counting.
It is helpful for the students to compare skip counting on the Multiplication Hop Floor Mat with skip counting on the Skip Counting floor mats. Use both floor mats together to increase comprehension.
Place a beanbag on a number in the middle of the mat. For example, 48. This is the area of the rectangle students will make. Use painter’s tape to make a square with corners at 48, 6, x, and 8. Then, have students determine the perimeter. In this case, two sides have the length of eight and two sides would have the length of six, thus making the perimeter 28. Have students find another rectangle on the mat with the same perimeter, but different dimensions, or the same area with a different perimeter, etc.
Similar to perimeter activity above, have students find the area of various rectangles using the mat. Place a beanbag on a number in the middle of the mat. For example, 48. This is the area of the rectangle students will make. Use painter’s tape to make an
enclosed area with corners at 48, 6, x, and 8. They will then be able to connect the idea of the area model to multiplication. Challenge them to find differing rectangles with the same area, but different length sides.
Have one student throw a bean bag on the floor mat. Two students walk from the top and side of the mat following the appropriate column/row to the number where the bean bag
landed. When they get to the box that contains the bean bag, each student recites the multiplication fact.
For example, if the beanbag lands on 42, student A will walk vertically down the 7 column 6 times, until they arrive at 42. Student B will walk horizontally from the 6 row 7 times until they arrive at 42. They will say 6 times 7 equals 42.
What is the least common multiple of 6 and 8?
Have two students step on the mat. One walks on the row of multiples of 6 and the other on the row of multiples of 8. When they come to the first number that both rows have in common, they have found the least common multiple. In this case, it is 24.
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
POST-TEST
After hopping on the mat:
Ask your child how many of these by problems they know now!
Please record your answers in the survey below.