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Method 10: Drumming with Multiplication

What is it? 

Students will be able to explain how “drum sticks” represent multiplication and use “drum sticks” in order to increase their mathematical fluency.

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By hitting the ground with the “drum sticks” in different patterns, students can represent different multiplication equations. For example, for 4 x 2, students can hit the ground in 2 sets of 4. Partner use is encouraged to keep track of how many times students are hitting the ground to determine the answer to the equation.

Materials:

  • 2 water bottles per student (or any other object you don’t mind being used a drum stick)

  • Your students

Why is it Effective?

Engaging your students in multiplication through music and movement will engage those learners who are visually and auditorily gifted.   

References

Self-Created Lesson Plan

Topic: Multiplication

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Grade Level: 3rd Grade

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Length of Time: 20-30 minutes

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Academic Standards:

  • CC.2.2.3.A.1: Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.

  • CC.2.2.3.A.3: Demonstrate multiplication and division fluency.

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Learning Objectives:

  • Students will be able to (SWBAT) explain how “drum sticks” represent multiplication. 

  • Students will be able to (SWBAT) model multiplication using “drum sticks” in order to increase their mathematical fluency.  

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Essential Question:

  • How can I use “drum sticks” to represent multiplication?

  • How can I use “drum sticks” to become more fluent with my multiplication facts?

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Materials:

  • 2 water bottles per student and teacher  

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Accommodations/Adaptations:

  • Consider providing a graphic organizer for students to record their findings.

  • Structure the activity more to provide students with specific problems they need to drum.

  • To assess a larger class, have students create a FlipGrid video (using iPads) of them solving the problem. Make sure every pair does a different problem.

  • To incorporate more movement into the lesson, you can have students move around the room and drum on different surfaces of the wall to engage their whole bodies. Tell them they can never hit the same exact spot more than once.

  • Allow students to come up with their own ways to “drum.” Don’t require students to alternate between bottles.  

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Management:

  • Don’t pass out water bottles until you are ready for students to try practicing themselves.

  • Instruct students to keep their hands in their laps while you are passing out the water bottles so that they won’t be tempted to play with them.

  • When students are drumming and you need to get their attention, hit two bottles together. Explain to students before you let them explore the “drum sticks” that this will be the signal to come back to the whole group circle.

 

Procedure:

  1. Invite students to the carpet to sit in a circle.

  2. Remind students that we have been working on our multiplication fluency. One key to knowing our multiplication facts fluently is to understand what multiplication really is. Ask “who can remind me how we can define multiplication? Guide students to responding that really just a more efficient way of doing addition. The first number in a multiplication problem tells you how many sets there are, and the second tells you how many items are in each set. Students should think of it as repeated addition!

  3. “Today we are going to experiment with drum sticks to see how they can help us understand multiplication and practice our multiplication facts fluently. I’m going to give you 5 minutes to explore how you could use these water bottles as drumsticks to represent multiplication. When you hear me hit the two bottles together, this is your signal to come back to the whole group circle.” Pass out materials and allow students to move around the room as desired.

  4. Do the signal to get students back to the whole group circle.

  5. Call on students to share some ideas about how they can represent multiplication.

  6. Lead students through a group activity showing how 4 x 1 = 4 by hitting drum sticks 4 times and explaining how that is 1 set. Demonstrate 4 x 2 with the drum sticks and how partners can work together to count the quotient and the number of sets. Now ask students to work with a partner to show 4 x 3 = 12. As time permits, go up to 4 x 10, having student chorally count along as you drum.

  7. Bring a student up to demonstrate with you how you can use the drums to show 6 x 1, 6 x 2, etc. Demonstrate how the student drumming is counting the total number (the quotient) and the student listening is counting the number of sets.

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Assessment:

  • Give students 5 minutes to demonstrate to you how to solve a multiplication problem of their choice.  Have them share with the class at the end, explaining how what they did represents multiplication. Teacher should emphasize how students have represented multiplication and can use this in centers to becoming more fluent with their multiplication facts.

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