4x - 7x4 CanDoTables Mat

The CanDoTables Mat is an educational tool designed to help students explore and understand the concept of multiplication, specifically focusing on the multiplication fact 4 x 7. The mat presents a variety of activities that encourage children to draw, derive, deepen, dissect, and apply their knowledge of this multiplication fact in different contexts. One section of the mat prompts students to break down the multiplication of 4 x 7 into two added parts, reinforcing the idea that multiplication can be seen as repeated addition. For example, 4 x 7 can be represented as (4 x ___) + (4 x ___), which the students are expected to fill in to find the sum of 28.

Additionally, the mat includes a bar model and a number line to visually represent the product of 4 x 7, which is 28. It also encourages students to think about multiplication and division as related concepts by using groups and arrays. The students are asked to complete sentences like "__ multiplied by __ is __" and "__ groups of __ is __", which helps them to understand the relationship between factors and multiples. The mat poses real-world problems such as dividing 28 children into four equal netball teams or determining how many cups of coffee Harry drinks in a week if he drinks four cups each day. The mat's design is not only to practice the arithmetic but also to foster a deeper understanding of how multiplication and division work in everyday situations. The array and scaling sections further illustrate the concept of multiplication, and true or false statements challenge students to verify their understanding of the multiplication fact 4 x 7.