Multiplication and Division - Multiply 2-digits by 1 digit - Planning

In Year 4, during the second week of the spring term's Multiplication and Division unit, students progress in their understanding of multiplication by learning to multiply 2-digit numbers by a 1-digit number. Building on the formal multiplication methods learned in Year 3, the lesson introduces the short multiplication method, with a focus on exchanging during multiplication, similar to exchanging in addition. Place value counters, worksheets, and a presentation are used as key resources to facilitate learning. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes 'multiplication', 'expanded method', 'short method', and 'exchange', with vocabulary cards and definitions available to aid comprehension.

The lesson starts with a recap of the expanded method of multiplication before moving on to the short method. Students use place value counters to visualise the multiplication process, particularly the concept of exchanging ones for tens. For example, when multiplying 24 by 5, they learn to multiply the ones (4 x 5 = 20) and exchange 20 ones for 2 tens, then add this to the product of the tens multiplied by 5 (2 tens x 5 = 100) to get the final answer of 120. After mastering the short method, students complete differentiated worksheets to consolidate their learning. The plenary encourages reflection on what they've learned, the skills they've used, and what they found challenging. The lesson is structured to cater to different levels of ability, from working towards the expected level to achieving greater depth, with activities ranging from short multiplication to solving multi-step word problems and creating place value charts to represent calculations.