Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Multiplying by a 2-digit number (3)

In a Year 5 maths lesson, students are presented with a practical application of multiplication involving Han's class and their coloured pencils. Each student has a pencil case containing 16 coloured pencils, and with 29 learners in the class, the task is to calculate the total number of pencils. To begin, students are encouraged to make an estimate by rounding the numbers to the nearest ten: 16 is approximated to 20 and 29 to 30, resulting in an estimated product of 20 multiplied by 30, which equals 600. This estimation technique provides a reference point for what the actual total might be close to.

Following the estimation, the lesson guides students through the actual calculation using the column method. They start by multiplying 29 by the 6 ones in the number 16, writing down the partial product. Next, they multiply 29 by the 1 ten from 16, remembering to place a zero in the ones place before multiplying, as this represents the tens. This partial product is written on the line below the first. The two partial products are then added together to find the final product. The calculation reveals that the class has a total of 464 coloured pencils. The lesson also suggests that students could try using the table method, as shown in a previous problem, to solve this question, and directs them to workbook pages for additional practice.