Ontario Alignment By Overall Expectation
Grade 4 [Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 5 [Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 6 [Number Sense and Numeration - NS1]
Grade 7 [Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 8 [Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
MFM1P [Number Sense and Algebra - NA1]
MPM1D [Number Sense and Algebra - NA2]
Sparking Curiosity to Promote Conceptual Understanding of Multiplication
This task was inspired by Lynne Comartin; a friend from my former school, Tecumseh Vista Academy K-12. As you may know, I have been putting out a task a day for the #Canada150Math Challenge and luckily, as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, I saw this beautiful image:
It had curiosity written all over it.
While there are a ton of great projects going on for Canada’s 150th Birthday such as the Great Canadian Flag in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario, I had not heard of the Canada 150 Mosaic Challenge. This mosaic was created by Tecumseh Vista Academy and members of the community in Tecumseh, Ontario for the challenge. You can learn more about how you and your community can get involved here.
So let’s get going!
Act 1: Introduce the Task
Show students the image above or, the image below:
Then ask students to do a rapid write of what they notice and what they wonder.
Students will then share out their noticings and wonderings while I jot their ideas down on the whiteboard.
While we may explore some other wonderings, the first question I intend to address is:
How many tiles are there in this mosaic?
With manipulatives and/or paper/whiteboards already out on their tables, I would then give students some time to make a prediction and discuss with their neighbours and/or group.
Act 2: Reveal Some Information
After students have shared out their predictions, I would show them some information.
I’d recommend having base ten blocks on the table, however some students may choose another option such as an open array or area model using partial products to help them solve. The standard algorithm can also be useful, but I caution against promoting the use of the standard algorithm until students can represent the multiplication concretely and visually.
Act 3: The Big Reveal
After allowing students to share their solutions based on the progressive sequence that you determined as you worked your way around the room, you may want to show this image to go along with some of the other representations that come up in the classroom.
Sequel #1: How Much Area Does The Mosaic Cover?
I’m a big promoter of ensuring students see the interconnectedness that happens between strands of mathematics. In this problem, it is really easy to connect the problem to measurement and area when we ask students:
How much area does the mosaic cover?
You may consider having students make a prediction, or you can jump straight to act 2 and share these measurements:
Sequel #2: How Many Murals To Cover The Great Canadian Flag?
Next, we ask students:
How Many Murals To Cover The Great Canadian Flag?
If you haven’t done The Great Canadian Flag task yet, I strongly encourage you do so. Lots of estimating and proportional reasoning in that task and it will really build the curiosity around this particular extension.
I hope you enjoy the task!
I’d love it if you’d leave some feedback and student work in the comments!
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About Kyle Pearce
I’m Kyle Pearce and I am a former high school math teacher. I’m now the K-12 Mathematics Consultant with the Greater Essex County District School Board, where I uncover creative ways to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in mathematics. Read more.
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Grade 2 [2.B1.1, 2.B1.3, 2.B2.1, 2.B2.2, 2.B2.3, 2.B2.4, Measurement - M1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 3 [3.B1.5, 3.B2.1, 3.B2.3, 3.B2.7, Measurement - M1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3]
Grade 4 [4.B2.1, 4.B2.4, 4.E2.5, 4.E2.6, Measurement - M1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 5 [5.B1.7, 5.B2.9, 5.D1.3, 5.D1.6, 5.E2.6, 5.F1.2, 5.F1.5, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 6 [6.B2.12, 6.B2.9, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 7 [7.B1.3, 7.B1.4, 7.B1.7, 7.B2.2, 7.B2.3, 7.C1.1, 7.C1.2, 7.C1.3, 7.C1.4, 7.D1.6, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Geometry and Spatial Sense - GS1, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 8 [8.B1.4, 8.B2.5, 8.C1.1, 8.C1.2, 8.C1.3, 8.C1.4, Data Management and Probability - DP1, Data Management and Probability - DP3, Geometry and Spatial Sense - GS2, Measurement - M1, Measurement - M2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS1, Number Sense and Numeration - NS2, Number Sense and Numeration - NS3, Patterning and Algebra - PA1, Patterning and Algebra - PA2]
Grade 9 [9.B3.5, 9.C3.1, 9.C3.2, 9.C3.3]
Kindergarten [k.15.1, k.15.10, k.15.2]
MAP4C [Mathematical Models - MM1, Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
MAT1LMAT2LMBF3C [Data Management - DM1, Data Management - DM2, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT1, Geometry and Trigonometry - GT2, Mathematical Models - MM1, Mathematical Models - MM2, Mathematical Models - MM3]
MCF3M [Exponential Functions - EF2, Quadratic Functions - QF1, Quadratic Functions - QF2, Quadratic Functions - QF3, Trigonometric Functions - TF1, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MCR3U [Characteristics of Functions - CF1, Characteristics of Functions - CF2, Exponential Functions - EF2, Exponential Functions - EF3, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MCT4C [Exponential Functions - EF1, Trigonometric Functions - TF3]
MCV4U [Derivatives and Their Applications - DA2]
MDM4U [Counting and Probability - CP2, Organization of Data For Analysis - DA2, Probability Distributions - PD1, Statistical Analysis - SA1, Statistical Analysis - SA2]
MEL4EMFM1P [Linear Relations - LR1, Linear Relations - LR2, Linear Relations - LR3, Linear Relations - LR4, Measurement and Geometry - MG1, Measurement and Geometry - MG2, Measurement and Geometry - MG3, Number Sense and Algebra - NA1, Number Sense and Algebra - NA2]
MFM2P [Measurement and Trigonometry - MT1, Measurement and Trigonometry - MT2, Measurement and Trigonometry - MT3, Modelling Linear Relations - LR1, Modelling Linear Relations - LR2, Modelling Linear Relations - LR3, Quadratic Relations in y = ax^2 + bx + c Form - QR1, Quadratic Relations in y = ax^2 + bx + c Form - QR2, Quadratic Relations in y = ax^2 + bx + c Form - QR3]
MHF4U [Characteristics of Functions - CF3, Exponential and Logarithmic Functions - EL2, Exponential and Logarithmic Functions - EL3]
MPM1D [AG3, Analytic Geometry - AG1, Analytic Geometry - AG2, LR1, LR2, LR3, MG1, MG2, MG3, NA1, Number Sense and Algebra - NA2]
MPM2D [AG1, AG2, AG3, QR2, Quadratic Relations - QR3, Quadratic Relations - QR4, T2, T3]
Functions [F-BF.1, F-BF.3, F-IF.4, F-LE.1, F-LE.2, F-LE.3, F-TF.5]
Geometry [G-C.5, G-C.8, G-C.9, G-GMD.3, G-GMD.4, G-GPE.4, G-GPE.5, G-GPE.7, G-MG.1, G-MG.2, G-SRT.11]
Grade 1 [1.NBT.4, 1.OA.1, 1.OA.6, 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.B.4, 1.OA.C.5, 1.OA.C.6]
Grade 2 [2.NBT.5, 2.NBT.B.5, 2.NBT.B.8, 2.NBT.B.9, 2.OA.2, 2.OA.A.1, 2.OA.B.2]
Grade 3 [3.MD.C.5, 3.NBT.2, 3.NF.1, 3.NF.2, 3.NF.3, 3.NF.A.1, 3.OA.1, 3.OA.5, 3.OA.9]
Grade 4 [4-MD.3, 4.MD.1, 4.MD.2, 4.NBT.6, 4.NF.3, 4.NF.5, 4.NF.6, 4.OA.1, 4.OA.5]
Grade 5 [5.B1.7, 5.D1.3, 5.D1.6, 5.MD.1, 5.MD.3, 5.MD.4, 5.MD.5, 5.NBT.2, 5.NBT.3, 5.NBT.6, 5.NBT.7, 5.NF.1, 5.NF.2, 5.NF.3, 5.NF.4, 5.NF.5, 5.OA.1, 5.OA.2, 5.OA.3]
Grade 6 [6.EE.1, 6.EE.2, 6.EE.5, 6.EE.6, 6.EE.7, 6.G.1, 6.G.2, 6.NS.1, 6.NS.3, 6.NS.6, 6.NS.B.3, 6.NS.C.6, 6.NS.C.7, 6.NS.C.8, 6.RP.1, 6.RP.2, 6.RP.3, 6.RP.A.1, 6.RP.A.2, 6.RP.A.3, 6.RP.A.3.C]
Grade 7 [7.EE.3, 7.EE.4, 7.EE.A.1, 7.G.3, 7.G.4, 7.G.6, 7.NS.A.1, 7.NS.A.2, 7.RP.1, 7.RP.3, 7.RP.A.2.B, 7.RP.A.3, 7.SP.2, 7.SP.5, 7.SP.6]
Grade 8 [8.EE.1, 8.EE.5, 8.EE.6, 8.EE.7, 8.EE.8, 8.F.2, 8.F.3, 8.F.4, 8.F.5, 8.G.5, 8.G.6, 8.G.7, 8.G.9, 8.SP.1]
Grade 9Kindergarten [K.CC.A.1, K.NBT.A.1, K.OA.A.1, K.OA.A.2, K.OA.A.3]
Practice [MP.1, MP.2, MP.3, MP.4, MP.6, MP.7]
Statistics & Probability [S-ID.6, S-MD.4]
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