Unit Plan 11 (Grade 3 Math): Multiplication & Division Facts—3s, 4s, 6s
Build fact fluency for 3s, 4s, and 6s using doubles/near-doubles, arrays, equal groups, and distributive decomposition, while connecting multiplication and division through fact families to boost accuracy and efficiency.
Focus: Build fact fluency for 3s, 4s, and 6s by using doubles/near-doubles, arrays, equal groups, and decomposition with the properties of operations; connect facts to related division through fact families.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Mathematics (Operations & Algebraic Thinking)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students extend early fact fluency by leveraging structure: 3s from 2s + 1 more group, 4s as double-double (2 × (2 × n)), and 6s as 3s doubled or (5s + 1s). They model with arrays and number lines, then generalize with the distributive property to break hard facts into easier parts. Division is linked through fact families.
Essential Questions
- How can doubles and near-doubles help me learn 3s, 4s, and 6s facts?
- How do arrays, equal groups, and the distributive property make tough facts easier?
- How are multiplication and division connected through fact families?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use arrays, equal groups, and number lines to represent and solve 3s, 4s, 6s facts.
- Apply properties of operations (commutative, associative, distributive) to decompose or rearrange factors.
- Explain and use doubles/near-doubles strategies (e.g., 4s as double of doubles, 6s as double of 3s).
- Write and use fact families to connect multiplication to division for targeted facts.
- Look for regularity in repeated reasoning to improve accuracy and efficiency across sets.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 3
- 3.OA.7: Fluently multiply and divide within 100 using strategies based on properties of operations and the relationship between multiplication and division.
- 3.OA.5: Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide (understanding properties as general strategies, not formal proofs).
- Mathematical Practices: MP.8 (Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning) emphasized.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can use doubles/near-doubles to figure out 3s, 4s, 6s facts efficiently.
- I can decompose a hard fact using the distributive property (e.g., 6 × 7 = (3 × 7) + (3 × 7)).
- I can write a fact family to show how multiplication and division are connected.