6

Solving Multiplication Problems

Purposeful Sharing of Strategies

Introduction

This video shows Heather Straughter working with her fifth-grade students on a
set of multiplication cluster problems from the Investigations in Number, Data, and
Spacecurriculum (Kliman et al. 2004).
Cluster problems are a set of related problems. Students are asked to solve the
easier problems in the set and then use one or more of the easier problems to help
them solve a more difficult problem. Here is the cluster problem you will see the
students solving on the video.

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Before watching the video, you might want to solve this cluster problem yourself.
Solve the smaller problems and choose one or more of the smaller problems to
help you solve the problem in the box.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions. You might want to
take notes on what you notice.

• How does the teacher make the mathematics of the lesson explicit?


• How does she structure this activity?


• What decisions and moves does the teacher make?


• What questions does she ask?


• What statements does she make?

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