Annotated Bib - Multiplication

Multiplication enhances students knowledge of number sense and helps them move through problems by using a quicker method then just repeated addition. Students first see multiplication when they begin skip counting and carry it through in their multiplication charts and memorization of facts. The books listed here would work best for grades 3-4.

Books

The Best of Times by Greg Tang. Illus. by Harry Briggs. (2002). 32p. Scholastic Press, (978-0439210447). Grade3-4.

This is a fantastic book that lists all of the multiplication strategies. Each page lists and demonstrates a strategy for multiplying numbers 1-10. The illustrations are great and make the book fun to read and look at.

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Multiplication Book by Jerry Pallotta. Illus. by Rob Bolster. (2002). 32p. Scholastic, Inc, (978-0439254120). Grade 3-4.

This is such a fun book all about multiplication. The student's in this book have math in the art classroom and work on learning multiplication facts while doing art projects. The idea behind this book is based on the Hershey's bar and how to multiply. They list a multiplication chart in the beginning and work through numbers 1-10.

The Lion's Share; A Tale of Halving Cake and Eating It, Too by Maththew McElligott. (2009). 32p. Walker Publishing Company, (978-0802797681). Grade 3.

This is an adorable story about a lion who invites his friends to dinner. At dinner, the other animals act rudely and end up taking ALL of his cake by splitting it in half amongst all of them. When they realize they have taken it all and left none for the lion, the small ant offers to make the lion two cakes. The other animals feel bad as well and each offer to double what the other animal before it has offered. This is a great book about doubling and multiplying by two.

Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu by Dayle Ann Dodds. Illus. by John Manders. (2004). 40p. Candlewick Press, (978-0763633134). Gr. 3-4.

Another fun book about multiplying by two and doubling. This book is about a bunch of farm hands who work across from Minnie's Diner. The smell of the food is so enticing to them that they each leave their job on the farm to go and eat. It starts with the youngest boy and then each brother comes after doubling the first brothers order until finally the Dad comes to find out where they all are, and of course to double the order!

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi. Illus. by author. (1997). 40p. Scholastic Press, (978-0590939980). Gr.4.

This is a great story based in India about a raja who takes the only grain of rice in the city. A young girl named Rani catches some of the rice he prepared for a feast and is caught. The raja rewards her for her honesty and her only request is one grain of rice. He seems to think that is too simple so she asks that for the following 30 days he double the one grain of rice. By the end of the story she has a billion rice grains and is able to share it all with the people of the city and the raja is left with nothing. This is a great book that not only works with multiplication but has wonderful illustrations of India and its culture.

One Riddle, One Answer by Lauren Thompson. Illus. by Linda S. Wingerter. (2001). 32p. Scholastic Press, (978-0590313353). Gr. 3-4.

I loved this book. This story is about a Persian princess who loves numbers. When it comes time for her to be married, she comes up with a math riddle and the suitor who can answer it correctly will be the one she marries. Of course many people try and are not successful until the end when she meets a farmer who also shares her love of numbers. He solves the riddle and they get married. There is a lot of mathematical concepts in this book but the third part of the riddle involves multiplication.

Web Resources
Alien Munchtime Multiplication

A super fun game where students can select which facts they would like to work on. Then problems pop up with answers as the food they are to serve to the aliens.

Math Cats Teacher Website

This is a great resource for teachers. This first page gives suggestions for beginning to teach multiplication and lists different ways to teach and activities. It is also a forum for teacher's to share ideas.

Multiplication Table Practice

This website allows students to find the product between two numbers. This site is specifically for numbers 1-9 but there are other options for smaller number/fact groups.

Musical Multiplication

This is a fun website that gives strategies for teaching multiplication facts to students with music as the background. Each number has a song and instructions for what to sing and act out with students.

Sum Sense Multiplication Game

This is a great game that allows students to pick out the numbers that make the correct answer. They can also select how many questions they think they can answer in whatever amount of time that they choose.

For Teachers

Virginia Standards of Learning

3.2 The student will recognize and use the inverse relationships between addition/subtraction and multiplication/division to complete basic fact sentences. The student will use these relationships to solve problems.

Background Information From the Curriculum Framework

• Multiplication and division should be taught concurrently in order to develop understanding of the inverse relationship.