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Lessons / Math fact fluency with dice

Math fact fluency with dice

Individual lesson

MakeCode

7-11 yrs

Students can use the BBC micro:bit to generate random numbers for practising multiplication and division with whole numbers. Examples include:

  • Generating random numbers 0-9 to help students memorise multiplication facts for all single-digit number combinations.
  • Creating equations with two random numbers where students determine the missing number to make the equation true.
  • Randomly generating numbers to demonstrate understanding of mathematical properties like the commutative or distributive properties.

Mathematics:

Division

Multiplication

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Overall key learning

Learning objectives are at three different levels:

  • Mild - I can make random numbers to practise fluency and apply mathematical properties with multiplication and division using the dice project.
  • Medium - I can modify my own dice program to make random numbers to practise fluency and apply mathematical properties with multiplication and division.
  • Spicy - I can create my own dice program to make random numbers to practise fluency and apply mathematical properties with multiplication and division.

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This content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) licence.

CA CCSS Standards

Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Multiply and divide within 100

  • 3.OA.C.7 Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.
  • 3.OA.B.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide.

Examples:

If 6 × 4 = 24 is known, then 4 × 6 = 24 is also known. (Commutative property of multiplication.)

3 × 5 × 2 can be found by 3 × 5 = 15, then 15 × 2 = 30, or by 5 × 2 = 10, then 3 × 10 = 30. (Associative property of multiplication.)

Knowing that 8 × 5 = 40 and 8 × 2 = 16, one can find 8 × 7 as 8 × (5 + 2) = (8 × 5) + (8 × 2) = 40 + 16 = 56. (Distributive property.)

CA CS Standards

  • 3-5.AP.12 Create programs that include events, loops, and conditionals. (P5.2)
  • 3-5.CS.2 Demonstrate how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks. (P4.4)
  • 3-5.CS.3 Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies. (P6.2)
  • 3-5.AP.14 Create programs by incorporating smaller portions of existing programs, to develop something new or add more advanced features. (P4.2, P5.3)
  • 3-5.AP.17 Test and debug a program or algorithm to ensure it accomplishes the intended task. (P6.2)