Poker chips or similar counters
Index cards with multiplication facts
Preparation:
Prepare index cards with various multiplication facts (e.g., 5 x 7, 3 x 6).
Gather a sufficient number of poker chips or similar counters for students to use.
Setting Up the Activity:
Explain the concept of arrays and how they represent multiplication problems.
Demonstrate how to create an array using poker chips based on a multiplication fact.
Creating the Array:
Students pick a multiplication fact card (e.g., 7 x 5).
Using poker chips, they create an array on their desk or table. For example, for 7 x 5, they make 7 rows with 5 poker chips in each row.
Exploring the Commutative Property:
Once the array is created, students rotate the multiplication fact card 90 degrees to the right.
They then rearrange the poker chips to form the new array (e.g., 5 rows of 7 chips) to see that the product remains the same (5 x 7 = 35 and 7 x 5 = 35).
Discussion and Reinforcement:
Discuss with students how the arrays show the commutative property of multiplication.
Encourage students to create multiple arrays with different multiplication facts to reinforce their understanding.
Repetition and Practice:
Repeat the process with different multiplication fact cards to practice various multiplication problems.
Allow students to share and discuss their arrays with classmates to reinforce their learning.