How Many Ways to Make

24

During math class, Ms. Sarah said she wanted to rearrange the desks in her classroom. Immediately, the students said that they wanted to help. Ms. Sarah was hesitant at first, but after pondering for a few minutes, she decided it was a great way to incorporate the standard that went with her current lesson.

The class was currently finishing up on the multiplication unit's different properties, and Ms. Sarah thought the desk would make an excellent manipulative and practice to assist her lesson.

The next day, Ms. Sarah came in and wrote the number 24 on the board. She asked her students how they would set up 24 desks in the class. The students were eager to start working on this and making their drawings to show Ms. Sarah.

24

The only stipulation that Ms. Sarah had was that the students must make a multiplication problem showing how they were using different arrays or groupings. She decided to leave it open-ended and did not give the students any other instructions. 

All the students went home and, over the weekend, began drawing the desks in the classroom.

On Monday, Ms. Sarah could not even ask the students for their explanations before they all started hollering out different scenarios of desk arrangements. 

One by one, Ms. Sarah allowed the students to show what they had come up with on the board by drawing their array and then the equation. Allie decided she wanted to go first.

Allie, your array is fantastic, but what would your multiplication equation be?

Allie came back up to the board and wrote...

6x4=24

Great job, Allie! Your array is correct, but there is not much room to walk the way you designed the desks. Does anyone else have any other ideas?

Quickly, many students raised their hands to come up to the board. Ms. Sarah asked John to come up and show what ideas he had.

(2x6) +(2x6) = 24

Great job, John! But that is very similar to the way the room is now. Does anybody have any other ideas? Did anyone do an example that has the desks in groups?

Of course, many students raised their hands. Amy decided to go next. Then Ava decided to go.

8x3=24

3x8=24