Grade Levels: 3-5

*Click to open and customize your own copy of the Multiplying Decimals Lesson Plan.

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Multiplying Decimals, and supports the standard of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals to hundredths. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Display a number line, or this image from the movie (timestamp 0:48):

Ask students:

  • What do you notice about the spaces between each digit on this number line?
  • How might a number line help you multiply decimals?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Multiplying Decimals topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Assign Related Reading. Have students read one of the articles and then partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Assign Multiplying Decimals Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about multiplying decimals while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Produce a tutorial explaining how to solve for how much it would cost to buy 8 movie tickets for $13.49 each.
  • Make-a-Map: Sequence the steps to multiplying decimals using any strategy.
  • Creative Coding: Code a math problem that involves multiplying a number with decimals. Challenge a classmate to solve. 

More to Explore 

Related BrainPOP Topics: Deepen understanding of conventions of standard English with these topics: Converting Fractions to Decimals, Decimals, Dividing Decimals, and Multi-Digit Multiplication.

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments