Direct Instruction Lesson Plan

General Information
Lesson Title: Multiply Tenths by Tenths
Subject(s): Math
Grade/Level/Setting: 5th grade
Prerequisite Skills/Prior Knowledge:
It is assumed in this lesson that students understand from fourth grade that
“half” means 0.5. Students are taught in fourth grade that the multiplication
sign can represent “groups of,” “jumps of,” “rows of,” etc., and can be
shortened to “of.”
Standards and Objectives
State/National Academic Standard(s):
Standard 5.NBT.7
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete
models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of
operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate
the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. In this
standard, dividing decimals is limited to a whole number dividend with a
decimal divisor or a decimal dividend with a whole number divisor. Compare
the value of the quotient on the basis of the values of the dividend and
divisor.
Learning Objective(s):
Given a problem and a 10×10 graph, the student will be able to multiply tenths by tenths using
concrete and pictorial representations with 80% accuracy.

Materials Technology
Hundredths grids, colored pencils, Learn Zillion video: Multiply a tenth
assessment by a tenth

Language Demands
Specific ways that academic language (vocabulary, functions, discourse, syntax) is used by students
to participate in learning tasks through reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking to demonstrate
their understanding.
Language Function(s):

Students will create and analyze models of tenths-by-tenths multiplication.

They will explain why multiplying tenths by tenths equals hundredths.

Vocabulary:
Tenths – each of ten equal parts into which something is divided. The place
to the right of the ones place in the base-ten system.
Hundredths – one of 100 equal parts of a whole. The place directly to the
right of the tenths place in the decimal system.
Expression – a math sentence with a minimum of two numbers and one
math operation

Discourse and/or Syntax:

Students will create hundredths grids that represent tenths-times-tenths multiplication
problems.

Planned Language Supports:

It is assumed in this lesson that students understand from fourth grade that
“half” means 0.5. Students are taught in fourth grade that the multiplication
sign can represent “groups of”, “jumps of”, “rows of”, etc., and can be
shortened to “of”.

Common Misconception – Students learn that a tenth times tenth is a

hundredth; however, students may place the decimal point incorrectly for
examples that end with 0. For example, 0.4 x 0.5 is 20 hundredths, but it is
also 2 tenths. Students may represent 20 hundredths as 0.020 instead of
0.20

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

Anticipatory Set:
Activity Description/Teacher Student Actions
1. Distribute the hundredths 1. Students will reason through the
grids and colored pencils to answers using any strategy.
the students. Present the a. Many students will verbalize
following problem: that half of four is two.
b. Again, students will say that
half of two is one.
Diego’s mother made four pans c. Students will say that half of
of brownies and sent half of them one is a half. They notice the
to school for Diego’s birthday. product gets smaller.
How many brownies did Diego d. 0.5 × 0.5. Read the expression
take to school? together as a class “half of
half” or “five tenths of five
a. What equation could be tenths”
written for this situation?
Since “half” is “0.5” in decimal
notation and “of” means
multiply, write 0.5 × 4 = 2
b. Now change the problem so
that Diego’s mom made two
pans of brownies. How many
brownies did Diego take to
school? Write 0.5 × 2 = 1 on
the board under the first
 equation.
c. Now change the problem so
that Diego’s mom made one
pan of brownies. How many
brownies did Diego take to
school? Write 0.5 × 1 = 0.5 on
the board under the second
equation. What do students
notice happens to the product
as the total (whole) gets
smaller?
d. Now change the problem so
that Diego’s mom only made
half of a pan of brownies. Ask
students what expression
could represent the situation
and write it on the board. The
first factor represents the part
Diego is taking to school. The
second factor represents the
half of a pan of brownies that
his mom made.

Presentation Procedures for New Information and/or Modeling:

Activity Description/Teacher Student Actions
2. Have students locate the first a. Write 0.5 to the left of the square.
hundredths grid on their This amount represents the part
papers and explain that one Diego took to school.
square represents a pan of b. Write 0.5 on the top of the
brownies. square. This amount represents
a. Write 0.5 to the left of the the half of a pan of brownies that
square. This amount his mom made.
represents the part Diego took c. With one color (red), shade five
to school. tenths columns (the amount
b. Write 0.5 on the top of the Diego’s mom made).
square. This amount
represents the half of a pan of
brownies that his mom made.
c. With one color (red), shade
five tenths columns (the
amount Diego’s mom made).

d. With a different color (blue),

shade five tenths rows (the
amount Diego took to school).
 d. With a different color (blue),
e. Where the two colors overlap
shade five tenths rows (the
(purple); 0.25, 25 hundredths, or
amount Diego took to school).
some students may say 1/4.

3. Student responses may vary.

e. Where is the product

represented?

3. Write the answer 0.25 next to

the expression on the board
and ask students what they
observe about the product
when multiplying a number
less than a whole by another
number less than a whole.

Guided Practice:
Activity Description/Teacher Student Actions
4. Present the following problem. 4. Write 0.2 × 0.4 or 2/10 × 4/10
Ask students what expression 5a. Write 0.2 to the left of the
best represents the situation hundredths grid and 0.4 on top of
and write it on the board. the hundredths grid.
b. Shade in four tenths with one
Mrs. Miller, an interior designer, is
color (four columns). It represents
making a throw pillow for a
the original piece of fabric.
customer. She has a piece of
c. Use a different color and shade
fabric that is 0.4 yards. She uses
the two tenths (two rows). It
0.2 of the 0.4 yards. How much
represents the piece Mrs. Miller
fabric (in yards) is she using?
cut off for the pillow.
d. Where the two colors overlap is
5. Have students follow the same
eight hundredths.
steps as in the previous
example.
e. Students are taught in fourth
 b. What does this represent? grade that the multiplication sign
c. What does this represent? can represent “groups of”, “jumps
d. Where is the product of”, “rows of”, etc. and can be
represented? shortened to “of”. This is one
e. Why? Recall the way the reason it is suggested that
expression was read: “two students shade the vertical
tenths of four tenths.” column first so they can say, “I
need two tenths of the four tenths
6. Present the following problem that I already have.”
and repeat the steps above to
evaluate: 6a. 0.5 × 0.8 or 5/10 of the 8/10
b. Write 0.5 to left of the hundredths
Lucas and Eva are walking to
grid and 0.8 on top of the
school. Their school is 0.8 miles
hundredths grid.
from their house. So far, they
c. Shade in eight tenths with one
have walked half of the way (0.5)
color (eight columns). It
to school. How far have they
represents the total miles from
walked?
home to school.
d. Use a different color and shade
a. Ask students what expression
the five tenths (five rows). It
best represents this situation and
represents the distance the
write it on the board.
b. Write 0.5 to left of the
children have walked so far.
hundredths grid and 0.8 on top
e. Where the two colors overlap is 40
of the hundredths grid. hundredths
c. Shade in eight tenths with one f. 0.4 or 4 tenths
color (eight columns). What does
this represent?
d. Use a different color and shade
the five tenths (five rows). What
does this represent?
e. Where is the product
represented?
f. How else can 40 hundredths be
written or read?
g. The expression is read as “five
tenths of eight tenths” but can
also be read “half of eight
tenths.” Therefore, it makes
sense that the answer is four
tenths.

Independent Student Practice:

Activity Description/Teacher Student Actions
Give the students the “Multiplying Students will complete the
Tenths” worksheet. “Multiplying Tenths” worksheet.
 Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity:
Activity Description/Teacher Student Actions

Show the Learn Zillion video

“Multiply a tenth by a tenth”.

Differentiated Instruction
Consider how to accommodate for the needs of each type of student. Be sure that you provide content
specific accommodations that help to meet a variety of learning needs.
Gifted and Talented:
For students who need a challenge, have them use the commutative
property and shade two hundredths grids – one for each factor pair. Another
suggestion is to have students explore how to represent the examples in the
lesson using base-ten blocks.

EL:
For students who need help understanding what tenths and hundredths
mean, use a dollar to represent a whole, dimes as tenths, and pennies as
hundredths.

Students with Other Special Needs:

For students who are struggling at present with the problem 0.4 × 0.3, have
students use a flat base-ten block to represent the hundredths grid. Use two
index cards. Place one index card on top of the flat to show three tenths
vertically (the card should cover seven tenths). Place the second card on top
of the flat to show four tenths horizontally (the card should cover six tenths).
The two cards together form and “L” shape to expose the array and product
of 12 hundredths.

For students who need additional instruction to understand that 0.5 is a half,
write 0.5 as a fraction (5/10). Draw a square, partition it into 10 pieces, and
shade 5 of the pieces. Show how this is equivalent to 1/2.

Assessment
Formative
Students will show that they understand multiplying tenths by tenths equals hundredths by
completing a worksheet where they will use a hundredths grid to complete tenths-times-tenths
problems. They will analyze a model to identify the expression represented within the model
and explain why multiplying tenths by tenths equals hundredths.

Summative
(Quizzes, Tests, products)
 Formative Assessment: Multiplying
Tenths
NAME__________________________________
MULTIPLYING TENTHS
1. What equation is being shown in the model below?

a. 0.2 × 0.4 = 0.8

b. 0.2 × 0.4 = 0.08

c. 0.02 × 0.04 = 0.8

d. 0.02 × 0.04 = 0.08

Use a hundredths grid to multiply tenths by tenths.

2. 0.6 × 0.7 = _____ 3. 0.9 × 0.1 = ___

4. Will and Evie are walking to school. Their school is 0.8 miles from their home. So far,
they have walked halfway (0.5). How far have they walked?
 5. Explain why multiplying tenths by tenths equals hundredths.

Formative Assessment Results

Assessment Topic: Multiplying Tenths Class Formative Assessment Results
Student Score for Responses for Question 5
Name Questions 1–4

Dakota I. 25 I don’t know

Bella Y. 75 You count where they cross

Traci C. 75 Because 10 times 10 equals 100.

Daniel B. 25 (blank)

Will S. 100 Multiplying a decimal by a decimal makes a smaller number

Maria E. 50 You shade them.

Landon S. 25 ???

Michael P. 75 A tenth times a tenth equals a hundredth

Abby M. 50 You multiply

Owen J. 0 Line up the decimals

Jake C. 100 Decimals times decimals make hundredths

Leo K. 25 They only go half as far

Ben W. 25 (blank)

Lily A. 75 The answer is shaded.

Bryce C. 50 Where they cross over

Jack K. 100 Tenths make tenths smaller so the answer is hundredths

Tina P. 100 I count the number of squares that are shaded where the
tenths cross.
 Josie I. 75 We use tenths to make hundredths when multiplying.

Marcus L. 75 Multiplying by small numbers makes smaller numbers.

Miguel N. 75 Multiplying by decimals make bigger decimals.

Katy C. 25 The decimal number gets bigger

Jon R. 100 (blank)

Jeremy C. 50 I don’t know

Penny B. 100 Anytime you multiply by a decimal the answer is smaller.

Hundredths are smaller than tenths.

Joe S. 75 The answer is where they cross.

Jenny B. 75 Count the number of squares that are dark

Student Profiles
Student: Michael

Michael is a fifth-grade student and is considered gifted and talented.

Observational data shows the student is sometimes unmotivated by
traditional instructional strategies. Last school year the student scored “On
Track” on the state standardized assessment. The student scored a C on the
latest unit test, and the classroom teacher has attempted to contact the
student’s mother to schedule a conference about her concerns that the
student is not working up to potential. However, the teacher cannot leave a
message because the student’s mother is out of cell phone minutes. The
student lives in an apartment with their mom and two younger sisters.

Student: Maria

Maria is a fifth-grade student and an English learner (EL). Observational data

show that the student is a hard worker but is sometimes confused by new
vocabulary. Last year, the student scored “Approaching” on the state
standardized assessment. On the last unit test, the student scored a D. The
student’s mother is concerned about their academics, but she does not
speak English and does not know the best way to contact the school. The
student lives in a house with their mom, dad, grandmother, older sister, and
two younger brothers.

Student: Daniel

Daniel is a fifth-grade student and has an Individualized Education Program

(IEP) for ADHD. Observational data shows that the student is significantly
behind their peers academically, and struggles to focus on grade-level
content. Last year the student scored “Basic” on the state standardized
assessment. The student failed the last unit test, even with accommodations,
including having the test read aloud and being given fewer answer choices.
This student’s parents are proactive and have contacted the classroom
teacher and special education teacher to schedule a conference regarding
this student’s performance. This student lives with their mom, dad, and
younger sister.