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Multiplying Larger Numbers

A 50-minute Grade 4 lesson on multiplying multi-digit numbers using an area model first, so that every partial product in the written method has somewhere it came from.

Multiplying Larger Numbers is a free 50-minute Grade 4 maths lesson plan for Common Core standard 4.NBT.B.5 — multiply larger numbers. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 4
Length:
50 minutes
Standard:
4.NBT.B.5

Grade 4 · Number & Operations in Base Ten

4.NBT.B.5

Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations.

Objective

Students will be able to multiply a multi-digit number by a one-digit number and two two-digit numbers using place value strategies.

Students are successful when they can

  • Draws an area model for a two-digit by two-digit product.
  • Writes all the partial products and adds them.
  • Estimates the product first and checks against it.

What you need

  • Squared paper for area models
  • Blank grids for partial products
  • Calculation cards
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — split the number

6 min
  1. Give 47, 68, 35 and ask each to be split into tens and ones.
  2. 40 and 7, 60 and 8, 30 and 5. The whole method depends on this being automatic.

Teach — the rectangle holds the answer

15 min
  1. Draw a rectangle for 6 × 47. Split it into 6 × 40 and 6 × 7.
  2. 240 and 42, so 282. Two easy products instead of one hard one.
  3. Now 23 × 47. Split both sides: the rectangle has four parts.
  4. 20 × 40 = 800, 20 × 7 = 140, 3 × 40 = 120, 3 × 7 = 21. Total 1,081.
  5. Ask why four parts and not two. Both numbers were split, so every piece of one meets every piece of the other.
  6. Estimate to check: about 20 × 50 is 1,000. The answer is close, so it stands.
“Draw the rectangle. Every box in it is a multiplication you already know, and the answer is all of them added up.”

Guided practice — model then method

14 min
  1. Pairs draw the area model for each calculation, fill in every box, and total them.
  2. They then write the same calculation as a column method and match each line to a box.
  3. The matching is the point — the written method is the model with the drawing removed.

Independent practice

12 min
  1. Students complete a multiplication page.
  2. A two-digit by two-digit answer with only two partial products means half the rectangle was left out.

Close

3 min
  1. Give 34 × 26 and ask only how many partial products there will be.
  2. Four, and knowing that in advance is what stops two of them being lost.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Multiplies 23 × 47 as 20 × 40 plus 3 × 7 only.

Why: The two numbers have been split and the matching parts multiplied, which looks symmetric and misses the two cross terms.

Fix: Draw the rectangle. Four boxes are visible and two are empty, and the pupil sees exactly what is missing.

Forgets the placeholder zero in the second line of the column method.

Why: The second line multiplies by a tens digit, but the digit looks like a one-digit number and gets treated as one.

Fix: Match each line to a box in the area model. The second line is 20 × 47, not 2 × 47, and the model says so.

Produces an answer of the wrong magnitude and does not query it.

Why: No estimate exists, so there is nothing for the answer to contradict.

Fix: Estimate before calculating, every time. About 20 × 50 is 1,000 makes an answer of 181 or 10,810 immediately suspect.

If they are not there yet

  • Multiply by one-digit numbers using a two-part area model until it is automatic, then split both factors.
  • Use squared paper so the boxes are drawn to scale and the sizes of the partial products are visible.

If they finish early

  • Multiply a three-digit number by a two-digit number, with six partial products.
  • Explain why the area model has as many boxes as it does.
  • Find the error in a worked calculation with a missing partial product.

Exit ticket

Work out 24 × 36 using an area model. Estimate first.

What to look for: An estimate near 800, four partial products (600, 120, 180, 24) and 864. Two partial products means the cross terms were dropped.

Printable practice for 4.NBT.B.5

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Multiplying Larger Numbers

How long does the Multiplying Larger Numbers lesson take?

50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 6 min, teach 15 min, guided practice 14 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Multiplying Larger Numbers teach?

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NBT.B.5 — 4.NBT.B.5, Number & Operations in Base Ten for Grade 4: “Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations.” In plain terms, multiply larger numbers.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Squared paper for area models, blank grids for partial products, calculation cards and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: multiplies 23 × 47 as 20 × 40 plus 3 × 7 only; forgets the placeholder zero in the second line of the column method and produces an answer of the wrong magnitude and does not query it. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Work out 24 × 36 using an area model. Estimate first.” An estimate near 800, four partial products (600, 120, 180, 24) and 864. Two partial products means the cross terms were dropped. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Multiplying Larger Numbers?

Yes — 2 printable 4.NBT.B.5 worksheets, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Multiplying Larger Numbers free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 5 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 4.NBT.B.5 of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics.