Do your 5th or 6th grade students need to practice multiplying decimals? Get them up and moving with this simple Multiply Decimals Scavenger Hunt for your classroom!
Once students are familiar and comfortable multiplying large whole numbers, it may seem like multiplying decimals will be a snap. After all, isn’t it basically the same thing, just with a decimal point? Although the standard algorithm is the same, there’s a lot more going on when dealing with decimal values and it’s important to build a conceptual understanding first rather than jumping into a procedure. This will help students avoid common mistakes and misconceptions when they begin using the standard algorithm (the “line it it and multiply” procedure).
Once students have a foundation and understand how decimal values relate to fractions or mixed numbers (including a “whole” and a “part”), they need lots of exposure and practice. And this multiply decimals scavenger hunt is perfect for giving them that extra practice!
Multiply Decimals: What’s Included
This free download includes everything you need for the whole class scavenger hunt, as well as some independent practice pages.
The focus is on multiplying whole numbers by tenths and multiplying tenths by tenths.
Here’s what’s included:
- 10 Scavenger Hunt problems (half-sheets)
- Student recording page to show work
- Answer key for the scavenger hunt
- Multiply whole numbers by tenths worksheet
- Multiply tenths by tenths worksheet
- Answer keys for both independent worksheets
Prep Needed for the Multiply Decimals Scavenger Hunt:
This decimals activity does require a little prep, but if you print on card stock paper and laminate, you can reuse it again and again with no prep.
To begin, print the “hunt” cards and cut them in half. There are 10 problems included on half-sheet pieces of paper.
Hang the question cards around your classroom in any order.
Then simply print a recording sheet for each student and you’re all set to begin.
How the Scavenger Hunt Works:
I like to put students in pairs so they can discuss and help each other as they make their way through the scavenger hunt, but that’s not necessary. They can also work independently if they prefer.
Either way, I give students a clip board so it’s easier to move about the room and show their thinking/solutions for each problem.
When they’re ready to start, they head to any problem they want and try to solve the decimal multiplication problem.
If you have a large class, you may want to assign students/pairs a starting question so they’re not all gathered around the same card at once.
Once students have a solution to the problem, they look for that solution on another card in the room.
When they find the solution, they then solve the decimal problem on THAT card, and search for the answer around the room.
They continue solving and hunting for the answer until they end up back where they started.
This will signal to them that they’ve correctly solved all the problems and are finished with the scavenger hunt!
If at anytime they can’t find a solution, or end up where they started without answering all the questions, they know they did something wrong and need to check their work.
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Get Kids Up and Moving:
I love using scavenger hunts on occasion because it is a break from the normal routine.
It gives kids a chance to get up, stretch and move about the room, talk math with their partner, and just do something different.
Plus, it is self-checking, allowing students to look for their own mistakes and make corrections, a valuable skill in math class.
And if your students are familiar with the basics of how these hunts work, you can do this every once in a while without having to explain a new procedure. You can even use these in your sub plans!
Independent Practice or Assessment Included:
Once students are finished with the hunt (or as a review before they begin), you may want to use the included worksheets as independent practice or assessment.
This scavenger hunt focuses on multiplying whole numbers by tenths and multiplying tenths by tenths.
As a quick review or assessment, two worksheets are included to cover these skills.
Use these as homework, graded classwork or extra review for kids who are still struggling with this skill.
Ready to try this out with your students? Use the link below to head to my shop and grab this activity for FREE.
{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Multiply Decimals Scavenger Hunt!}
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