Mastering 8s and 9s

Overview

Today students practice and strengthen multiplication and related division facts for 8s and 9s through short game rounds and a timed quiz. The lesson builds toward fluency expected in Grade 3 by connecting multiplication to division and using strategies (like known facts and properties).

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Multiply within 100 using 8s and 9s facts (8×_ and 9×_).
• Use the relationship between multiplication and division to solve related facts.
• Determine the unknown whole number in multiplication or division equations with an 8 or 9 factor.
• Explain, using a strategy, how they got an answer during practice and checks.

Success criteria

• I can correctly solve 8- and 9-times tables facts fluently on a timed quiz.
• I can write and solve a related division fact (from a multiplication fact) correctly.
• I can find the missing number in an equation such as 8×?=48 or 9=?÷3.
• I can explain one strategy I used (skip-counting, doubles/near-doubles, repeated addition, or using a known fact).

Curriculum links

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking: fluently multiply and divide within 100 using known strategies; know products of two one-digit numbers by memory.
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking: determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication/division equation with three whole numbers.
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking: apply properties of operations (commutative, associative, distributive) as strategies to multiply and divide.
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking: interpret whole-number quotients as equal shares or groups and connect them to multiplication.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up (fact activation). Teacher posts 4 quick prompts on the board (no answer sheet): “8×6=?”, “9×4=?”, “48÷6=?”, “36÷4=?”; students answer on mini whiteboards. Students compute and hold up boards; teacher notes common errors (skipping-counting mistakes or missing the division link).

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach: multiplication ↔ division link. Teacher models:

• Start with a multiplication fact (8×6=48).
• Show the related division fact (48÷6=8 and 48÷8=6).
• Repeat with one 9 fact (9×5=45 → 45÷5=9). Students practice 3 teacher-guided pairs by writing one multiplication and the two related division facts in their math notebook.

3. 15–30 min · Game 1: “Fact Families Raceway” (8s and 9s). Teacher explains rules: each group (or student station, given class size of 1) draws a card with a multiplication fact (e.g., 8×7) and must generate the two division facts (56÷7 and 56÷8), then check using a quick self-check sheet. Students play 3 rounds; teacher circulates (or sits beside student) to check reasoning and correct misunderstandings immediately.

4. 30–43 min · Timed practice: “Beat the Clock” (8 and 9 only). Teacher sets a timer for 6 minutes total work time (with a 1-minute buffer to get started and a 1-minute buffer to review). Students complete a single-page “8s and 9s” quiz with mixed formats:

• 10 multiplication problems (8×_ and 9×_).
• 4 related division problems (within the same fact family).
• 3 missing-number equations (e.g., 8×?=72, 72÷8=?, 9×6=?). Students answer independently, then pause at the stop signal and put a star next to any problem they feel unsure about.

5. 43–53 min · Targeted reteach: strategy talk for errors. Teacher selects 2–3 problems from the student’s results (or common classroom-style mistakes) and leads a brief strategy discussion. Examples of prompts:

• “Which fact did you start from?”
• “Did your answer make sense (bigger/smaller than expected)?”
• “How do you know 8×7 is the same as 7×8?” Students revise one problem they missed, showing the strategy they used in words or drawings (skip-counting, arrays, or near-doubles).

6. 53–58 min · Exit check (mini mastery). Teacher gives 5 questions on an exit slip:

• 2 multiplication (one 8 fact, one 9 fact)
• 2 division linked to those facts
• 1 missing-number equation (8×? or 9×?) Students complete quietly; teacher collects.

7. 58–60 min · Quick closure. Teacher asks: “What’s one strategy you will use tomorrow for 8s and 9s?” Students share one sentence; teacher confirms the next step (continued practice and faster recall).

Resources

• Mini whiteboards and markers (or paper if needed)
• “Fact Families Raceway” card set for 8s and 9s (multiplication cards)
• Fact family self-check sheet (answers for 8×1–10 and 9×1–10 and related divisions)
• Timed quiz worksheet (mixed multiplication/division/missing-number, 8s and 9s only)
• Math notebook for recording one multiplication fact and related division facts
• Timer
• Exit slips and pencil

Assessment

• Formative during Warm-up: accuracy on 4 prompts and identification of specific error patterns.
• Formative during Game 1: whether the student can generate both related division facts from a multiplication fact.
• Formative during Timed practice and Reteach: use starred questions to guide correction and strategy explanations.
• Summative quick check: 5-question exit slip to determine readiness for the next lesson in the unit.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a partially filled fact-family example (e.g., given 8×6=48, blanks for ÷6 and ÷8) during Game 1 until independence increases.
• Support: allow drawing equal groups or using a number line for 1–2 problems per round; require a short strategy sentence afterward.
• Extension: if accuracy is high, add a “compare” prompt during reteach: “Is 9×6 greater or less than 8×7? How do you know?”
• EAL/SEN considerations: keep directions short; use consistent sentence starters for explanations (e.g., “I used the fact that ___ because…”).

Exit ticket (for teacher use)

• 8×7 = __
• 56÷8 = __
• 9×4 = __
• 36÷9 = __
• 8×?=72 (missing number) = __