Boom, Clap! Patterns in the Multiplication Table

Explicit instruction/Teacher modeling

• Show students a multiplication table.
• Highlight one row, like the fives, and show students that the pattern is counting by or multiplying by 5.
• Ask, "What would come next in this row?" (65) How do you know? (65 is 5 more than 60.)
• Remind students that multiplication is repeated addition, so in the highlighted pattern, five is added each time.
• Ask students if they notice anything else about the pattern (i.e. all the numbers end with zero or five).
• Write a new pattern on the board (i.e 12,15,18,21) and ask students to find the pattern on the multiplication table.
• Ask, "What is the pattern?" (counting by threes) What would come next? (24, which is 3 more than 21) Do you notice anything else? (i.e. the numbers alternate between odd and even)

Guided practice/Interactive modeling

• Hand out the Boom, Clap! instruction sheet (or display one copy using a projector) and review the first section (round 1) with your students.
• Call a volunteer to the front of the room to help you model the game.
• Have students try the game with a partner or small group, using only BOOM.
• Go over the next section (round 2) and model the game with both BOOM and CLAP.
• Have students try the game again with a partner or small group, using both BOOM and CLAP.

Independent working time

• Hand out the Boom, Clap Patterns worksheet and have students complete it independently.
• Circulate and offer support as needed.

Support:

• Before playing the game, review multiplication patterns and allow students to practice finding patterns with a multiplication table. See additional resources.
• Have students play the Boom, Clap game with only one multiple at a time (BOOM).

Enrichment:

• Have students play the Boom, Clap game with one of the game variations listed on the game instruction page.

• A smartboard could be used to display and highlight a multiplication chart with student participation.

• Write several patterns on the board or pre-prepare chart paper with patterns that include blanks (i.e. 28, 35, ___, 49, 56, __). Ensure that there are enough blanks for each student to have a blank.
• Alternatively, use a projector to display a multiplication table with some numbers blacked out (so that there are enough blanks for each student to have a spot).
• Hand out the pre-written sticky notes, each with one number that completes a pattern or missing spot on the multiplication table.
• Instruct students to find the correct spot for their sticky note in the missing spots in the posted patterns.
• Observe student responses.

• Have the entire class form a circle. Then, play the Boom, Clap! game as a class.