In previous lessons, students used diagrams to represent multiplication of a one-digit number and a whole number of up to four digits. Students learned to decompose larger factors by place value and used diagrams and corresponding expressions to support them in finding partial products. In this lesson, students learn an algorithm for keeping track of partial products that come from multiplying the digits of the factors. This algorithm that uses partial products lays the foundation for the standard algorithm for multiplication.

Students engage in quantitative and abstract reasoning (MP2) as they relate the partial products in a diagram and in an algorithm. Because this lesson offers an initial exposure to the new notation, students are not required to use an algorithm that uses partial products to multiply. They can rely on other methods they have learned so far.