This product is perfect differentiated and engaging practice for the hard to teach operations and algebraic thinking standards. It is aligned with the 4th grade common core standards to provide students practice with multiplicative comparisons. It has problems where students must show how multiplication is a way to compare numbers. It also provides students with practice writing multiplicative comparison statements. It moves on to give students practice using bar models to solve multiplication and division word problems that involve multiplicative comparisons. There are 3 sets of 20 task cards that are differentiated for below level, on level, and above leveled groups. A recording sheet and an answer key is provided for all three sets of 20 task cards.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.A.1
Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.A.2
Multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison.1

I hope you find this resource helpful to practice this standard, and I hope your students enjoy it as well. Please remember to leave feedback!

Kara Lee