Movie Theater Multiplication: Real World Project Using Arrays, Rows and Columns

Bring math concepts to life for students with Movie Theater Multiplication, a hands-on real-world project using arrays, rows, and columns. Students become builders and designers as they construct model movie theaters with seats represented by counters. This progressive activity takes learners through the concrete, representational, and abstract stages, building conceptual understanding of multiplication along the way. With 20 total tasks across 4 stages, students start by building arrays and connecting them to number sentences. Then they assign "moviegoers" to seats and write multiplication expressions to represent the seating. Finally, students find the total number of seats in mega-theaters and calculate potential ticket revenue. This differentiated project integrates math, reading, and writing for 2nd-4th graders. Use it for small groups, fast finishers, or a whole class. Includes an answer key.