Reprinted from the PEG page, a programming education project promoted by CANAVS.

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<Programming × Math!>

At Shinagawa Municipal Kyoyo Elementary School, where Raspberry Pi computers have been distributed to all students, the devices were
recently used in a second-grade math class on multiplication. It is said that in the
multiplication unit, many children are good at solving arithmetic problems but suddenly feel anxious when faced with word problems.

Multiplication equations, such as (3 apples each) × (2 portions) = (6 apples in total), are structured to express the relationship (size of one portion) × (number of portions) = (total size). When solving word problems, you must understand the meaning of the problem to solve it.

In this class, students will rearrange the 12 blocks in Scratch to represent multiplication. By using Scratch to visually understand the concept of multiplication and create their own problems, they will develop a solid understanding of how multiplication works.

Students learn that even though the answer is the same, it can be expressed using various multiplication problems—such as four sets of three, two sets of six, and three sets of four.
With Scratch, students can save their work after each step of their thinking process, so they can present their ideas with a single click, and it’s also useful for reflecting on their own ideas. In
class, students worked in pairs to share their various ideas with one another.

In addition, this unit will ultimately focus on “creating multiplication stories”—that is, students will work on creating their own word problems. For example, they will create word problems while telling a story, such as: “There are 6 fish in each pack. There are 30 fish in 5 packs. Therefore, the equation is 6 × 5 = 30.”

In this unit, students develop mathematical thinking by using Scratch to illustrate problem scenarios through drawings and diagrams. I realized the importance of an environment where students can learn by creating things themselves, rather than just thinking in terms of
numbers and text.