Nature Math: Animal Adaptation and Multiplication Story Problems

Has 4th Grade got you teaching multiplication in math alongside animal adaptations in science? Or do your students just feel that all multiplication practices are better when blended with animal science?

These cross-curricular story problems will give your students the opportunity to gain fluency multiplying multi-digit whole numbers by single digit numbers (CCSS 4.NBT.B.5) while learning about the wonderful ways animals are adapted to thrive in their environments (NGSS 4-LS1-1). These practices will introduce students to 10 amazing animals - including sharks and dolphins, bats and birds, octopuses and more! Along the way, students will solve multiplication story problems based on real science facts. Plus, each of the 10 science and math problem sheets includes a discussion prompt that can get kids thinking and writing about science for the rest of the day.

Tie-in your math to Social Studies too, as a glossary page teaches students the Hawaiian name for each animal. Links to online articles in the “resources” section gives further opportunities for cross-curricular fun, as they can be used in ELA discussions about evaluating sources or provide further readings. These five printable pages include ten story problems and novel information about ten amazing creatures that will help students make real-world math connections and be awed by the natural world. Enjoy!