standard_description: Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 × 7.
problem_activity: Task
There are two snakes at the zoo, Jewel and Clyde. Jewel was six feet and Clyde was eight feet. A year later Jewel was eight feet and  Clyde was 10 feet. When asked which one grew more, students gave varying answers.
Mia said, “Since the two snakes both grew two feet ($8-6=2$ and $10-8=2$) then I would say that they grew the same amount.”
Raul said, “They both grew 2 feet, but Jewel was only 6 feet to start with while Clyde was 8 feet to start with. That means Jewel grew more compared to her original length (2 is a larger part of six than it is of eight).“
Compare the two arguments. Describe the difference in the way the two students are thinking about the problem. Suppose a one-foot snake grew two feet and a 20-foot snake grew two feet. Could the two students still make the same type of argument?


aligns: no