standard_description: Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. (Students need not use formal terms for these properties.) ^( )Examples: If 6 × 4 = 24 is known, then 4 × 6 = 24 is also known. (Commutative property of multiplication.) 3 × 5 × 2 can be found by 3 × 5 = 15, then 15 × 2 = 30, or by 5 × 2 = 10, then 3 × 10 = 30. (Associative property of multiplication.) Knowing that 8 × 5 = 40 and 8 × 2 = 16, one can find 8 × 7 as 8 × (5 + 2) = (8 × 5) + (8 × 2) = 40 + 16 = 56. (Distributive property.)
problem_activity: Rishi is trying to find the total number of clouds in the following array.
[IMG]
Rishi says "I know 3 × 9 = 27, so I can use that to help me solve."
a.   Mark the array above to show how Rishi is thinking about it.
b.   Use the fact that
$$3\times9=27$$
to find the total number of clouds in the array.


aligns: yes