Guided inquiry and teamwork in HHCA's 4th grade turn multiplication facts into a discovery of prime and composite numbers.

Hilton Head Christian Academy (HHCA) 4th grade students recently tackled a math investigation that turned multiplication practice into real discovery. Working in small groups, they rotated around the classroom, listing multiplication facts for different products on posters. After each round, they went back to notice patterns, group factors into pairs, and ask deeper questions.

Guided by Mrs. Atkins’ questions ...

• What do you notice about each fact?
• How many factors are there?
• Can you make a product with just one factor?

.. students began to see patterns emerging. As they rotated through each poster, they realized that some numbers could only be made with one factor pair: the number itself and one.

That’s when the lightbulb moment happened.

Students connected the dots: numbers with just one factor pair are called prime, while numbers with many pairs are composite. The prefix “com” means “many” or “together,” giving the new vocabulary even more meaning.

It was so fun to watch students connect what they already knew about multiplication to new vocabulary and concepts. You could see the excitement when they realized how the word ‘composite’ connects to its prefix ‘com,’ meaning many. 

- Mrs. Atkins, 4th Grade Mentor

By building on what they already knew about multiplication, students didn’t just memorize new vocabulary—they discovered it. Using inquiry-based learning guided by their Mentor helped them see patterns, ask questions, and arrive at meaningful conclusions together.

Moments like this show how math becomes more than practice on paper; it becomes an opportunity for collaboration, curiosity, and seeing the order God has built into His world.

View more HHCA Lower School "Inquiry in Action" features here.