Easy Multiplication!

If you are a teacher or student who needs a new way to teach or learn multiplication, LOOK NO FURTHER!
This Instructable will teach you 2 basic ways to multiply large or small numbers, but only require basic knowledge
of multiplication of numbers up to nine. You can print out a multiplication chart if you need at:
http://www.prntr.com/images/mult-table.gif

Learning Objective:
By learning these two multiplication techniques, teachers and students will be able to multiply two numbers faster and easier.

This method is by far, the coolest multiplication method I have ever seen, and it keeps the numbers nice and separate, so you don't get mixed up on where the place values are (I always get mixed up when multiplying the traditional way).

Construct the shape shown above:

Write the numbers that you want to multiply on the top edge, and the edge on the right (In my case, 11 * 34).

Multiply the 1 and the 3, the one and the 4, etc. When you are done, it should look like the photos above.

Add the numbers that are within the same "strip" within the lines (The four, The 3 and the four, the 3, etc.)
Your answer will be read from top to bottom. In this case, 11 * 34 is 374

This method is pretty cool, but not as easy as the other one, but the end result looks like a bow-tie.

 Write out a multiplication problem just like you would write it out the traditional way.

Multiply the 4 and the 1. Write it down in the spot you would put it if you were adding the 2 digits.

Multiply the two numbers, like you did last time. But be careful--The 1 up there is in the tens place value, so that 1 is actually a 10. SO 4 * 10 is 40. Write that down on the paper, again, as if adding.

Multiply the 30 and the 1. Write it down as if adding.

Multiply the 30 and the 10. Write it down as if adding. Your paper should now look like this if you were following along correctly. If it doesn't, check your work and fix what's wrong.

WHOA!!! We're adding! Remember when I told you to write them down as if you were adding? This is where that part comes in.

Add the digits, and if you did all the steps correctly, you should've gotten 374. Both Windowpane multiplication, and Bow-tie multiplication both yield an answer of 374, which means both are correct, and effective.

Now that you know two great ways to multiply, you can learn Vedic Maths, which provide neat tricks to multiply, add, subtrct, divide, etc.