Step1: Determine the mathematics content and learning goals:

Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.A.3
Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of
10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many
times as much one is than the other.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.

Reason mathematically.

Step 2: Consider your students needs:

To introduce scientific notation students need to know about exponents and be familiar
with multiplying by 10

Step 3: Select, design or adapt a task,

Have students estimate how long they think it would take to write 535,000,000,000. Write
down estimation.

Have each student (or one student) write out 535,000,000,000. Time to see how
long it takes.
Have students search for a large number in a newspaper article and estimate how
long it would take to write it.

Step 4: Design Lesson Assessments:

Informal assessment includes observation of students as they complete

the worksheet
 Class discussion and discovery.
Formal assessment includes completed worksheet with correct scientific notation
and standard forms.

Step 5: Plan the before activities:

Check stop watches

Check newspapers for large numbers
Have each student (or one student) write out 535,000,000,000 using scientific
notation (5.35 x 1011). Time to see how long it takes. (This shows that scientific
notation is an efficient way to write large numbers.)
Check solutions to the following questions and give more examples as needed.
2.87 x 102 = 287
3.982 x 104 = 39,820
5.843 x 105 = 584,300
1.457 x 105 = 145,700
5.47 x 106 = 5,470,000
38,700 = 3.87 x 104
16 billion = 1.6 x 1010
2,137,000 = 2.137 x 106
493,000,000,000 = 4.93 x 1011
4,382,000,000,000 = 4.382 x 1012

Step 6: Plan the during questions and extensions

Compare 1 x 107 to 3.5 x 107 (Emphasize that the exponent (power of ten) matches
the number of places the decimal point moves.)
Discuss how the number was changed and compare the pattern they discovered to
the number. What is happening?
Discuss what patterns can be seen
How does moving left when one should move right affect the value of the
question?
 Can one move right whether the number is greater or less than 1. Give reason for
your answer?
How does the direction of ones move affect the exponent?
What determines the number of times one move?
If there is no visible decimal point in the question, can one still move the decimal
point and explain?

Extensions:

Give each student two 3 x 5 cards. Have each student write a self-selected (large)
number in standard form on one card, and the equivalent number in scientific
notation on the second card. Collect all the cards.
o To play the game, use half of the pairs of cards to play one round of the
game (since you now have twice as many cards as students).
o Tape one card to each students back, making sure that you use both the
standard and scientific notation form cards of each number selected.

Have students find the person with the equivalent number. They may attempt to identify
the number by asking yes or no questions only. The round continues until all students
have found their partner. Students will play a second round using the remaining cards.

Use number cards to create a human problem: Give a card to each student and
have them stand to create a number (e.g., 2.87). Assign one student to be the
decimal point. Have the decimal point move to the correct spot to form the
number (2.87).

Step 7: Plan the After discussion

 Format discussion:
Have students complete the thought; if we didnt have scientific notation
Is there another way we can calculate the correct number of moves without
counting the place per digit? (Although the concept of negative exponents is not
in the sixth grade core curriculum, the study of microorganisms could be used to
introduce the concept)
Describe scientific notation in your own words
In which careers are scientific notation most helpful and why?
Have you used negative exponents in other topics or subjects and if so, explain
the any connections if any?

Which careers you think uses scientific notation most frequently and say why you
think so?

Step 8: Check for Alignment of learning objectives:

Students used newspapers to write large numbers and then converted then to
show scientific form in less time.
Students moved from visual to abstract and completed given worksheet.
Students used role play: where some classmates represented numbers and a
student represented the decimal point; students picked cards and moved humans
to make
/evaluate the number.

Step 9: Anticipate student approaches:

Misconceptions:
Students will most likely assume that the exponent matches the number of zeroes.
However, the exponent (power of ten) matches the number of places the decimal point
moves (e.g., 1,000 = 1 x 103. The decimal moves three places to the left.). Change 3.5 x
107 back to standard form.
Students may move left when they should move right
Students may make the exponent positive when it should be negative.
Students may write values greater than 9 in the scientific notation form

Step 10: Identify essential questions

What is Scientific notation?

What does a positive exponent tell us?

What does the negative exponent tell us?