Math lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 45 minutes
Write scientific notation as an ordinary number
Number sense
CCSS 8.EE.A.3England: KS3 NumberEngland: GCSE Foundation Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Write scientific notation as an ordinary number.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Scientific notation (standard form)
Leads to: Write numbers in scientific notation (standard form)
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Scientific notation (standard form)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Write 0.003 in scientific notation (standard form). (3 × 10³ / 30 × 10⁻⁴ / 3 × 10⁻³ / 3 × 10⁻²) → 3 × 10⁻³Prompt: The first part must be at least 1 and less than 10.
- Work out (1.1 × 10⁴) × (3 × 10¹). Type the answer as an ordinary number. → 330000Prompt: Multiply the front numbers together, and the powers of 10 together.
- Write 9.9 × 10⁻² as an ordinary number. → 0.099Prompt: Move the decimal point 2 places to the left.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Write scientific notation as an ordinary number. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Write 7 × 10³ as an ordinary number.
- Step 1: 7 × 1000 = 7000
- Answer: 7000
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Write 8.2 × 10⁸ as an ordinary number. → 820000000Prompt: 10 to the power 8 moves the digits 8 places to the left.
- Write 6.6 × 10⁻⁵ as a decimal. → 0.000066Prompt: A negative power of 10 makes the number small.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- The width of a human hair is about 8 × 10⁻⁵ m. Write this number in full. → 0.00008Prompt: Divide by 10 5 times.
- Write 2.5 × 10⁻² as a decimal. → 0.025Prompt: A negative power of 10 makes the number small.
Watch out for
- Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
- Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Scientific notation (standard form).
- Use concrete materials: place value chart.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Write numbers in scientific notation (standard form).
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-8.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder