Math lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 45 minutes
Scientific notation (standard form)
Number sense
CCSS 8.EE.A.3CCSS 8.EE.A.4England: KS3 NumberEngland: GCSE Foundation NumberEngland: GCSE Higher Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Scientific notation (standard form).
- 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: Whole-number exponents; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000
Leads to: Write scientific notation as an ordinary number
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 (Whole-number exponents; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Evaluate 5³. → 125Prompt: Write it out: 5 × 5 × 5
- 272 ÷ 1000 = ? → 0.272Prompt: Dividing by 1000 moves every digit 3 places to the right.
- Evaluate 4³ + 4 × 2. → 72Prompt: Powers come before multiplication and addition.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Scientific notation (standard form). 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 660 000 in scientific notation (standard form).
- Step 1: The point moves 5 places.
- Step 2: 6.6 × 10⁵
- Answer: 6.6 × 10⁵
- 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 2600 in scientific notation (standard form). (26 × 10² / 2.6 × 10³ / 2.6 × 10² / 2.6 × 10⁴) → 2.6 × 10³Prompt: The first part must be at least 1 and less than 10.
- Work out (1.2 × 10³) × (7 × 10²). Type the answer as an ordinary number. → 840000Prompt: Multiply the front numbers together, and the powers of 10 together.
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.
- Work out (4.2 × 10²) × (4 × 10¹). Type the answer as an ordinary number. → 16800Prompt: Multiply the front numbers together, and the powers of 10 together.
- Write 4700 in scientific notation (standard form). (4.7 × 10⁻³ / 47 × 10² / 4.7 × 10² / 4.7 × 10³) → 4.7 × 10³Prompt: The first part must be at least 1 and less than 10.
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: Whole-number exponents.
- 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 scientific notation as an ordinary number.
- 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