Lesson 2: Scientific Notation & Operations
Duration of Days: 5
Lesson Objective
Read, write, and convert large or small values between standard form and scientific notation; perform all four arithmetic operations on numbers expressed in scientific notation to solve practical problems.
Why do scientists and data analysts use scientific notation instead of standard decimal notation?
How does the magnitude of the exponent change when converting a number from standard form to scientific notation?
What structural rules must be followed when adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers in scientific notation?
Scientific Notation, Standard Form, Coefficient, Base, Power of 10, Magnitude, Mantissa, Order of Magnitude, Reciprocal
8.EE.A.3 (Estimate very large or very small quantities, and express how many times as much one is than another.)
8.EE.A.4 (Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used.)
Purpose: To build fluency in handling numbers of extreme magnitudes by utilizing base-10 exponent laws.
DOK Level: 2 (Skills and Concepts) and 3 (Strategic Thinking / Real-World Application)
Students often fail to adjust the coefficient to fall strictly between 1 and 10 after performing an operation.
When adding or subtracting, students frequently add the exponents together instead of rewriting the expressions so they share a common power of 10.
Use place-value grids and color-coded arrows to visually anchor decimal shifts.
Quiz
Exit Tickets