Unit Plan 5 (Grade 8 Math): Scientific Notation in the Real World
8th graders learn to write, convert, and compare numbers in scientific notation to model extremely large or small quantities. Through real-world contexts, they use powers of 10 to express magnitude, estimate, and explain “how many times as much” with precision and clarity.
Focus: Write numbers in scientific notation, convert between forms, and compare very large/small quantities.
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: Mathematics (Expressions & Equations)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This week develops fluency with scientific notation for modeling and comparing very large and very small quantities. Students will write numbers in scientific notation, convert to standard form, and use powers of 10 to compare magnitudes and express “how many times as much” in real contexts (astronomy, microbiology, data storage).
Essential Questions
- When and why is scientific notation more useful than standard form?
- How do powers of 10 help me compare and estimate large/small quantities?
- How can I communicate how many times as much one quantity is than another clearly and accurately?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Write numbers in scientific notation and convert between scientific and standard form.
- Compare quantities by reasoning with powers of 10 and place value (orders of magnitude).
- Use scientific notation to estimate, order, and express multiplicative comparisons (“how many times as much”) in real-world contexts.
- Communicate with precision: correct coefficient range (1 <= a < 10), clear exponent sign, and appropriate units.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 8
- 8.EE.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. Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology.
Success Criteria (student-friendly)
- I can convert 0.000045 to 4.5 * 10^-5 and 7.2 * 10^8 to 720,000,000.
- I can decide which is larger using exponents first (for example, 3.4 * 10^7 vs 5.1 * 10^6).
- I can state how many times larger one value is than another using scientific notation.
- My answers include units, correct coefficient/exponent, and a clear reason.