Big Numbers, Small Numbers

Classroom Activities

Human Number Line: Comparing Decimals and Numbers in Scientific Notation Activity

My students enjoy the human number line outdoor activity. To prepare, I make two identical sets of numbers on large index cards ranging from 0 to 10, 0 to 100, or 0 to 1000 including decimals and numbers written in scientific notation. I place two ropes on the ground that are 25 to 50 feet in length and a few feet apart parallel to each other. I use tape to make a starting line on the ground several feet away form the number line. Students are divided into teams of 10 each holding a set of numbered cards and team members line up behind the starting line. I blow a whistle and students race to stand on the line holding the numbered card in the appropriate position. When the first team positions all cards correctly, I blow the whistle to end that round. Finally, in order for the team to win, each student on the team must say the number correctly on the card they are holding. For example, “fifty-six and nine tenths” (56.9) or “4 times ten to the fourth power” (4 × 10⁴). I change the set of cards, rearrange teams and start another round.

Superhero Cross-Curricular Classroom Activity

My goal for this culminating activity is to help my students put numbers written in scientific notation into context, and to improve their writing skills. In teams of four, students will design a comic book about a superhero they create that has special powers and abilities. Students will be graded on their narrative essay, oral presentation, and comic book. I provide a rubric (see in Materials section below) to help guide students through each of the three components and as a form of assessment.

Part 1: Research

In teams of four, students will use the internet to collect data to use as benchmarks to make comparisons between humans, animals, and the superhero. My students will research multiple human and animal capacities including weight, speed, strength, reach, jumping distance, etc. by responding to (and are not limited to) prompts such as the ones below:

Benchmark Data Prompts

I use the following benchmark data prompts only as a starting point for discussion and data collection. I inform my students of the many capacities that a superhero might have that are not so obvious. I anticipate that each prompt will invite more whole-class conversations and brainstorming ideas. I post one prompt at a time in order to have the whole class working together. I provide students with a chart to record their responses and data. Because of the engaging discussions that come from the research, responding to the prompts can take several days.

Prompt Examples

What is the speed of the fastest person in the world? This information can be used to design a superhero with super speed.

How much weight can the strongest person bench-press? What is a benchmark for a human’s grip strength? This information could be use when designing a superhero like Spiderman because he swings around on cables and hangs from windowsills.

What is the average age of a person? This information could be used when a superhero travels light years to reach earth.

What non-human creature can lift the most weight in pounds? Possible class discussions can include but are not limited to the kind of weight, kind of lift, and height of lift. How much weight can it lift? How does it lift things?

More example benchmark data prompts:

What is the maximum height a human can jump?

How long can a human hold their breath?

What is the highest and lowest temperature a human can tolerate wearing normal clothing?

Who is a great humanitarian and what kind acts did they perform?

What is the fastest non-human creature on land, in the sea and in the sky? What size is it? How does it move? How much does it weigh?

What creature can see the farthest or clearest? What is its vision…how is it measured?

Once the data has been recorded, I proceed to part 2. Students are encouraged to generate additional prompts.

Example of a data chart:

When students fill in the charts they will record their data in standard form and in scientific notation, ideally, finding scientific notation to be more efficient. The project will allow students to see actual differences in the way we represent certain values.

Chart 1: Average Human Male and Female Chart Example (Search the internet to fill in chart.):

Charts 2: Average Animal Weight and Strength Chart Example:

Part 2: Reponses

Students will use the information they gather to respond to prompts. Here is an example of the response discussion process:

Teacher: Let’s answer the first question together: How long will it take someone to run from our school to San Francisco? What information do we need to know to answer this question?

Possible student responses: We need to know the distance from our school to a landmark in San Francisco. We need to know how long it takes the person to run a certain distance. We need to know if the person will be stopping to rest.

Once the class has generated a list, they will research the information with their team. They must record all responses on the chart.

Examples of Prompts for Part 2:

How many puppies can the world’s strongest person lift?

How far could a person swim in a straight line while holding their breath?

How long could a person skateboard wearing shorts in Alaska in the wintertime?

What is the maximum distance that an eagle can fly without stopping? How long would it take an eagle to fly from California to New York, considering stopping time if necessary (please provide an explanation on stopping time)?

Who can travel farther in a day, a man walking, or a horse and rider? How far?

How many baby penguins can an elephant lift?

Part 3: Creating the Superhero

The guiding questions for the superhero activity will be the following:

How can an imaginary superheroes' strength and abilities be described and compared to a regular human's?

What makes your superhero super?

Here is how I will get my students started.

Steps:

1. Watch a movie that contains a superhero.
2. Make a list of your favorite superheroes and explain why you like them.
3. Discuss what makes your favorite superhero super. (Are they strong; can they see through steel; do they perform humanitarian acts?)
4. Have a Think-Ink-Pair-share about a superhero you would create: origin, personality, super powers, code name, what they stand for, their regular human form (Clark Kent is really Superman), their nemesis, etc.
5. Students will use the data from the response prompts to inform their superhero creation. Parts 1 and 2 will give students perspective on what is considered as normal weight, speed, and strength in humans and animals. Using the data chart, students will gradually put together their superhero’s physical, mental, emotional, and personality traits. For example, I found that an average man runs 100 meters at a speed of 9 miles per hour. Therefore, I want my superhero to run fifty times that speed. Student will extend their charts to fit the requirements of their superhero. Students will refer to a rubric like the one below as a guide for the superhero project. The rubric will list specific information about criteria, expectations, and scoring. The rubric will be used to help students synthesize their final project and as a form of teacher assessment. Each of the four teammates will develop one or more characteristics before contributing to the team within a timeframe. Teams will combine the attributes from each member to design their unique superhero. As a starting point or to give my students more ideas to brainstorm, I will provide discussion prompts. For example, I will say, “It would be interesting to know how much strength it would take your superhero to rip a tree out of the ground.” We would then discuss different kinds of trees in our state, and then compare the masses and root strengths of a small fruit tree with a mature oak, and again with a mature redwood or sequoia.
6. Students will write a one- to two-page essay about their superhero. They will write about the superhero’s physical characteristics (before and after superhero transformation), origin, strengths, powers, personality, and nemesis (optional). Student will use a rubric as a guide and form of assessment.
7. Students will introduce the character to the class by using a presentation platform. I will use Prezi⁵ as an example. Students will make a one-page presentation with their superhero’s name, an illustration, and one fact and present it to the class. I will grade students’ oral presentation performance.
8. Students will design a digital or hard copy comic book for the final portion of this project. For the digital comic books, my students will use a program such as Google Slides. They can use any paper they choose for the hardcopy version.
9. Students will present their comic books to the class

Materials

Essay Expectations and Assessment Rubric:

Comic Book and Oral Presentation Rubric and Self-Assessment: