Children
love large numbers. The more digits the more impressed they
are! :)
Check it out for
yourself?
1. Use a calculator to input any two digit number and then
constantly double the number until it fills the screen and
either gives an error or moves into scientific notation.
2. Listen to the banter that ensues. What are they saying?
What teachable moments present themselves?
3. Ask the children to try and read the large numbers. :) NB
- If you laminated these charts you can write on them with water
soluble texta and wipe off the numbers when you need to. I place
these charts at about eye level so that each day the kids can change
the numbers. I have also placed these charts outside my room so
that students walking by can start chatting about really big numbers.
Place Value Chart
4.
Teach the conventions of reading large numbers by introducing the
'Units' family. 'If you can read a three digit number you can read
any number.'
NB
there is a field of thought that says we should not refer to the 'Ones
Family' as it can lead to confusion between zeros '0' and Ones.
Discuss this with your students to see what they think)
Place Value Chart
5.
Introduce the 'Thousands' place value chart. (read the 3 digit number
and then the name of the 'family' then move on to the 'Units' chart)
Thousands
Reseach
-
How many years ago was the Great Pyramid of Giza constructed?
Place Value Chart
6.
Introduce the 'Millions' place value chart. Then read the 3 digit
number on the millions chart followed by the family name. Move to
the thousands chart and do the same and then move on to the Units
chart and do the same.
Once
students get the pattern of reading the 3 digit number followed by
the family name and then moving on to the next chart they are on their
way to being able to read any number.
Millions
research:
- List the top five most populated cities in the world.
- What is the combined total population of these cities?
- How many rivots in the Eiffel Tower?
- How many cubic centimeters in one cubic metre?
- Estimate how long would it take to count to a million counting at
one number a second 24 hours a day?
- Use a calculator to work out how long it would take to count to
a million at one number per second.
- List the world's top five money earners for last year from only
one of these professions - singers, bands, actors or sportspeople.
- If you made $50 000 a year how long would it take to make some of
these amounts?
- If your heart beats about 40 000 000 times a year how many times
has your heart beaten up to today? Ok, might run out of digits on
your calculator so let's use an online
heartbeat calculator that also works out approximately how many
breathes you have taken so far on this planet.
Place Value Chart
Billions
Research:
-
What is the current world population?
- What is the current population of China?
- What is the current population of India?
- Find five interesting facts that involve the answers being in the
billions.
- List the names of 5 billionaires in order of their estimated fortunes.
- How many years until the sun runs out of fuel? Should we be worried?
:)
Type
in any number to this large
number reader and it will tell you how to read it.
Place Value Chart
Place Value
Chart
Ideas
for General Research to inspire 'awe & wonder' in relation to
REALLY LARGE numbers!
-
What is the height of the largest 3 mountains on Earth?
- What is the height of Olympus Mons? What is it? Where is it?
- Where is the deepest part of Earth's oceans? How deep is it?
- What is the circumference of the Earth at the Equator?
- Earth orbits the Sun at how many kilometers per hour?
- How many children are born each day?
- How many people die each day?
- What is the maximum and minimum distance between Earth and a planet
of your choice?
- Find five facts about really large numbers that you will think will
impress your teacher.
Here
are a couple of facts my students have found interesting over the
years:
*
Earth is estimated to weight - 5 940 000 000 000 000 000 000 metric
tons.
* It is estimated that there are 100 000 000 000 000 000 ants in the
world.
* The closest star to Earth (other than our sun) is Proxima Centari
at about 23 651 321 012 500 kilometers
* There are 170 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 different ways to
play the first 10 moves of a chess game.