Primary Type: Formative Assessment
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 58623
Scientific Calculator Display
Students are given examples of calculator displays and asked to convert the notation in the display to both scientific notation and standard form.
Subject(s): Mathematics
Grade Level(s): 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: MFAS, scientific notation, standard form, scientific calculator
Resource Collection: MFAS Formative Assessments
ATTACHMENTS
MFAS_ScientificCalculatorDisplay_Worksheet.docx
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASK
Instructions for Implementing the Task
This task can be implemented individually, with small groups, or with the whole class.
1. The teacher asks the student to complete the problems on the Scientific Calculator Display worksheet.
2. The teacher asks follow-up questions, as needed.
Note: It is recommended that the student not use a calculator for this task.
TASK RUBRIC
Getting Started
Misconception/Error
The student is unable to interpret scientific notation generated by technology.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student:
Applies the exponent to the coefficient in the display, writing
rather than
for 4.22 E 5.
page 1 of 3 Writes the coefficient without any decimal point, writing
or with the decimal point in the
wrong place as
.
Uses an incorrect power of 10, (e.g., writing
).
Adds the positive exponent and/or subtracts the negative exponent from the coefficient, writing answers of 9.22 and 2.04.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
What does scientific notation look like?
What do you think the “E” means in the calculator display?
Can you write the number shown in the display in scientific notation?
Instructional Implications
Review the form of scientific notation and show the student various ways technology might display a number in scientific notation. Explain features of the display such as “E”
is an abbreviation for “exponent” and indicates the power of 10. Provide additional examples of scientific notation generated by technology and ask the student to write the
numbers in conventional scientific notation.
Provide instruction on converting numbers from scientific notation to standard notation. Initially, ask the student to expand the power of 10 and then multiply the
expansion by the coefficient. For example, to convert
to standard notation, first guide the student to rewrite
as 100,000 and then multiply 4.22 by 100,000. Show the student how to use properties of operations to find the
product. For example, 4.22 x 100,000 = 4.22 x (100 x 1000) = (4.22 x 100) x 1000 = 422 x 1000 = 422,000. Then allow the student to use a calculator to quickly
complete a number of conversions of numbers from scientific notation to standard notation. Ask the student to use the results to generalize a relationship between the
power of 10 and the location of the decimal point and the number of digits of zero in the standard form of the number. Provide feedback.
Making Progress
Misconception/Error
The student makes errors in converting from scientific notation to standard form.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student correctly writes the number in the calculator display in scientific notation but when converting this number to standard notation, the student:
Writes the number of zeroes equivalent to the exponent within the number.
Reverses the meaning of positive and negative exponents when changing to standard notation.
Uses the negative from the exponent as a negative sign for the entire number, writing -8,040,000 for
.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
How did you convert
How did you convert
to standard notation?
to standard notation?
page 2 of 3 What does a positive exponent mean? What is
?
What does a negative exponent mean? What is
?
Instructional Implications
Provide instruction on converting numbers from scientific notation to standard notation. Initially, ask the student to expand the power of 10 and then multiply the
expansion by the coefficient. For example, to convert
to standard notation, first guide the student to rewrite
as 100,000 and then multiply 4.22 by 100,000. Show the student how to use properties of operations to find the
product. For example, 4.22 x 100,000 = 4.22 x (100 x 1000) = (4.22 x 100) x 1000 = 422 x 1000 = 422,000. Then allow the student to use a calculator to quickly
complete a number of conversions of numbers from scientific notation to standard notation. Ask the student to use the results to generalize a relationship between the
power of 10 and the location of the decimal point and the number of digits of zero in the standard form of the number. Provide feedback.
Consider implementing other MFAS tasks aligned to 8.EE.1.3 and 8.EE.1.4. Each task worksheet is editable, so numbers can be changed and tasks implemented again at a
later time.
Got It
Misconception/Error
The student provides complete and correct responses to all components of the task.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student correctly interprets scientific notation generated by technology and converts the number to standard notation. For the first problem, the student writes:
. For the second problem, the student writes:
.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
Will every scientific calculator display look the same? How is the display on your calculator alike or different from that shown on the worksheet?
How can you enter a number in scientific notation into your calculator?
How can you convert between standard and scientific notation on your calculator?
Instructional Implications
Expose the student to scientific notation generated by a variety of calculators and technology resources. Have the student determine how to switch between scientific and
standard notation on his or her calculator. Encourage the student to explore the limits of his or her calculator to determine when results of calculations are automatically
displayed in scientific notation. If the student’s calculator uses “E” for both “error” and “exponent”, be sure the student understands how to distinguish the difference
depending on context.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Special Materials Needed:
Scientific Calculator Display worksheet
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: MFAS FCRSTEM
Name of Author/Source: MFAS FCRSTEM
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Okaloosa
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
MAFS.8.EE.1.4:
Description
Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific
notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very
small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been
generated by technology.
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