Lesson 7: Powers of 10
Activities
Activity 1: Beyond a Million
Materials: On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz
You're going to read On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz. As you read the book, pay attention to how "power counting" works and look for examples of really big numbers in the real world. When you finish reading the book, use what you've read to answer the questions and fill in the blanks on the "Beyond a Million" sheet. If needed, you can refer back to the book while you work on the sheet.
Student Activity Page
During this activity, your child will read On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz and then answer questions based on the book.
If your child demonstrates an interest in learning more about big numbers in our world, share the following web link with him.
If your child demonstrates an interest in learning more about big numbers in our world, share the following web link with him.
Web Link
Answer Key:
- 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000, 10,000,000
- What number will be next in the pattern? Write it in word form. (one hundred million)
- In your own words, what is power counting? (possible answers: making a number that is 10 times bigger than the one before, adding a zero to a number)
- Fill in the blanks:
10 × 10 = (100)
10 × 10 × 10 = (1,000)
10 × 10 × 10 × 10 = (10,000)
10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 = (100,000) - What do you notice about the number of 10s being multiplied and the number of 0s in the product? (they are the same)
- What is the product when you multiply ten 10s? (10,000,000,000)
- What comes after the millions? (billions)
- How many 0s are in one trillion? (12)
- Write these in order from least to greatest: (1 million, 1 billion, 1 trillion, 1 quadrillion, 1 quintillion)
- What is a googol? (10 multiplied 100 times, 1 with 100 zeros)
Activity 2: Big Number Facts
Materials: On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz, colored pencils*
Look back through On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz. What are some of your favorite facts presented in the "Did you know?" section? Pay close attention to the facts that include numbers greater than one million.
Where else can you find big numbers in the real world? For example, how many gallons of water make up the Atlantic Ocean? How many people live in Asia? How many hamburgers do Americans eat in one year? Facts related to science and geography can often include big numbers.
You're going to use some of the facts presented in the book along with your own research to complete the "Did You Know?" sheet. For your own research, you may use the Internet, magazines, newspapers, or other books. The sheet provides eight spaces for you to fill in with facts that include big numbers. Here are the requirements:
Where else can you find big numbers in the real world? For example, how many gallons of water make up the Atlantic Ocean? How many people live in Asia? How many hamburgers do Americans eat in one year? Facts related to science and geography can often include big numbers.
You're going to use some of the facts presented in the book along with your own research to complete the "Did You Know?" sheet. For your own research, you may use the Internet, magazines, newspapers, or other books. The sheet provides eight spaces for you to fill in with facts that include big numbers. Here are the requirements:
- You must focus on facts with numbers greater than one million.
- Only four of your facts and numbers can come from the book. The other four must come from another source. If you prefer, you can use fewer than four facts from the book.
- You must use words and pictures (simple is okay) for each fact you present. Adding color to your pictures is optional.
An example has been provided on the page. Once you've completed the "Did You Know?" sheet, share it with a friend or family member. You might ask them to try to guess the numbers that your facts include. For example, "How many seconds do you think you've already lived on your sixth birthday?" Be sure that you can say the numbers in your facts correctly.
Student Activity Page
Your child will use the book On Beyond a Million along with additional research to create a big number facts sheet ("Did You Know?"). As he works on this, be sure to monitor his Internet search. He will follow these requirements for his facts sheet:
- He must focus on facts with numbers greater than one million.
- Only four of his facts and numbers can come from the book. The other four must come from another source. If he prefers, he can use fewer than four facts from the book.
- He must use words and pictures (simple is okay) for each fact he presents. Adding color to the pictures is optional.
When your child is ready to present his fact sheet, help him, as needed, say the numbers on it correctly.