Scientific Annotation Ordering Cards

Today, I desire to percentage ane of the activities I created for my students to practise their scientific notation skills.  I created these scientific notation ordering cards to purpose equally a sort of formative assessment to meet what previous cognition my students had almost scientific notation as well as how they were progressing equally nosotros moved through our unlike notes as well as activities.

I did non come upwardly up amongst the numbers on these cards.  The numbers were taken from a lesson conception posted online past times the Ohio Department of Education.  You tin discovery them on page vi here.  I actually liked how in that place were 3 sets of numbers to fellowship that were divided into 3 unlike levels: dirt road, paved road, as well as highway.

Image Source: https://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ODE/IMS/Lessons/Content/CMA_LP_S01_BA_L08_I01_01.pdf

I decided to get got these numbers as well as impress them 2 to a page thence they could endure easily seen across the room.  I printed them on 3 unlike colors of newspaper thence that I could tell the levels apart.  The newspaper I used for these is Fireworx build colored paper.  It's available from Amazon, comes inward loads of colors, as well as is priced rattling reasonably.  Astrobrights paper makes for the prettiest, brightest activities, but it's a chip to a greater extent than pricey.  So, I unremarkably salve it for printing posters.

The final matter I did to these ordering cards was to laminate them.  Over my years of teaching, I've learned that teenagers tin endure quite destructive amongst the things you lot pose inward their hands.  So, if you lot desire things to final for years to come upwardly without having to recreate them, laminating is definitely the best choice!

My newest laminator (I do ain multiples. I only dear laminating that much!) is a Swingline model that I picked upwardly on sale from Amazon a few weeks agone for alone $15.99.  (And for the record, it comes inward colors other than pink, too!)  It's currently inward the $20-range which is nevertheless a bag for a personal laminator.  They fifty-fifty sell it inward a packet amongst 100 laminating pouches for alone a twosome of dollars more.

Another perk of laminating is that my students were able to write on the cards amongst dry out erase markers.  They were easily erasable amongst a dry out erase eraser.  If you lot discovery it difficult to acquire dry out erase marking off of laminated paper, only a spritz of cleaning spray volition build them build clean upwardly nicely.  We were able to erase these amongst no problem, though.  

I get got ane pupil who is non inward my normal shape period.  He needs an extra scientific discipline credit, thence he comes inward during my planning menses as well as completes the tasks that my physical scientific discipline shape did before inward the day.  Here is him at move amongst the scientific notation ordering cards:

If you lot await closely, you lot tin meet where he has written on them amongst the dry out erase marking as well as changed each divulge out of scientific notation.

Here's approximately other ane of the decks of cards existence ordered.  This was the hardest aeroplane of cards.

So, how did I purpose the cards inward class?  I'll explicate how I used them, as well as and thence I'll percentage how I would purpose them differently inward the future.

To kicking off scientific notation, nosotros took notes on why scientists purpose scientific notation as well as what scientific notation looks like.  I blogged almost these notes inward to a greater extent than exceptional here.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sort commenter pointed out that this *should* say that the divulge must endure greater than or equal to ane as well as less than 10.  Oops...

After taking these notes, I asked my shape for 8 volunteers.  I gave them the offset aeroplane of sorting cards as well as had them stand upwardly at the front end of the room.  They had to figure out how to sort themselves properly.  I did this only to give myself a full general thought of where my students stood amongst prior cognition of scientific notation.  Here inward Oklahoma, scientific notation is a middle schoolhouse math standard, thence I've never had to learn it inward my math classes before.  So, it SHOULD endure a review for my physical scientific discipline students who are either ninth or tenth graders.  Watching them deal to fellowship themselves confirmed that this was a worthwhile science to endure practicing.

Next, nosotros took approximately notes on how to convert betwixt forms.

After taking these notes, I asked for a unlike ready of volunteers to sort the adjacent ready of 8 cards.  This went much smoother, but I could nevertheless tell a few students were doing almost all of the heavy lifting for the group.

On the adjacent day, nosotros started out past times sorting our 3rd ready of cards.  They actually struggled amongst this, as well as I could tell they were getting frustrated.  So, nosotros took a intermission as well as did approximately practise converting as well as ranking numbers inward our notes.  This is from the MARS Size It Up lesson.  (I didn't purpose the lesson - only the nautical chart from page 13). 

We also did approximately scientific notation activities I haven't had a endangerment to weblog almost YET. Look for these inward the coming calendar week or so!

So, what would I do differently?

I thought that having students business upwardly at the front end of the room would create approximately bully classroom conversation almost how things should endure ordered.  It didn't.  :(  A few students ended upwardly doing most of the move piece the balance of the shape ready to a greater extent than ofttimes than non unengaged.  So, I guess you lot could say this activeness provided bully formative assessment of where my students were, but it didn't render bully practise for them.

In the future, I would impress multiple sets of cards as well as get got students fellowship the cards inward groups of likely 3 or 4.  When they were satisfied amongst their ordering, I would come upwardly over as well as banking concern agree their work.  If it was correct, they would movement on to the adjacent aeroplane of cards.  If it was incorrect, they would give-up the ghost on working at that level.

I am realizing rattling speedily that I get got a few students who are much stronger than the balance of my physical scientific discipline students.  I demand to discovery a agency to give-up the ghost on these students challenged without allowing them to dominate the activities nosotros are completing.

All inward all, I mean value this was a worthwhile activity.  I dear that amongst this project my learning never ends.  I'm continually learning how to introduce lessons inward a agency that ameliorate suits my students' needs.

You tin download the 3 decks of ordering cards here.  The balance of my scientific notation resources are here.  

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