One in a Million: Large and Small Numbers
Help your students grasp an understanding of what one in a thousand or one in a million is. Using pennies and the "power of 10" in this simple and interesting activity, students visualize that a million is a very large number. They conduct two different serial dilution activities that will impress upon them how very small numbers can have potential significance. Students perform a ten step 1:10 serial dilution using a colored ìcontaminantî then a colorless "contaminant" to make weaker and weaker solutions from 1:10 to 1:10,000,000,000. Using a chemical indicator, students next test the colorless "contaminant" for the presence of the contaminant. Serial Dilution is a valuable math-science link. It can be used to teach powers of 10, proportions and concepts of scale. You may want to introduce this technique prior to an inquiry investigation.
Details at a Glance
- 1 Day | 1 ~50 minute class period
- 2 Activities
- Accommodates 24 classes, each with 16 groups of 2 students
- Consumables service 768 students
- Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
- Requires a water source
Scientific Concepts
• NCTM 6-8: Understanding numbers
• NSES 5-8 A: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Properties and changes of properties in matter
• Populations, resources, and environments, science and technology in society
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Full downloadable Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Downloadable Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis questions
- All materials necessary to carry out the investigation
- Safety Data Sheets
Kit Components
- 32 Student Worksheets and Guides
- 1 Teacher's Guide with MSDS
- 16 Serial dilution trays
- 16 Plastic Droppers
- 2 Colored contaminant (Red Dye), Drop control bottle
- 2 Colorless Contaminant, Drop control bottle
- 2 Indicator Solution
- 16 Water Bottles (Empty)
- Not included and needed for instruction: Pennies.