Performance Stations in Math
Numbers & Operations
Grade 8 - Part 1
by
Liliane Gauthier
Teacher / Educational Consultant
Saskatoon Board of Education

 
1. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-1

   Materials:
  Ghetto Blaster
  Cassette "NUMBERS"
  Student recording cassette
  Answer sheet
 
On your answer sheet write the following as numbers:
 
1.Whole numbers:
  a)nine hundred eighty seven
  b)one million three
  c)forty thousand three hundred seventy
  d)two hundred nine million, one hundred thousand
  e)one billion
  f)fifty-six million, three hundred forty thousand, four hundred seven
2.Decimal numbers:
  a)two hundredths
  b)
  c)five hundred and five thousandths
  d)one billion, three hundred thousand and six tenths
  e) seventy eight and nine hundred forty three thousandths
  f) seven ten thousandths
 
3. Find the Ghetto Blaster and the cassette labelled "NUMBERS". Rewind if necessary. Listen to the cassette as you write the numbers on the answer sheet. BE KIND AND REWIND!
 
4. Place the student recording cassette in the ghetto blaster. Find the spot where the last student ended his or her recording. You will need to record your name and then read the numbers on the other side of this card. Read clearly and slowly. After you are finished number 10 say "finished" slowly. DO NOT REWIND!
 

 
2. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-1, N-59, R-1F
   Materials:
  blank cheques
  rrecycled envelope
 
1. Carl saved his money and bought a mountain bike. His grandmother had given him $179.49 which is half the cost of the bike. Carl wrote a cheque for the full amount. Show how he wrote the amount in words and in numbers on the blank cheque.
2. Carl's step mother purchased a new refrigerator. With the tax it cost $1834.86. She paid in three payments (January, February and March). Write the January cheque and the two post dated checks she made to the store.
3. Carl's father had a garage sale. Carl helped him with the pricing of the items. His father said to sell the comics at 20 for $1.00. Carl wrote $.05 on each comic. Is this correct? Explain.
4. His dad sold his lawn mower at the same garage sale. He was asking $30.00 but his neighbor talked him into taking 30% off. Write the cheque that the neighbor wrote for the mower.
5. Carl's sister lives with a friend. They share the cost of rent and utilities, but they pay their own phone and food. The expenses for June added up to $942.23 Her friend paid her share which was $592.09. Write your sister's cheque for her share of the expenses.
6. Carl's grandfather decided to help Carl pay for his bike. He gave Carl 50% of the amount he had to pay. Write the cheque Carl's grandfather wrote to Carl.
 

 
3. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-1, N-4, N-5
Real-World Applications
   Materials:
  Internet
  atlases
  Internet
  reference materials on SPACE

 
1.Look through the materials that are provided or do some research in your library to find:
  a)10 situations in which large whole numbers are used with reference to SPACE.
  b)5 situations to do with SPACE where decimal numbers can be used.
2.Write the numbers you have found and write a few sentences to explain the context in which they were used.
3.List (vertically) each set of numbers that you found from the least to the greatest. Explain your strategy.
4.Round each number from the list of large whole numbers to the nearest thousand.
5.Round each number from the list of decimal numbers to the nearest tenth and to the nearest hundredth.

 

 
4. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-11
   Materials:
  calculator
  paper (preferably 11 x 17)
 
1.Make a chart as the one below on a sheet of paper.
2.Fold a sheet of paper in half and record the number of parts the sheet has been divided into.
 
  
3.Then fold the paper in half again and and record the number of folds and the number of parts.
4.Continue folding in half and recording the number of folds and the number of parts
5.What is the maximum number of folds possible?
6.If you were able to fold the paper 12 times, how many parts would there be?
7.What is the relationship between the number of folds and the number of parts the paper is divided into?
8.Make a graph of your results:
 
  
9.In this case, do you join the points on the graph? Explain your answer.
 

 
5. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-6, N-30
P-1, P-2, P-6
   Materials:
  calculator
  blocks
 
In February of a leap year, you and your sister were discussing your allowances.
She says:
  I wish I would receive $1.00 February 1st, $2.00 February 2nd, $3.00 February 3rd and so on until the last day of the month.
You disagree and tell her you have a better plan:
  You wish you would receive one penny the first day, 2 pennies the second day, 4 pennies the third day and 16 pennies the fourth day until the last day of the month.
She laughs at you and asks why you would only want pennies per day when she is asking for dollars.

a)Calculate to see who would receive the most money? Explain your strategy.
b)Explain the relationship in each case.

 

 
6. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-6
   Materials:
  tiles
  linking cubes
  ready built models of linking cubes
 
1.Use the tiles to build the following:
 a)the product of 6 x 6
 b)four squared
 c)52
2.Use the grid paper to record your constructions.
3.a)In your own words, explain what it means to "square" a number.
 b)In the expression 32 the 3 is called the _________
and the 2 is called the ___________.
It means _________.
4.Use the cubes to build the following:
 a)the product of 4 x 4 x 4
 b)three cubed
 c)23
5.Use a sketch to record your constructions.
6.a)In your own words, explain what it means to "cube" a number.
 b)In the expression 43 the 4 is called the ________
and the 3 is called the ________.
It means _________
 

 
7. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-6, N-82
   Materials:
  calculator
  computer spreadsheet (optional)
 
1.a)Use the calculator to calculate the powers of 3.
Use the constant (repeated multiplication) key repetitively on your calculator (the = key) or a spreadsheet on your computer. Record as a chart:
 b)Describe the pattern.
 c)How could you predict the units digit of ?
2.a)Repeat using chart for numbers 2 to 10 as base and check the pattern in each case.
 b)Also, in each case, predict the units digit of power of 50 for that number.
 

 
8. Numbers & Operations
Place Value: Grade 8
N-7
   Materials:
  number tents
  hanger or sticks
  dice
  laminated cards with expanded numbers
 
1.Use the number tents to record the numbers as expanded numerals using powers of ten and as expanded numerals using exponential notation. Record on a sheet of looseleaf.
numberexpanded formexponential notation
32563 x 1000 + 2 x 100 + 5 x 10 + 6 x 1
2.Write the following numbers in expanded form using powers of ten:
 a)  56 280b)  100 001
 c)  142 895 253d)  4 000 000 000
 e)  7 000 000f)  3000
 g)  800h)  20
 i)  6j)  427 388
3.a)Pick laminated card labelled "A". Roll the dice. Use the erasable marker to write the sum of the number you rolled in the first box. Roll again for the second box, etc. Continue until all boxes are filled and record the number you have created on your answer sheet.
 b)Repeat one more time using the same card. Find the difference between your two numbers. Record.
 c)Repeat using card "B". Find the difference between this new number and the two first numbers you generated.
Record.
 

 
18. Numbers & Operations
Integers: Grade 8
N-33, N-37
   Materials:
  checkers
  colored bingo chips
  + and - tiles
 
1.Choose one of the manipulatives provided at this station to demonstrate each of the following additions. Use diagrams to explain your work.

    (+3) + (+5)
    (+3) + (-5)
    (-3) + (+5)
    (-3) + (- 5)

2.How can you use a thermometer to explain (-23) + (-3)?
3.How can you use a cassette tape to explain (+523) + (-325)?
4.How can you use an elevator panel to explain (+2) + (+8)?
5)How can you use electron charges to explain (-9) + (+4)?
6.How can use use money to explain (-4) + (+4)?


Return to Math Central

To return to the previous page use your browser's back button.