Classroom Activities and Project Ideas for Number Theory

This page provides classroom activities and projects ideas for Unit 3.

Interdisciplinary Classroom Activity

Math and Writing:

When students answer open-ended questions in writing, they learn to express mathematical ideas in written form. Expressing mathematical ideas in written form is a valuable skill. It also provides teachers with an assessment of students' mathematical thinking. Furthermore, standardized math tests often call for written explanations. Have students answer several open-ended questions using full sentences.

The activity below can be used as an informal assessment tool. It can also be transformed into an interdisciplinary project: The math teacher can grade students based on the mathematical correctness of their responses. The Language Arts or English teacher can grade them on spelling and grammar. Some sample questions are provided below.

1.	Is 27 prime or composite? Explain your answer using full sentences.
2.	Is 2⁵ the same as 2 x 5? Explain why or why not using full sentences.
3.	If 2⁹ equals 512, then find 2¹⁰ with only one multiplication. Explain your answer.
4.	Name 4 numbers that are factors of 24. Explain your answer in writing.
5.	Name 4 numbers for which 36 is multiple. Explain your answer in writing.

Project Ideas

Math Project 1:	Find all twin primes and mirror primes less than 100.
Math Project 2:	Why do we say "three squared" and "five cubed"? Research the connection between exponents and geometric units of measure.
Interdisciplinary Project: Math and Science	The math teacher can teach students about exponential notation. Once students become proficient with this topic, they can apply their knowledge to topics in science. For example, they can do research to find the distance between the sun and each planet, and then write each distance using scientific notation. Advanced students can learn about negative exponents. They can then look at the half-life of certain radioactive elements and at the size of bacteria and viruses.

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