2 is a small number. NO! IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE LARGE! Numbers in Context

Hi All,

The value or magnitude of a number is relative to its context. This sounds like a complex idea, but it's actually pretty simple, very real, and can be fun to explore with kids.

For example, 2 can feel like a really big number if you have to wait 2 hours to pick up your rental car at the airport. (Unfortunate real life experience!) In the context of waiting for hours, 2 feels like a big number.

Meanwhile, 2 can feel like a really small number if it's the number of dollars you get paid for an hour's work. Same number. Different context. Very different magnitude and feel.

Using this idea of numbers in context is a nice place where math, imagination, number sense, and story can all intersect with an easy, but compelling activity.

Write this statement on the board: "7 is a BIG number when..." Invite students to take a piece of paper and copy it. Then say, "Please complete the sentence and make it true." Give an example.

Some possible examples might be: "7 is a BIG number when...

"...you have to eat that many watermelons in one day." OR

"...you have to hop on one foot for 7 hours." OR

"...you are that many feet tall in the second grade."

After students have an opportunity to brainstorm and write about this, have them share responses either orally or by adding their responses on the board around your original statement. Have students explain why they feel 7 is large in the particular context they have chosen.

Now reverse it. Write: "7 is a SMALL number when..." and ask students to complete this sentence. Responses I've seen include:

"...that's all the french fries you get." OR

"...you only have 7 seconds to do your homework." OR

"...that's how many pages a book has."

Again, have students share their responses and discuss. Ask, "why does a number feel small sometimes, and larger at other times?" There is no one reason. It's just that numbers are flexible and are dependent on context for their perceived value or magnitude.

Now (or for homework) ask students to choose their own number and complete the same two sentences about it. They may even want to illustrate the two sentences. Share these with the class. Collecting them and posting makes for an interesting bulletin board as well.

For various grade levels you can suggest parameters like "use a two-digit number" or "use a fraction" or "use a negative number." However you do this, you'll find it a creative opportunity that makes kids think while they combine math, writing, and imagination.

All the best,

Bob

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