Extreme Numbers

When something is considered extreme, most people think REALLY BIG. But extreme can also be REALLY SMALL too. In the extreme numbers BOLT we learned about both big and small numbers. We looked at how our perspectives have an impact on how big or small we think something is. We were asked to come up with a list of big things: The Great Wall of China, the Country of China, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, an Elephant, the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, the Universe, the Human Brain, World Population, Colorado's Population, the Internet and Medications were all listed. Then we were asked to find a number related to this topic. A percentage, distance, weight, height, age, etc. Anything was acceptable if it was a number and wasn't a duplicate of something already said. Then we did the same thing but for small numbers. Things that were listed were: Millimeter, Atom, DNA, People, the Galaxy, a Femtometer, Bacteria, Ants, a Cell, an Atomic Nucleus, a Cellular Nucleus, the Earth, Angstrom, a Proton, Dirt, a Stegosaurus Brain and Rice. Then we had to do the same activity of finding a answer in the form of a number for that topic. When we met at our meetings we discussed the answers and what some people had put down as big and small and why they put them in that category. Then we had talked about how our perspective had everything to do with why we put certain things on the small list and others on the big list. People seem small to whales but seem big when compared to ants. Finally we were asked to come up with a few questions of our own that could be answered with a number. The questions ranged from the salary of the President and First Lady to how much CO2 a full grown tree can absorb and how many lightyears it would take to reach the next galaxy. Then at our final meeting we talked about what subjects our questions fit into (science, math, social studies, etc.) We then narrowed down the subject to the course that our question would fit into. We also looked at Deductive and Inductive reasoning and how we used both of those to describe our questions. Our final activity is to put what course credit we believe we achieved during this BOLT. I had never thought about numbers to this extent before taking the Extreme Numbers BOLT with Mr. McClintock. To anyone who has even the smallest curiosity about number, I highly suggest this BOLT. I'm excited to see what the continuing BOLT will bring in round #3.