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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Prime Hunt on the Internet

Students find information about primes on the Internet. They use directions for Sieve of Eratosthenes to find primes in the first 100 numbers.

A lesson plan for grade 8 Mathematics

By Diane Gardner

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Learning outcomes

Students will learn about prime numbers by searching the Internet for information on primes: definition, largest prime, twin primes and how to use Sieve of Eratosthenes.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 Days

Materials/resources

None.

Technology resources

Computer with Internet access

Pre-activities

None.

Activities

  1. Open this Internet site
  2. Look under 1. Introduction and give the math definition of prime numbers.
  3. Under 2. Primes, articles, Information on Primes click on the Largest Known Primes.
  4. When was the most current largest prime found?
  5. What is it?
  6. How many digits are in the number?
  7. Find the blue bar with The Ten Largest Known Twin Primes. On the right, click on glossary entry TWIN PRIMES.
  8. What are twin primes?
  9. List the first 4 twin primes.
  10. Using the back key go to The Prime Pages. Scroll down until you find the Sieve of Eratosthenes. Write the directions for the Sieve: lines 3, 4, 5. Click on Sieve of Eratosthenes. Read how they found all the primes less than or equal to 30. Use these instructions to find all the primes less than or equal to 100. According to the rule, when will you stop crossing out numbers? 
    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   1011  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  2021  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  3031  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  4041  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  5051  52  53  54  55  56  57  58  59  6061  62  63  64  65  66  67  68  69  7071  72  73  74  75  76  77  78  79  8081  82  83  84  85  86  87  88  89  9091  92  93  94  95  96  97  98  99  100
  11. Next click on Nth prime page. Enter 100 in box and submit Query. What did you get for an answer?
  12. Explore the prime pages on the Internet. Make three questions from what you read. List both the question and the answer.

Assessment

The student will turn in their answers to the questions from the Internet.

Supplemental information

None.

Related websites

http://primes.utm.edu/index.html#intro

Comments

None.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations -The learner will understand and compute with real numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for the real numbers.
      • Define and use irrational numbers.
      • Compare and order.
      • Use estimates of irrational numbers in appropriate situations.