The Hillsborough County Public Schools meeting held on April 2, 2025, focused on the educational theme of Scientific Notation, using a creative approach to engage students in mathematical concepts. The session featured a lively discussion centered around a hypothetical race between two superheroes, Flash and Speedster, set in outer space, specifically on Mars.

The meeting began with an introduction to the scenario where both superheroes would race a distance of 400 miles. Flash was noted to run at a speed of 3 times 10 squared miles per hour, while Speedster's speed was 2 times 10 squared miles per hour. The primary objective was to determine how much sooner Flash would arrive compared to Speedster.

The facilitator emphasized the importance of understanding the problem by breaking it down into manageable parts. The first step involved calculating the time it would take for each superhero to complete the race. Flash's speed was converted from scientific notation to standard form, resulting in a speed of 300 miles per hour. This led to the calculation that Flash would take approximately 1 and 1/3 hours to finish the race.

Next, the discussion shifted to Speedster, whose speed was also converted to standard form, yielding a speed of 200 miles per hour. This calculation indicated that Speedster would take 2 hours to complete the same distance.

With both times established, the facilitator guided participants through the final step of the problem: determining the difference in arrival times. The subtraction of 1 and 1/3 hours from 2 hours revealed that Flash would arrive 2/3 of an hour earlier. Further calculations converted this time difference into minutes, concluding that Flash would arrive 40 minutes before Speedster.

The meeting highlighted the effective use of the QUBES method, which encourages students to question, understand, and solve mathematical problems systematically. The engaging superhero theme not only made the lesson enjoyable but also reinforced the practical application of scientific notation in real-world scenarios.

In summary, the meeting successfully demonstrated how creative teaching methods can enhance student understanding of mathematical concepts, particularly scientific notation, while fostering an interactive learning environment. The session concluded with a positive note on the importance of making math fun and relatable for students.