Power Up Your Math!

Alison Hutchinson

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Power Up Your Math!

Students will be able to define exponents, identify the base and exponent, and evaluate exponential expressions with whole number bases and exponents.

Understanding exponents is a fundamental building block for future math topics like algebra, geometry, and scientific notation. Mastering these basics will make more complex concepts easier to grasp.

Audience

7th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice

Materials

Power Up Your Math! Slide Deck, Exponents Practice Worksheet, and Exponents Practice Answer Key

Prep

Preparation Checklist

10 minutes

Review the Power Up Your Math! Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
- Print enough copies of the Exponents Practice Worksheet for each student.
- Have the Exponents Practice Answer Key ready for quick checking or student self-assessment.
- Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready for the slide deck presentation.

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Power?

5 minutes

Begin by asking students what they think 'power' means in math (not just super strength!).
- Introduce the concept of exponents as a way to show repeated multiplication using Power Up Your Math! Slide Deck slides 1-2.

Step 2

Understanding the Basics

10 minutes

Explain the terms 'base' and 'exponent' with examples using Power Up Your Math! Slide Deck slides 3-5.
- Guide students through evaluating simple exponential expressions (e.g., 2^3, 5^2).
- Facilitate a brief class discussion, asking students to generate their own examples and identify the base and exponent.

Step 3

Guided Practice: Worksheet Walkthrough

10 minutes

Distribute the Exponents Practice Worksheet.
- Work through the first few problems on the worksheet together as a class, addressing any immediate questions or misconceptions. Use Power Up Your Math! Slide Deck slide 6 to display a few examples.
- Circulate around the room to provide individual support as students begin working independently.

Step 4

Independent Practice & Wrap-up

5 minutes

Students continue working on the Exponents Practice Worksheet independently.
- As time allows, review some of the answers using the Exponents Practice Answer Key or have students share their solutions.
- Assign any unfinished worksheet problems for homework.

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Slide Deck

Power Up Your Math! Understanding Exponents

Let's explore a new way to multiply!

Welcome students and introduce the topic of exponents. Ask them what they think 'power' means in a mathematical context.

What Are Exponents?

Exponents show repeated multiplication.
Instead of writing 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2, we can write it in a shorter way!

Explain that exponents are a shortcut for repeated multiplication. Give a simple example like 2 x 2 x 2. Emphasize it's not 2 x 3.

Meet the Parts: Base and Exponent

An exponential expression has two main parts:

Base: The number being multiplied.
Exponent: How many times the base is multiplied by itself.

Introduce the terms 'base' and 'exponent'. Use an example like 3^4 and label the parts clearly.

Identify the Parts

Example 1: 5^3
Base: 5
Exponent: 3

Example 2: 10^4
Base: 10
Exponent: 4

Provide more examples of identifying the base and exponent. Ask students to identify them verbally.

How Do We Read Them?

2^2 is read as "2 squared" or "2 to the power of 2"
3^3 is read as "3 cubed" or "3 to the power of 3"
5^4 is read as "5 to the power of 4"

Explain how to read exponential expressions. Emphasize 'squared' and 'cubed' for 2 and 3.

Let's Evaluate!

Example 1: 2^3 = 2 x 2 x 2 = 8

Example 2: 4^2 = 4 x 4 = 16

Example 3: 10^1 = 10

Guide students through evaluating a few examples. Work them out step-by-step on the board. Make sure they understand the process.

Your Turn to Practice!

Now it's time to put your exponent knowledge to the test! Complete the Exponents Practice Worksheet.

Introduce the worksheet and explain that they will practice these concepts independently. Remind them to show their work.

Worksheet

Exponents Practice: Power Up Your Skills!

Instructions: For each problem, identify the base and the exponent. Then, evaluate the expression by showing the repeated multiplication and writing your final answer.

1. 2^4
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

2. 7^2
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

3. 3^3
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

4. 1^5
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

5. 10^3
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

6. 6^2
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

7. 5^1
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

8. 0^4
Base:

Exponent:

Evaluate:

Challenge Question!

9. If 3^x = 81, what is the value of x? Explain your reasoning.

Answer Key

Exponents Practice Answer Key

Instructions: Step-by-step solutions for the Exponents Practice Worksheet.

1. 2^4
Base: 2
Exponent: 4
Evaluate: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 16

2. 7^2
Base: 7
Exponent: 2
Evaluate: 7 x 7 = 49

3. 3^3
Base: 3
Exponent: 3
Evaluate: 3 x 3 x 3 = 27

4. 1^5
Base: 1
Exponent: 5
Evaluate: 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 = 1

5. 10^3
Base: 10
Exponent: 3
Evaluate: 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000

6. 6^2
Base: 6
Exponent: 2
Evaluate: 6 x 6 = 36

7. 5^1
Base: 5
Exponent: 1
Evaluate: 5 (Any number to the power of 1 is itself)

8. 0^4
Base: 0
Exponent: 4
Evaluate: 0 x 0 x 0 x 0 = 0 (Zero to any positive power is zero)

Challenge Question!

9. If 3^x = 81, what is the value of x? Explain your reasoning.

Reasoning: We need to find out how many times 3 is multiplied by itself to get 81.
3 x 3 = 9
9 x 3 = 27
27 x 3 = 81
Since 3 is multiplied by itself 4 times, x = 4.