Investigating Exponents

Lesson: Investigating Exponents
Grade: 10th – 12th
Subject: Math
Materials Needed: Flip Cameras, pencils, clipboards, paper, ribbon, markers, and microscope

In this lesson students will investigate exponents and how they are applied to their everyday life through a hands-on activity.

Part I: Students will be put in groups of 2 (one participant and one Flip Camera operator). We will go out to the football field to investigate exponents. The student with the Flip Camera will be at one end of the football field while the other student will be on the 2-yard line. Using the powers of 2 (22, 23, 24, …) the student will stand on each line of the football field that equals a power of 2. At each power of 2 the student will need to use the coordinating ribbon to show what that power of 2 equals. All of this will be being video by the other student. This will continue for the entire length of the football field.

Part II: Students will be put in groups of 2 and be given a microscope. Students will look at a slide using bases of 10 to negative exponents (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, …). Students will use the Flip Cameras to document what they see under the microscope.

The next day we will come together as a class to talk about what we learned. Students will be able to show their videos and discuss the difference between positive and negative exponents. We will also discuss other places where exponents would be used in their everyday lives.