Exponents are useful, applicable, mathematical, and sometimes downright annoying! I like the way BetterExplained.Com explains it.

Numbers aren’t just a count; a better viewpoint is a position on a line. This position can be negative (-1), between other numbers (sqrt(2)), or in another dimension (i).

What does 3^10 mean to you? How does it make you feel? Instead of a nice tidy scaling factor, exponents want us to feel, relive, even smell the growing process. Whatever you end with is your scaling factor.

It sounds roundabout and annoying. You know why? Most things in nature don’t know where they’ll end up!

Do you think bacteria plans on doubling every 14 hours? No — it just eats the moldy bread you forgot about in the fridge as fast as it can, and as it gets more it starts growing even faster. To predict the behavior, we use how fast they’re growing (current rate) and how long they’ll be changing (time) to figure out their final value.

The answer has to be worked out — exponents are a way of saying “Begin with these conditions, start changing, and see where you end up”.

When working with one of my Algebra I, we were identifying upcoming conceptual challenges. Knowing the rules or laws of exponents was one of these conceptual challenges. Students see the abstract numbers, terms, or expressions and just begin to multiply without applying the rules.

Students will state that 3² = 6, instead of 3 x 3 = 9

The Algebra Team’s plea?

Can you develop a game that will engage our students in a review of exponents and another game to teach them how to SLOW DOWN AND THINK ABOUT THE RULES OF EXPONENTS FIRST, THEN SOLVE!

Two weeks later I met with the team and we played the games. Algebra Exponent Practice is a review of what students learned in middle grade math about exponents. Find the Exponent Rule truly helps the students slow down, learn the rules, then apply the rules.

Everything you need to make learning exponent rules FUN

Students SWAT the exponent rule or example

The best part, according to the teachers, was how much fun both of the games were. They especially liked using the poster game board and swats for Find the Exponent Rule.

If you’re apprehensive about giving your students swats, just substitute a button or a piece of bling to mark the rule that is illustrated. Using magnetic bingo markers and a wand magnet to remove them can be just as much fun.

Buttons or bling can mark the exponent rule to be applied

Why bother to download and use these games? They make learning about exponents fun and students will remember what they learned for the rest of their lives!

Our intuition about the future is linear. But the reality of information technology is exponential, and that makes a profound difference. If I take 30 steps linearly, I get to 30. If I take 30 steps exponentially, I get to a billion.      Ray Kurzweil

Want more about exponents? Download or view this free slide share about why exponents are important.