Today for Mathemagic Monday I would love to share some ideas for teaching exponent rules – both positive and negative.
Stop by to check out Mathemagic Monday #1: Angle Relationships
1
– Build Meaning First
Starting by writing out the meaning
of x3 as xxx can help students visualize what they are trying to
accomplish. I use the mantra “When in
doubt, write it out!” My introductory
lesson can be found here.
2
– Use Relatable Terms
When introducing negative exponents,
I use an anecdotal approach. I describe
the variables with negative exponents as “sad” and positive exponents as
“happy.” Relocating when sad, will make
you happy! (But make sure to leave the
happy factors where they are!)
3
– Hands-On Practice
I firmly believe that hands-on
practice is critical for students to cement concepts. They more they “do,” the more they will
learn. Here are a few activities to
check out: FREE Negative Exponents Number Line Game, Matching Game and Card Sort, and Old Math Guy Card Game.
4
– Structure Can Help
There are so many different rules
that it is important to have students organize them all in one place. Discovery and practice are important, but make
sure they have a reference sheet to study!
Join in the conversation! What has working in your classroom?
Thanks for reading!
Mathemagic Monday is a
series of blog posts by Free to Discover that highlights some tips and tricks
for making math meaningful and fun for kids, focusing on those shortcuts and
connections that give us the “aha” moment.
Subscribe to the Free to Discover blog here:
No comments:
Post a Comment