After discerning various operations of numbers, one may incept learning the implementation of exponentials- the number superscripts. Looking at real-life instances like the Richter scale, notations, and business-related estimations, exponents may look complicated, Nevertheless, these may be swiftly learned with enticing and motivating activities as they are assistive after classroom teachings. By the by What precisely is exponential? What activities can make learning these skills easy? To answer all such queries, we here elucidated special and working activities that you can try anywhere.
Exponents- The notions that make presentation facile!
Simple numbers can be rendered and comprehended effortlessly. This may not be the case with complex and large ones. For instance, if a number X is to be multiplied by itself for 8 times, the ideal way of presenting it is XXXXXXXX. But this style of writing and reckoning may evidently turn complicated. In these cases, exponents can make the procedure facile by depicting the same value as X8 which is not only effortless to write but also to infer.
Looking into how exponents are employed in real life may further let us comprehend their significance. While huge numbers are depicted exponentially in the Richter scale, micro values also need exponential representation. For instance, the weight of an atom is presented as 1.99*10-26. Moreover, multidimensional measurements need an exponent to depict the number of proportions measured. For example, volume measured in m3 depicted a measure of three dimensions: length, breadth, and height.
Thereby, in layman terms, large numbers can be fluently abbreviated with gripping knowledge of exponents. Being aware of how pivotal exponents are in the math-related scenario, the need of learning these skills needs to be warranted
Collection of enticing exponent activities
To start with or to practice exponentials, the following picks can be apt for you. These picks are carefully fabricated to retain motivation throughout, simultaneously warranting ease for new learners.
1. The Path of Exponents
To start with, the teacher creates a road map on a paper with naming both ends as Start and End. Now they divide the path into 10 parts and mention an exponential question in each of the boxes with a blank space to answer. Once the student receives this sheet, they need to incept at the Start and traverse till the End. To do that, they need to solve the exponential questions one by one. For instance, a question can be 93 the student needs to reckon and mention the answer (729) to proceed to the next question. To increase the complexity of this campaign, the mentor can also use a time limit.
This activity transforms regular exercise into an activity, ensuring to retain motivation in the young learner.
2. Spot the Fact Cards
To start with, the teacher mentions the set of regulations on whiteboards that are employed with exponential questions. Each Child is offered a set of empty cards. After receiving, the learners write one fact on each card from the whiteboard. Once the set of cards is prepared, they are shuffled and put before the learner. Now the mentor asks an exponentially related question, to which the student needs to identify the right card that can solve. Once the right card is picked, the instructor can ask another question.
For instance, if the question is (82)2, to solve this powers need to be multiplied. Accordingly, the student here picks up that card where this regulation [(am)n = amn] is stated. This activity not only ensures practice but also makes the students master various exceptional cases in the notion as well.
3. Answer with cards
Reckoning or breaking down an exponent may be monotonous, this activity can be further enticed by employing cards to depict the answer.
To start with, the mentor gives out a question on a piece of paper to the student. Now, the student needs to transform it into an exponential form. The answer needs to be depicted using cards instead. For instance, if the number given is 64, this can be transformed into 43. To represent this, the learner can place three cards with 4 on their side by side to the teacher. Now, the learner checks if any other representation is possible. Yes, they need to use cards for that too. Here, 64 can also be represented as 26. Accordingly, the little one procures 6 cards with 2 on them to depict. This facile activity ensures the student looks at a number in multiple proportions. This ability is significant in complex estimation in higher grades later.
4. Exponent Traying
To start with, the mentor procures an ice tray, some buttons, a pencil, and a worksheet with five simple exponent questions. All these entities are provided to the pupil to start the activity. The learner needs to use these manipulatives to solve the question instead of paperwork. For example, the question is 32+22 then the student can consider it as (3*3)+(2*2). Accordingly, they may take 3 buttons thrice and place them in three different tray slots, then they pick 2 buttons twice in two new tray slots. Now they reckon the buttons in the tray to get the answer (13).
While learners may grasp 53 is 125, the concept behind it may not be appropriately discerned. This activity ensures to present the abstract view of exponential expressions.
5. Decking Exponents
Decks may be assistive in teaching multiple number computations, even for exponents an activity with cards can be designed.
To start with, the teacher procures a pile of cards and shuffles them well. Now, the student is asked to grab two random cards. The number on the first card is considered as base, and the one on the other card is considered as the power. Now, the young learner needs to find out the value of the exponent as soon as possible. For example, if the two cards are 9 and 5, the question is 95. The student needs to find the answer by multiplying 9 for five times.
This activity ensures the learners get unique questions for practice. Moreover, indulgence of decks can bring about a stance of an activity to the classroom.
6. Exponent The Figures
This activity can be an icebreaking activity or a pick for leisure time practicing. Here, the teacher randomly picks a student from the class and asks a query. The pupil needs to answer in an exponential form. For instance, if the instructor asks about the number of students in the school, instead of saying 1331, the learner may answer this as 113. As not all real-life values can form exact exponentials, teachers may be careful while asking.
The advantage of this activity is that it doesn’t need any preparation and additional manipulatives to start with. Further, students may be motivated to mix up real-life values exponentially.
7. Grid it up
Finding a square root and understanding how it works can be bewildering for new learners. A Grid related activity can clear their doubts.
To start with, the teacher offers students five numbers. Students need to find out the square root and then represent the question in exponential form. For instance, if the question is 25, then the answer would be 52. To arrive at the appropriate answer, the pupil needs to draw a set of grids representing the number to determine the square root. For example: if the question is 25, then the student draws a square and divides it into 25 blocks such that the number of columns and rows are equal. By doing this, they can identify that the number of rows and columns are 5, implying the square root is 5.
For new learners who start with learning squares and square roots to start exponentials. This activity can be handy to determine the concept visually.
8. Fold it out
To understand how a single number is multiplied, folding a paper to demonstrate and practise may be a fair idea. To start with, the instructor procures plain sheets of paper. They distribute these pieces of paper along with a question to the students. The learners need to find out the value of the exponents by folding the paper. For instance, if the question is 32, the paper is folded in such a way that 9 grids (3*3) are formed. Now, they can count the number of grids and come to answer (9). This activity is often an inceptive activity that visually shows the power to the learners. The hitch here is that the power needs to be 2 only.
9. Charge the battery
A single number can be represented in multiple exponent forms. To make the learners master these presentations, this activity can be associative.
To start with, the teacher procures a battery shape on a worksheet. This battery is divided into five parts, each representing 20% of the charge. After giving this sheet to the learner, the instructor gives a number as a question. Now, the student needs to find different exponential presentations of that number to charge the battery. For instance, one correct answer charges 20%, and two answers charge 40%. Students need to fully charge the battery to finish the campaign. For instance, if the question is 4096, it can be represented as 212, 46, 84, 163, and 642. Here, the student needs to fill these values in the battery to fully charge it.
This activity may be employed as a facile classroom activity to ensure exhilarating learning. To increase the complexity, the teacher may provide a time limit to accomplish this.
10. Break those pots
While the learners master the concepts of exponents, accomplishing them faster may also be imperative. The activity ensures the same in the participants.
To start with, the teacher procures 10 boxes. Now, they place a piece of paper with an exponent question in each box. A student is called upon and asked to start solving each question to get a chance to open the next box. When the timer starts, the pupil starts solving the question to get access to the box. Once a box is opened, they can get the key to the next box. Once the timer (say 2 mins) is out, the number of boxes opened are counted and the student is awarded the score. For instance, if 8 boxes are opened, the score is 8/10.
This activity may be a practice activity or can be employed as an intriguing alternative to classroom tests.
Summing Up
Notions like exponents can be engrossing for some and taxing for others. Ensuring fun activities in classroom sessions and at home may further ameliorate the stimulus to learn. While you can check out the above-mentioned picks of activities, you may consider more than one pick to make sure the exercise is complete. Further, the instructor may handle the level of complexity based on the pupils’ abilities. Be it a ground-level challenge or a complex exponential sum, our picks can accommodate all of these, ensuring befitting for all age groups. Further, teachers can easily procure the entities making these campaigns facile.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,