Exponents: Evaluating and Factoring Terms and Expressions

Lesson Procedure:

Print the classroom lesson plan and worksheet questions (see below).

Lesson Excerpt:

Exponents and Variables

- “In our last lesson, we were using exponents with numbers. We can do that, but we can also use exponents with variables. When you have a variable with an exponent, the variable becomes the base, and the exponent tells you how many times you are multiplying that variable by itself. Here is an example:”
- On Board: x3
- “If I have x to the third or x cubed, then this means that I am multiplying x by itself 3 times. Now I don’t know what number x is, so I just write it out and that is as far as I can go.”
- On Board: x3 = xxx
- “Remember, anytime I have a variable next to itself or another number than the operation is multiplication. These three x’s sitting next to each other is another way of saying x times x times x or the shortcut which is x3.”

Continued...