Making Sense of Exponents

An exponent is a simple idea that captures the powerful concept of repeated multiplication. Exponents find their way into many real-life situations. Two examples include:* figuring out the number of teams to invite to a six-round single-elimination basketball tournament (64)* figuring out the amount that $100,000 will grow to by earning 8% interest per year, compounded annually for 10 years ($215,892.50)With repeated multiplication, numbers can become very big very quickly. In other words, they grow exponentially.Additionally, when students are fluent working with exponents, it has an exponential effect on learning. It helps them crack the code to higher level math concepts such as factoring quadratic expressions and using scientific notation.Making Sense of Exponents builds fluency by helping students notice the nuances involved with working with exponents.