OneGrainofRice:AnIntroductiontoExponents

ContentArea:8thGradeMath
TimeFrame:One84minuteclassperiod.

Standards:
8 Work with radicals and integer exponents.

8.8.EE.1 Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate

equivalent numerical expressions.

Objectives:
Studentswillbeableto:

1) Definevocabularytermssuchas:base,exponent,exponentialfunction.
2) Useliteracystrategiestointroduceanddiscussconceptsofexponentialfunctionswhile
contrastingthemwithlinearfunctions.

ClassDescription:
CoTaughtClassroomwithbothSPEDandnonSPEDstudents.

MaterialsNeeded:
OneGrainofRicestorybook,RecordingSheet,NotesSheet,postit
notes.

Modificationsnote
:CoTeachermakesclozenoteformatforthevocabularytermsinthe
notes.BothteacherscheckinwithSPEDstudentstomakesuretheyarefollowingalongwith
guidedwork.

Sources:

OneGrainofRicebyDemi
Context:
This is the first day of a 3 week long unit on exponential functions. It follows a
recent (much longer) unit on linear functions. This lesson is designed to introduce the
concept of exponents while contrasting them with linear functions. The notes are very
concise and are mainly a means of helping to prepare them for discussion of the story. The
real hands on engagement with exponents will start in upcoming class periods.

ClassSchedule:

1) BellringerQuestion:

Inacompletesentence,describealinearfunction.

2) Notes(Document1)
Studentswillbegivenanintroductorysheetofnotes.Note:they
willbegivenmorecompletenoteswithexamplesinupcomingclassperiods.

3) BrainBreak

4) OneGrainofRicestorywithaccompanyingrecordingsheet(Document2):
Studentswillarrangedesksinastorycircle.Theteacherwillthenreadthestorywhile
studentsrecordontheiraccompanyingsheet,stoppingfordiscussionandtocheckfor
understanding(i.e.dostudentshavetheirrecordingsheetscaughtup.,discussionabout
plotofthestory,predictingwhatwillhappennext).Forthosewhomiss,thereare3video
linksshowingthewholestorywithpicturesonyoutube.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3t_9g7oQ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE_bFUIQ5fQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8DVyCH7NlI

5) Postitexitslip
Studentswillwritetheirnameonastickynote.Theywillthen
answerthefollowingquestionincompletesentencesandpostitonthewhiteboard
undertheirclassnumber.Theyneedtocompletethistaskbeforetheyaredismissed.

IntrotoExponents
(Document1)

3
Base:

Exponent:

(Labelbaseandexponentonexampleabove)

Usingexampleabove,writefunctionin:

Exponentialform:

Expandedform:

Standardform:

ExponentialFunction:

Howisthissimilartoanddifferentfromlinearfunctions?

OneGrainofRice
(
Document2)

N
AME

Inthebook
OneGrainofRiceb
yDemi,themaincharacterRanicleverlytrickstherajaintogiving
ricetothevillage.Usethestoryfromthebooktoanswerthequestionsbelow.

1.EstimatehowmanygrainsofriceyouthinkRaniwillhaveattheendof30days.

2.UsethechartbelowtorecordthenumberofgrainsofriceRaniwouldreceiveeachday.

Day1

grainsofrice

Day2

grainsofrice

Day3

grainsofrice

Day4

grainsofrice

Day5

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTERFIVEDAYS

grainsofrice

Day6

grainsofrice

Day7

grainsofrice

Day8

grainsofrice

Day9

grainsofrice

Day10

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTERTENDAYS

grainsofrice

Day11

grainsofrice

Day12

grainsofrice

Day13

grainsofrice

Day14

grainsofrice

Day15

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTER15DAYS

grainsofrice

Day16

grainsofrice

Day17

grainsofrice

Day18

grainsofrice

Day19

grainsofrice

Day20

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTER20DAYS

grainsofrice

Day21

grainsofrice

Day22

grainsofrice

Day23

grainsofrice

Day24

grainsofrice

Day25

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTER25DAYS

grainsofrice

Day26

grainsofrice

Day27

grainsofrice

Day28

grainsofrice

Day29

grainsofrice

Day30

grainsofrice

TOTALAFTER30DAYS

grainsofrice

3.IfthestorycontinuedandyouknowhowmanygrainsofriceRanireceives
onDay30,howcanyoudeterminehowmanygrainsofriceshewouldreceive
onDay31?

HowcanyoudeterminehowmanygrainsofriceshewouldreceiveonDay35?Howcanyou
determinehowmanygrainsofriceshewouldreceiveonDay40?

Ifyouknowhowmanygrainsofriceshereceivesonacertainday,howcanyou
determinehowmanygrainsofriceshewillreceive2dayslater?10days
later?

4.
WriteasentencethatdescribeshowmanygrainsofriceRanireceiveseachday.

5.
Writeasentencethatdescribesthe
total
numberofgrainsofriceRaniwill
receivethroughacertainnumberofdays.

6.
WriteeachofyoursentencesfromQuestions4and5intheformofan
equationusingonlynumbersandsymbols.

7.
Testeachofyourequationstoseeiftheygeneratethevaluesinthetable.
Wereyouralgebraicequationscorrect?Ifnot,modifyyourequationsandtestthem
untilyouarecertaintheyarecorrect.Recordthechangesyoumakesothatyou
canexplaintoothershowyouarrivedatyourfinalequations.