Categories
Building Functions exponents High School: Functions

Matching a recursive function to a table

What does the student know? What’s the mistake? How would you help?

Categories
exponents Expressions and Equations Feedback

What do powers mean, again?

Would the student have made this mistake if she were just given a^2 to evaluate? If yes, then what’s the misconception. If no, then what’s going on?

Oh, and go check out Chris Robinson’s stuff, and go follow him on twitter.

Categories
Arithmetic with Polynomials and Rational Expressions Distributive Property exponents

Classic Mistakes with Exponents

Here are two classic mistakes:

Whenever I see a mistake that recurs at all different levels, and with all different students, I wonder: what makes this mistake so attractive? What’s the misconception? And what can we do about it?

Say something smart in the comments, and then go check out this post from Fawn Nguyen.

Categories
8.EE.1 8.EE.4 exponents Feedback Scientific Notation

Scienfitic Notation

 

What does the student know? What are the student’s misconceptions? How would you help?

Categories
exponents N.RN.1

Classic: Zero exponents

What makes this idea so attractive to students? Why should it be true that 2^0=0? How do you help them see the light?

Categories
8.EE.1 Algebra 1 exponents

Powers Puzzler

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What is going through this student’s brain? What would you say to the kid to help out?

Let me know if you’re having trouble reading today’s submission. If image quality continues to be a problem then I’ll experiment with typing the student work up.