Web 2.

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Lesson Idea Name: Exploring Exponentials

Grade Level/Content Area: 9th Grade/Algebra 1

Content Standard Addressed: MGSE9-12.F.IF.8b Use the properties of exponents to interpret

expressions for exponential functions. For example, identify percent rate of change in functions such
as y = (1.02)t , y = (0.97)t , y = (1.01)(12t) , y = (1.2)(t/10), and classify them as representing
exponential growth and decay.

ISTE Technology Standard Addressed:  What would you like students to know and be
Empowered Learner - 1.1.c:
Students use technology to seek feedback that
informs and improves their practice and to
demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
Digital Citizen - 1.2.b:
Students engage in positive, safe, legal and
ethical behavior when using technology,
including social interactions online or when using
networked devices.
able to do by the end of this lesson: 
Students should begin to develop a conceptual
understanding of exponential equations,
including initial value, growth, decay, and rate of
change. They should be able to identify how the
values in an exponential equation represent
these key concepts.
 

What is the student learning goal(s) for this lesson idea? After this lesson, you should know how
exponential growth is different from linear growth, and how you can use exponential equations to
model a variety of different real-world scenarios. You should also be able to recognize and explain
the different parts of an exponential equation.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

X ☐ Remembering ☐ X
X Understanding ☐X
Applying ☐ Analyzing X
☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Some of the questions in this lesson encourage students to consider how to apply what they have
learned to new scenarios, analyze changes in a scenario to modify the values in an equation, and
begin thinking about new situations or scenarios they create where they could use exponentials as a
model.

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 Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

How do you plan to implement this lesson and integrate the technology? Check all that apply: 
 
X ☐ Teacher-led: There is no student voice and choice in the activities. Students are guided by
teacher direction and expectations. Learning activities are assigned to the
student and mostly practice based. 
    
X ☐ Student-Led: Students are given voice and choice in the activities. They may select the topic
of learning and/or determine the tool they will use to meet the learning goal. The
teacher facilitates the learning as the students direct their own learning processes. 
 
☐ Problem-based and/or Publishable: Students are solving problems
and completing projects to demonstrate their learning. Additionally, the projects can be shared
outside of the classroom. (Note: This objective could be reached by displaying the project on the
school’s morning newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, presenting it to another
class, or publishing via an outside source.) 

Lesson idea implementation:

The lesson will be guided by a teacher-paced Pear Deck lesson. Descriptions for what will happen
while progressing through each slide are as follows:
1. As students come in, they will log in and share what they already know about exponential
equations to gauge prior knowledge. The teacher will share some of the anonymous
responses with the rest of the class to remind them and prime their thinking for some of the
things will learn in the lesson.
2. They will then be asked to share their thoughts about how long it would take zombies to take
over the United States. Once results are in, the teacher can share the results of the
predictions by the students before progressing to the video.
3. Students will then watch a 3-minute video which explains the exponential math behind a
zombie takeover and introduces an exponential equation.
4. Students are then asked how many of them would change their answer after watching the
video (to see if what they learned in their video can be applied to the scenario that they had
estimated an answer for before.)
5. Here, the teacher reveals the answer, and prompts students to explain how the number grew
so fast (explaining exponential growth). The teacher can share insightful responses from
students with the class, as well as correct misdirected thinking, all without embarrassing
anyone, since the responses are anonymous.
6. Next students are prompted to represent as a graph both linear and exponential growth to
provide a visual compare and contrast of the two rates of change. Teachers can share the
results and add additional explanation as is needed or helpful to understand how linear and
exponential growth are different.
7. The next series of questions require students to think mathematically about the components
in an exponential equation and how they impact the results. This is more analytical thinking
and the students are encouraged to discuss it with a partner to stretch their thinking and
conceptual understanding.
8. Students are asked to explore the idea of “initial value” and determine how changing the
starting number of zombies will modify the equation. The teacher can use their responses to

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 Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

provide necessary clarification and instruction to ensure that students understand how
changing the scenario (including the initial value) will change the equation.
9. Students are now asked to explore a new scenario (growth and depreciating of money) in
small groups of 4. This introduces the concept of “rate of change” and asks them to
determine what to change to make it grow differently. The teacher can use their responses
to provide necessary clarification and instruction to ensure that students understand how
changing the scenario (including the rate of change) will change the equation, including
making it decay (depreciate) instead of grow. Again the teacher can use their responses to
help clarify, correct, or teach how the rate of change impacts exponential growth and decay.
10. As the lesson is wrapping up, the students are asked to share something they learned about
exponentials and another application they can think of for exponential equations. This is a
great creative exercise for students to find a new application for their new knowledge about
exponential equations. The teacher can share examples that students create or identify.
11. The final slide is designed to capture additional student questions or points of confusion to
touch on beginning tomorrow’s lesson to ensure conceptual understanding for all students.
Managing student learning:
 Due to the engaging, “real-world” problems and anonymity of responses, ALL students
should freely participate in this lesson and offer responses.
 Since much of this lesson involves students exploring concepts prior to explicit teaching, they
will often be encouraged to work in pairs or small groups to help them investigate and learn
more effectively together.
 Students will be asked a couple of times to reflect on and share what they have learned or
concluded in their own words. This serves as a formative assessment and gets them
beginning to think metacognitively about understanding and managing their own learning.
 Throughout the lesson, the teacher has access to additional prompts that can be added
immediately as needed to ask for additional student input or thinking time.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

 Students have multiple ways of engaging and responding to show understanding in the
lesson, they will be writing, watching videos, drawing, and sharing orally as well if they
choose.
 The teacher’s instruction will also come in many different formats. Though there will likely
be some direct instruction to stress key points during the lesson, most instruction will be
through hands on activities, real-world problem solving, video, and graphical representation.
 While the students are engaged in the lesson, the teacher can review responses to identify
students who may lack understanding and need some extra support or accommodations, as
well as students who are finishing early and needing an extension question. These
accommodations and extensions can be planned for in advance and then offered as the
situation arises.
Reflective Practice:
This tool allows not only the ability to incorporate videos and questions easily into a lesson, but
allows the teacher to see student responses from all students, and not just the students who
typically raise their hand and share in class. This will help the students to be more engaged in
learning and the teacher to be better and more quickly informed as to the successful or limited
understanding from the lesson.
Frazier, 2021
 Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

Frazier, 2021