A warm-up for the start of class, before students play or start the worksheet. It reviews powers and variables, then asks students to discover the first exponent rule by writing it out the long way. Two tickets print on each page; cut along the dashed line. The answer key prints on its own page after it.
1. Write 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 as a power. Then write y · y · y as a power.
2. Find a² when a = 7.
3. How many cells is 2³?
cells
4.Think ahead: write x² · x³ the long way (with every x). How many x's are multiplied? Write the answer as one power.
Answer Key: Entry Ticket
Warm-Up Shots
5⁴; y³
49
8 cells
(x · x)(x · x · x): five x's, so x⁵. That's today's first rule: add the exponents.
Quick read: 14 on #2 means the student doubled instead of squared. Students who write x⁶ on #4 multiplied the exponents; have them count the x's out loud.