Notes & FAQs

Although this chapter is presented as the last chapter in the Big Ideas textbook, the Essential Learning Task Force felt as though it would be wiser for students to have some additional practice time with this learning as it is applicable in future grades and other disciplines. Exponent rules are foundational for the next course's major topic of Exponential Functions, and Scientific Notation is applicable to Science courses. The design team would recommend collaboration with Science teachers on what parts of scientific notation you select to cover. The team felt as though this unit should be taught prior to the Pythagorean Theorem unit so that students can build and expand their prior knowledge to have more anchors to a major topic of 8th grade.

Please note that powers with a base of ten are covered in fifth grade, powers with any base are covered in sixth grade, and powers are not specifically mentioned in seventh grade under the “new” 2013 state standards so students may need conceptual and procedural re-engagement through this unit.

Note that both the standard, 8.EE.1, and the Achievement Level Descriptors indicate working with NUMERICAL expressions.  Algebraic expressions with power rules are saved for Algebra 1.  That said, when they discover a rule, then they can write as an algebraic expression.  For example, (a^2)(a^3) = a^5.  Also, note the example similar to "(4^3)(4^n)=4^5; Find n."  Notice the "algebra" used is to verify the understanding of numerical expressions and that the base in this case remains 4 and not a variable.  Finally, algebraic examples can help students who struggle with number sense understand the concepts so it still may be a good idea to include them; however, it is definitely not a "hill to die on".