1) Read and be familiar with the rules here: http://www.mesacc.edu/~scotz47781/mat120/notes/exponents/review/review.html
there are example problems, there are step by step analyses of them, and there are myriad more sites if you don't like this one. I prefer this one because it has everything we need, is easy to read, and doesn't look like a designer with nothing else to do attacked it.
Go through a few of these examples. If you want more sites, please let me know. In class, we will talk about the wheres and whys and hows of these exponents.
2) Below is a sheet dealing with functions (and a possible weird idea that stems from it). Answer the questions so that we may have a great discussion to start class.