Curated OER
Exponential Growth versus Linear Growth II
Your algebra learners discover that exponential functions, with a base larger than one, outgrow linear functions when the inputs increase sufficiently. Their analysis includes using a graphing calculator to produce tables.
Curated OER
In the Billions and Exponential Modeling
Modeling population growth gives learners an opportunity to experiment with real data. Comparing the growth rates in this real-life task strengthens learners' understanding that exponential functions change by equal factors over equal...
Curated OER
Exponential Growth Versus Linear Growth I
Your algebra learners will discover how quickly an exponential function value grows compared to a linear function's value. Making a table of values helps in this comparison, set in the context of making a wage for raking leaves.
Curated OER
Exponential Growth versus Polynomial Growth
Your algebra learners explore the values of two types of functions in order to compare growth rates in this short cooperative task. Two types of solutions are given, using a table of values and an abstract argument.
Curated OER
Snail Invasion
Exponential growth is modeled by learners as they analyze and interpret the data presented in this real-life scenario centered on the destructive invasion of the Giant African Land Snail. Learners get a touch of history and practice...
Curated OER
Rising Gas Prices – Compounding and Inflation
Financial literacy skills and exponential models are connected by the compound interest formula in this task centered on inflation calculations. Collaborative learners get experience collecting data from the given websites and exploring...
PBL Pathways
What Should Have Happened on Gilligan's Island?
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale ..." Gilligan's Island is a classic that spans generations and offers a problem-solving opportunity for scholars. Take a project-based learning approach to examine the population of the island....
Curated OER
Linear or Exponential?
Your learners analyze various real-life contexts to decide if each is a linear or exponential model. This could be used as an assessment of learners' skills of discerning between a linear and an exponential model.
Illustrative Mathematics
Identifying Graphs of Functions
Match the graph with its function in an exercise that focuses on variations of the graph of y = e^x. Learners are given four graphs on the same set of axes and four functions, all involving e^x. The task is to match each...
Curated OER
Comparing Exponentials
Growing money exponentially is the context of this scenario that asks learners to compare investments in two certificate of deposit accounts. Your young investment analysts will learn about the exponential characteristics of money...
Curated OER
Exponential Functions
Your algebra learners analyze and interpret the general form and the graph of two functions. The increase of the function due to the multiplicative factor is emphasized.
Howard County Schools
Generous Aunt
Witness the power of exponential growth with an activity that investigates two different savings plans. Class members create tables of values to see how and when a savings plan increasing exponentially exceeds one increasing linearly.
Curated OER
What Functions do Two Graph Points Determine?
Your algebra learners write linear, exponential, and quadratic equations containing the same two graph points in this collaborative task.
101 Questions
Lunch
Traditional lamian, a noodle originating from China, is hand shaped by twisting, stretching, and folding the dough into strands. Scholars observe the technique before determining the length of the final noodle. They use exponential...
Curated OER
Logistic Growth Model, Explicit Version
Via the concrete setting of estimating the population of the US, your algebra learners are introduced to a logistic growth model. Comparing and contrasting logistic, exponential, linear and quadratic models, to see which fits the data...
Curated OER
Equal Factors Over Equal Intervals
Exponential functions and their growth rates are explored concretely using tables in a collaborative task. Then the successive quotient is explored algebraically.
Curated OER
US Population 1790-1860
Your young population scientists analyze a table of values, write a model to represent the real life data, finish the table of data and predict future populations in a collaborative, real-life activity.
Annenberg Foundation
Skeeters Are Overrunning the World
Skeeters are used to model linear and exponential population growth in a wonderfully organized lesson plan including teachers' and students' notes, an assignment, graphs, tables, and equations. Filled with constant deep-reaching...
101 Questions
Fry's Bank
If money was left in an interest-earning account for 1,000 years, how much would it increase? Viewers watch a clip from a show about the future when someone learns about their balance after 1,000 years. Then, they solve for the amount in...
Curated OER
Viral Marketing
What is "viral marketing" and how does it relate to mathematics? Young mathematicians use exponential functions to develop a mathematical model for a business advertising campaign. Learners then see how their campaigns increase...
Noyce Foundation
Double Down
Double the dog ears, double the fun. Five problems provide increasing challenges with non-linear growth. Topics include dog ears, family trees and population data, and geometric patterns.
Curated OER
Population and Food Supply
What does it mean for something to grow exponentially, and how does that compare to linear growth? This activity tries to help learners gain an understanding of these concepts while modeling real-world problems. Linear and exponential...
Illustrative Mathematics
Lake Algae
Introduce learners to exponential growth with this real-world problem about algae that is rapidly spreading across a lake in a city park. The task presents the rate of growth and an end value and asks learners to determine what happened...
Curated OER
Algae Blooms
Your microbiologists explore a changing algae population and build an exponential function modeling algae concentration from the description given of the relationship between concentrations in cells/ml and days of rapid growth.