This worksheet manages to provide both fun and serious work solving exponential and logarithmic application problems in engaging story lines and real-life situations. A strong emphasis on science applications and numbers pulled straight from the lab really drive home how exponential and logarithmic equations are tools for solving actual problems in the world. By requiring both strong fundamentals and interpretation of answers within context, this activity makes a great addition to your existing curriculum on exponential growth, decay, and equations.

Concepts

exponential decay, exponential growth, logarithms, word problems, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, exponential models, half lives

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Assign learners to model their own problems after those in the worksheet by personalizing them. For example, replace the Willis Tower in problem 1 with a local landmark or change the definition of "almost empty" in problem 2b
• Work with a science or acting class to present problem 3 as a skit instead of a written word problem
• Problems 4 and 5 could be part of a cross-curricular unit with a biology class
• Consider using individual problems as practice open-response end of course problems, and have the class develop rubrics and score one another or themselves
• Useful as a one-day substitute plan after covering exponential / logarithmic equations in class

Classroom Considerations

• Answer key is given on the bottom of the worksheet, not separate
• Some learners will need encouragement to show work on their own pages, instead of squeezing into the single line space provided
• High-level language (particularly in the science vocabulary and story presentation of problem 3) might require additional ESL supports

Pros

• Engaging and humorous problem set-up
• Realistic quantities and references
• Problems and answers require interpretation in context

Cons

• Answer key provides answer only, not worked problems
• No teaching notes available

Common Core

HSA-CED.A.1 HSF-LE.A.4 HSF-LE.B.5 MP1 MP2 MP4