Math lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 60 minutes
Multiply powers with the same base
Algebra
CCSS 8.EE.A.1England: KS3 NumberEngland: GCSE Foundation Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Multiply powers with the same base.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Whole-number exponents
Leads to: Divide powers with the same base; Raise a power to a power; Multiply and divide in scientific notation
Materials: Balance scales or a balance drawing, Algebra tiles, Function machine cards, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Whole-number exponents). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Evaluate 3². → 9Prompt: Write it out: 3 × 3
- Evaluate 9 × 4³. → 576Prompt: Powers come before multiplication and addition.
- Evaluate 3⁶. → 729Prompt: Write it out: 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3
Hook · 6 min
- Show a "think of a number" puzzle and ask the class to work out the starting number.
- Share the objective: Multiply powers with the same base. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: 4⁹ × 4⁶ = 4ⁿ. What is n?
- Step 1: 9 + 6 = 15
- Step 2: 4⁹ × 4⁶ = 4¹⁵
- Answer: 15
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- 6² × 6³ = 6ⁿ. What is n? → 5Prompt: Write it out: 2 lots of 6, then 3 more lots of 6.
- Simplify 4a³ × 3a⁵. (7a¹⁵ / 12a⁸ / 7a⁸ / 12a¹⁵) → 12a⁸Prompt: Multiply the numbers.
You do: independent practice · 17 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Simplify 4y⁶ × 4y². (16y⁸ / 8y⁸ / 16y¹² / 8y¹²) → 16y⁸Prompt: Multiply the numbers.
- Sam says 2² × 2² = 4⁴. Work out the correct value of 2² × 2² as a number. → 16Prompt: The base stays the same when you multiply powers.
Watch out for
- Doing an operation to one side of an equation but not the other.
- Reading 3x as 3 + x, or thinking x always stands for one particular number.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Whole-number exponents.
- Use concrete materials: balance scales or a balance drawing.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Divide powers with the same base; Raise a power to a power; Multiply and divide in scientific notation.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-8.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder