LESSON 1

8th Grade Math

Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Review exponent notation and identify equivalent exponential expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Understand that an exponential term is composed of a base and an exponent.

2. Read the exponential term xn as x to the nth power or x to the power n; additionally, read x2  as x squared and

x
3
 as x cubed. 

3. Expand exponential terms and use to write or identify equivalent exponential terms and expressions (positive
exponents only).

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The rst three lessons in this unit review exponent concepts and skills and approach standard 8.EE.1. Students may
not have worked with some of these concepts since 6th grade and may need some review before engaging with
standard-aligned content. These lessons may be combined or stretched as needed to meet the needs of your students.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1

Which is larger: 35  or 53 ?

Guiding Questions
What is the base of each exponential? What is the exponent in each exponential?
What are different ways you can say the terms above? 
Can you determine which term is greater without nding the exact value of each exponential?

How is this different from comparing 3 × 5 and 5 × 3?

Notes
This Anchor Problem reviews the meaning of exponents and requires students to take a closer look at
exponentials before making decisions about their values.

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 1
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PROBLEM 2

How many times greater is 28  than 22 ?

Guiding Questions
How many times greater is 100 than 10? 48 than 4? 60 than 12? How are you determining your answers?
What does each exponential term represent? 
Why is “6 times greater” a wrong answer?
Why is “4 times greater” a wrong answer?
Why is “24 times greater” a wrong answer?

Notes
This Anchor Problem addresses common misconceptions on how exponential terms are compared. Discuss why

the incorrect answers in the guiding questions are wrong. Evaluate what “6 times greater” than 22 is to

demonstrate that not only is it not correct, but in fact, it is not very close to the value of 28 (or 256).

PROBLEM 3

All of the following expressions are equivalent to 34 . Explain or show how this is true for each expression.

2
(3)
2 2 5 4 2 2
(−3) 2 (3 )
9 3 ⋅ 9 3 ÷ 3
1
( )
3

Guiding Questions
How can you expand 9 so that it uses the number 3?

What would each expression look like if they were expanded? How do those expanded forms relate to 34 ?

Evaluate each expression to show that they are all equal to the same value.

Would −34  also be equal to 34 ? Why or why not?

Write more expressions that are equivalent to 34 .

Notes
Students are not expected to discover or follow any exponent rules here; those will come later in the unit.
Students should use their number sense of repeated multiplication, division of fractions, identity property of 1,
etc. to show how these expressions are equivalent. 

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 1
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PROBLEM 4

1
You cut a piece of paper in half to get  of the paper. You repeat this four more times. What fraction of the paper do
2

you have after these ve cuts? What fraction of the paper do you have after 15 cuts? Write your answers as
exponentials.

Guiding Questions
How can you model the cutting of the paper in half using repeated multiplication?
What is the relationship between the number of cuts and the exponent? 
Using this process, will the paper ever disappear?

Notes
This Anchor Problem is optional and can be included as part of the Problem Set depending on time.

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include problems similar to Anchor Problem 1 where students are given two exponential expressions and

must determine which one is larger or smaller (for example, "Would you rather have 54  dollars or 36

 dollars?").
Include problems similar to Anchor Problem 2 where students compare exponential terms with the same
base; possibly include some error analysis problems where two numbers have different bases.
Include problems similar to Anchor Problem 3; ask students to write as many equivalent expressions as they
can to a given exponential term. 
Include problems where students evaluate exponential terms; include fractions and decimals (These can be
straightforward problems, as students will have more review practice with evaluating longer expressions with
exponents in the next lesson).
Open Middle Exponent Exploration
Illustrative Mathematics Exponent Experimentation 3
Which One Doesn't Belong Numbers — Number 1 from Pam Wilson
Open Middle Exponents
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 1 —
Exercises 1 – 10, Problem Set 1, 4, 5; the remaining exercises and questions in problem set will be used in
Lesson 3
Open Middle Commuting Exponents

TARGET TASK

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 1
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Which of the following are equivalent to 24 ? Select all that apply. Then choose 2 of your selections and explain or

show how they are equivalent to 24 .

a.   2 × 23

b.   2 + 23

c.   4 ⋅ 22

d.   4 × 4

e.   2 × 4

f.   8 × 21

g.   26 ÷ 2

MASTERY RESPONSE

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 1
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COMMON CORE STANDARDS
CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS
6.EE.A.1 — Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 1
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 LESSON 2
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Evaluate numerical and algebraic expressions with exponents using the order of operations.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Use the order of operations to evaluate numerical expressions, paying attention to the presence of exponents
and grouping symbols.
2. Use parentheses appropriately and strategically when evaluating algebraic expressions for speci c values,
particularly negative values.
3. Understand that, in the process of evaluating an expression, each subsequent step in the process forms an
expression that is equivalent to all others in the process.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

This is the second of three review lessons approaching 8.EE.1 intended to cover concepts and skills involving
exponents. This lesson can be extended or condensed as appropriate for your students.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1
Two expressions are shown below.

Expression A: (22 + 32 )

Expression B: (2 + 3)2

Are the two expressions equivalent? What is your process to evaluate each one?

Guiding Questions
What is the same and different about each expression? Which numbers represent the base(s) in each
expression?
Recall the order of operations. How does the order of operations tell you to evaluate each expression?
Are the parentheses in Expression A necessary? Are they necessary in Expression B?
How would you verbally describe each expression? Is there more than one way to describe each
expression?

Notes
In 6th and 7th grades, students spent a lot of time looking at the structure of expressions to understand what is
happening with the numbers and operations. Ask students to describe what is happening in each expression A
and B to recall this skill and practice (MP.7).

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 2
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PROBLEM 2
Evaluate the following expression:

2
2 − 4(−2 − 1)

2
1
( )
2

Name 3 common errors that might be made when evaluating this expression.

Guiding Questions
What do you notice about the structure of the expression? 
What step will you do rst? Is this the only rst step you can take, or could you have started in a different
way? 
How many exponents do you see and what is the base for each one?

PROBLEM 3

Evaluate the expression when x = 2 and y = −3

2
xy + xy

Guiding Questions
How can you verbally describe this expression? Is there more than one way?

Are −32  and (−3)2  equivalent? Which one represents the correct value to use in the expression?

Why are parentheses needed or useful when you substitute a negative number into an expression?

Notes
Ensure students use parentheses appropriately when substituting in negative values in order to convey
multiplication and not subtraction (MP.6).

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include problems where students evaluate algebraic expressions for variables that equal negative numbers.
Include a lot of practice around evaluating numerical expressions; vary the level of dif culty and level of
complexity, targeting speci c misconceptions and common errors.
Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Basics —
Evaluating Expressions (Supplement some of these problems with additional exponents and negative values to
substitute)
Open Middle Exponents and Order of Operations
Open Middle Order of Operations — Challenge

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 2
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 Illustrative Mathematics Exponent Experimentation 2
Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Basics —
Order of Operations (Supplement some of these problems with additional exponents and negative values to
substitute)
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 6 Mathematics > Module 4 > Topic B > Lesson 6 — Problem Set

TARGET TASK

Find the value of the expression below when x = −1 and y = 2

2 y
3x + y − (x + y)

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS
6.EE.A.1 — Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.
6.EE.A.2.C — Evaluate expressions at speci c values of their variables. Include expressions that arise from
formulas used in real-world problems. Perform arithmetic operations, including those involving whole-
number exponents, in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order
(Order of Operations). For example, use the formulas V = s³ and A = 6 s² to nd the volume and surface area of a cube
with sides of length s = 1/2.
6.EE.A.2 — Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 2
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 LESSON 3
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Investigate patterns of exponents with positive/negative bases and even/odd bases.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Understand that an odd number raised to any non-negative power is always odd.
2. Understand that an even number raised to any positive power is always even.
3. Understand that a negative number raised to any odd power is always negative, and raised to an even power is
always positive.
4. Understand that a positive number raised to any power is always positive.
5. Look for and make use of structure that exists with exponentials in order to make general conclusions (MP.7).
6. Look for and make sense of repeated reasoning with exponentials in order to make general conclusions (MP.8).

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Though this lesson is centered on exponents, this is also an opportunity to have students investigate other patterns
and structures in the number system with the objective of having students justify their reasoning, convince others,
and defend their conclusions (MP.3).
This is the last of three review lessons approaching 8.EE.1 intended to cover concepts and skills involving
exponents. This lesson can be extended or condensed as appropriate for your students.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1
Consider the statement: A negative number raised to any power will be negative.

Is this statement always, sometimes, or never true? Justify your response.

Guiding Questions
What is one example that represents this statement? Is the answer positive or negative?

Which expression correctly demonstrates this statement: −23  or (−2)3 ? Why is the other one incorrect?

What are the different variations of exponent values that you should use in order to cover all cases?
What algebraic expression represents this statement? 

Notes
This is a good opportunity to use counterexamples as part of an argument of why the statement is sometimes but not
always true (MP.3).

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 3
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PROBLEM 2
Consider the statement: An odd number raised to an odd power will be odd.

Is this statement always, sometimes, or never true? Justify your response.

Guiding Questions
What is one example that represents this statement? Is the answer even or odd?
Can you think of an example that does not agree with the statement? 
How can you explain why this statement would always be true, and not just for the examples that you share?

Notes
Anchor Problems 1 and 2 pose a good opportunity for students to compare how they can justify their
responses to a “sometimes” answer vs. an “always” answer. In the rst Anchor Problem, students simply need to
provide an example of when the statement is true and an example of when the statement is not true in order to
justify their “sometimes” response. However, in the second Anchor Problem, where the response is “always”, it’s
not possible to justify a response by providing examples because one cannot provide every example. As a result,
this justi cation requires an explanation or demonstration that goes beyond a few examples (MP.3). By trying
out many examples, students will start to see the repeated reasoning that an odd number times an odd number
will result in another odd number (MP.8).
As students are trying different values for the exponent, some students may ask about negative exponents.
Encourage students to investigate for any patterns here; however, more formal instruction will happen later in
the unit and an understanding of negative exponents is not expected in this lesson. 

PROBLEM 3

What is the last digit of 72018 ? Explain.

Guiding Questions
Do you know if the digit will be even or odd? 
The expectation is not to actually compute this; what other approaches can you think of to determine the
answer?
What values of powers of 7 can you compute?
How can you organize your information to seek a pattern?
How can you convince someone else of your answer?

Notes
This Anchor Problem is optional and can be included as part of the Problem Set depending on time.
Offer calculators to the students to support them in their investigation. They will quickly see that they cannot
use the calculator to compute the answer, but that it can be a helpful tool to nd a pattern (MP.5 and MP.8).

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to create
a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-made
Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include always, sometimes, never problems similar to Anchor Problems 1 & 2 involving exponent and other
number sense reasoning; ensure students provide adequate justi cations.
Include problems with patterns of powers of 10.
Include any other review with exponent concepts and skills.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 3
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 Challenge: Determine if there are values for a and b that would make this inequality true: (−a)b ≤ −(a)
b

EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 1 —
Exercises 11 – 14, Exit Ticket #1, 3, Problem Set #2, 3, 6

TARGET TASK
Which statements below are true? Select all that apply. Choose one answer you said was true and justify your response. 

a.   3222  is an odd number

b.   2111  is an odd number

c.   −4 raised to the 5th power will be a negative odd number

d.   −5 raised to the 4th power will be a positive odd number

e.   −34  is equal to (−3)4  and both are positive

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions. For
example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 3
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 6.EE.A.1 — Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.
7.NS.A.2 — Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division and of fractions to multiply
and divide rational numbers.

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 3
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 LESSON 4
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Investigate exponent patterns to write equivalent expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Use understanding of exponents and the four operations to expand and simplify expressions.
2. Use the fact that any number divided by itself is equal to 1 to simplify expressions.
3. Look for and make use of structure that exists with exponentials in order to write equivalent expressions
(MP.7).
4. Look for and make sense of repeated reasoning with exponentials in order to write equivalent expressions
(MP.8).

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The purpose of this lesson is to get students investigating and exploring exponential expressions using a wide
range of strategies that they have from prior experience. This exploration and self-discovery will support
students in their longer-term understandings of how to simplify exponential expressions, rather than relying
on memorized rules. Therefore, the focus of the lesson should be placed on the process and communication
that students use, and it is ok if students do not walk away with clear answers or rules. Exponent properties
will be covered more thoroughly in the lessons that follow.
Students will likely “ nd” some of the rules for exponents as they investigate different examples. While
students are not expected to name or formalize any rules in this lesson, they should be encouraged to discuss,
share, and celebrate the patterns or rules they nd. 

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 4
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PROBLEM 1
What is the value of the expression:

5 3 2 2
3 2 3 2

3 5 4
3 2 3

Guiding Questions
Do you need to evaluate each individual exponent to evaluate this term? 
3 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3
What is the value of ? Of ? Of ? What structure do you see in these examples that you can
3 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 3 ⋅ 3

apply to the expression above? 

How many 2’s are being multiplied by each other in the numerator? In the denominator? What about the
3’s?
Are you surprised at the value of the expression? 
Write another complex expression that has the same value as the one above. 

Notes
In this Anchor Problem, students observe how a seemingly complex-looking expression can be equivalent to a
simple value like 1. By understanding and using the structure of the expression, students can evaluate this
without having to make any calculations (MP.7).

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 4
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PROBLEM 2

The following statements are incorrect.

Identify the mistake(s).

Correct the statement.
Justify or show your reasoning.

3 5 15 4 4 8
8 (8 ) = 8 2 ⋅ 3 = 6

Guiding Questions
What mistake was made in the rst example? Before correcting the problem, what are other possible

answers – right and wrong – that might represent the product? (For example, 88 , 168 , 1615 , 648 , 6415  etc.)

What strategy can you use to nd the correct answer without evaluating the exponent? 
Can you use the same strategy for the second example? 
How convincing is your reasoning? How do you know your new answer is correct?

Notes
The problem guidance includes a link to a worksheet with additional problems like these two. Students may
discover some of the exponent rules and patterns; the expectation is that students feel con dent in their answers
based on their explorations, not that they formalize or memorize any rules. 

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Have students explore with writing complex exponent terms that evaluate or simplify to a value like 1 or 4 or
25, etc. Students can write expressions and swap them with partners. 
Divisible By 3 Thank You Math Mistakes —
Day 1 handout; this mirrors Anchor Problem 2. Some problems include exponents that students will most
likely not have seen before. The purpose of this exercise is investigative and explorative. Students are not
expected to walk away with any rules.

TARGET TASK

5
Jake believes that  .
30
× 30 = 1
4
30

Do you agree with Jake? If yes, explain why he is correct. If not, then give the correct answer and an argument to
convince Jake that your answer is correct.

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 4
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MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS
6.EE.A.1 — Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 4
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 LESSON 5
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Apply the product of powers rule and the quotient of powers rule to write equivalent, simpli ed exponential
expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for product of powers: xmxn = xm+n.

m
x
2. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for quotient of powers: n
= x
m−n

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

These Anchor Problems can be used in a variety of ways, but one effective approach is to have students lead
the work rather than the teacher. Similar to the previous lesson, students can investigate and explore these
problems, but now with the added objective of determining an approach to solving problems in general. 
Once students have experimented with the problems and found a generalization, then provide them with the
name of the rule and the general form. 
Throughout the next few lessons, the problems will become increasingly complex as new rules are learned and
named. It is important for students to be able to look at an exponential expression and see the structure in the
problem that can help them understand what to do (MP.7). This is more important and will be more useful to
students than memorizing the rules. You may consider having students create posters or other visual displays
that they can refer to throughout the unit.
Note that negative exponents are not included in this lesson, as they will be introduced in Lesson 8.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 5
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PROBLEM 1
Write an equivalent, simpli ed form of each of the following:

4 5
2 2
2 4 a b m n
5 × 5 (− ) (− ) 12 ⋅ 12 x x
3 3

Guiding Questions
Recall the strategies that you used in the previous lesson (Lesson 4) to identify and x incorrect problems.
Which strategy or strategies could help you here? 
What would the rst expression look like if it were expanded? 
What would the third expression look like if it were expanded? 
In general, how would you explain to someone how to write a simpli ed equivalent expression when given
something that looks like the examples above?

Notes
By looking at four different examples, students should observe that the base does not change, whether it is
a whole number, fraction, variable, etc., but the exponent is what represents the number of times the base
is multiplied by itself (MP.8).
Once students have determined the general approach, provide the name of the rule. 

PROBLEM 2
Write an equivalent, simpli ed form of each of the following:

3 4 6 2 3 2 3 4
5 ⋅ 25 ⋅ 5 5 3 × 3 × 5 (2xy)(x y )(2y )

Guiding Questions
How can you write the rst expression using only a base 5?
What are the exponents of the base 3 in the second expression?
How are these problems different from the ones in Anchor Problem 1? Can you use the same rule or
approach to simplify these?

Notes
Students may use the commutative property to re-arrange the expressions so like bases are next to one another
(MP.1).

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 5
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PROBLEM 3

Write an equivalent, simpli ed form of each of the following:

m
x
9
1 n
(− ) x
6 4 7
8 2 6 5
3 5 5
8 1 6 ⋅ 2
(− )
2
(m > n)

Guiding Questions
Recall the strategies that you used in the previous lesson (Lesson 4) to identify and x incorrect problems.
Which strategy or strategies could help you here? 
What would the rst expression look like if it were expanded? 
What would the third expression look like if it were expanded? Can you simplify the factors with base 5
and base 2?
In general, how would you explain to someone how to write a simpli ed equivalent expression when given
something that looks like the examples above?

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8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 5
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PROBLEM 4
Your teacher writes the following two expressions on the board:

Your teacher asks the class if these two expressions are equivalent. Half of the class says yes, and half says no. What
do you think? Convince the other half of the class that you are correct.

Guiding Questions
Which example from earlier in the class is similar to this problem? 
What do you notice about the rst expression? How many bases are there? What are they? What
operation is happening between each base?
Why would some students think these two expressions were equivalent? 
How can you catch yourself from making similar mistakes, especially as the problems become more
complex? 

Notes
This Anchor Problem is optional and can be included as part of the Problem Set depending on time.
This Anchor Problem targets a common misconception that can happen when students over-apply a rule.
They can become confused between when to add and when to multiply. Encourage students to explain the
conceptual thinking behind the rule so that the concept stays connected to the procedure or rule. 

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include problems where students are given an exponential expression and must write a more complex,

equivalent expression (for example, write an expression equivalent to 32+4 , x5−2 , y 8 ).

EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 2 —
Exercises 1-32, Problem Set 3-5
Kuta Software Free Pre-Algebra Worksheets Exponents and Radicals — Multiplication property of exponents
Open Middle Properties of Integer Exponents 2
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 2 — Optional Fluency Exercises
Open Middle Properties of Integer Exponents
Kuta Software Free Pre-Algebra Worksheets Exponents and Radicals —
Division property of exponents (Some of these include quotients resulting in a negative difference. These can
be adjusted to only include positive exponents, or have students simplify by expanding and leaving the
remaining bases in the denominator.)

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 5
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TARGET TASK
Simplify the following expressions.

a.  23a × 23b

b.  53 × 25

x
11
c.   y
11

13
d.   2
8

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 5
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 6
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Apply the power of powers rule and power of product rule to write equivalent, simpli ed exponential expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for power of product: (xy)m = x
m m
y .

2. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for power of powers: (xm)n = xmn.

3. Know that (x + y)m ≠ x

m
+ y
m
.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

In terms of pacing, this lesson may be split over more than one day.
Similar to Lesson 5, these Anchor Problems can be used in a variety of ways, including having students lead the
discovery and seek out a general rule. 
Once students have experimented with the problems and found a generalization, then provide them with the
name of the rule and the general form.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1
Is the following statement true? Show your reasoning.

5 5 5
3 2 = 6

Guiding Questions
Do you think the two values are the same? Which one do you think might be bigger?
Expand both expressions. How can you use the commutative property to try to make the two expressions
look the same? 
What is the relationship between 2, 3, and 6? 
What is another example like this? 

Would this also apply to 34 25 = 6

9
? How is this example different? 

How can you describe or represent this approach in general?

Notes
Use this Anchor Problem to demonstrate:

5 5
3 ⋅ 2 = 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 2

= (3 ⋅ 2)(3 ⋅ 2)(3 ⋅ 2)(3 ⋅ 2)(3 ⋅ 2)

5
= (3 ⋅ 2)

5
= 6

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2

Write an equivalent, simpli ed form of each of the following:

3
5x
5 2
(4x) (−3mn) ( )
y

Guiding Questions

Why is (4x)5 ≠ 20x

5
?

What does (4x)5 look like when expanded?

Will the value of the second expression be positive or negative? Why? What role do parentheses play
here? 
What property of operations does this pattern remind you of? (Distributive property)

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 3

Lucas thinks that since (ab)2 2 2

= a b , then that must mean (a + b)2 2
= a + b
2
. Is Lucas’ reasoning correct? Explain or

show why or why not.

Guiding Questions
How could you test this conjecture using numbers? 
Is showing one false example enough to say this statement is false? 
What is the difference between (ab) and (a + b)?

What do you think about (a − b)2 ? What about (a + b + c)2 ? Can you apply the power of product rule to

these examples? Why or why not?

Challenge: Use an area model to determine an equivalent expression for (a + b)2 .

Notes

Students also saw geometric representations of (a + b)2 and a2 + b2 in 6th grade using numbers (see below). This

is another way to demonstrate that (a + b)2 2

≠ a + b
2
.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 4

How is 72 76 different from (72 )6 ? What is a simpli ed expression for each one? 

Use your reasoning to simplify the following:

5 4 3 6 3 12
(11 ) −(2 ) ((−1) )

Guiding Questions

What would 72 76 and (72 )6 look like when expanded?

Do you think the two expressions are equal? Which one might be larger? 
How can you describe or represent this approach in general?
Will the value of the second expression in the table be positive or negative? Why?
Will the value of the third expression in the table be positive or negative? Why?
How do you need to use parentheses to effectively convey your answer?

Notes
If students need more support to generalize the rule, include more examples without negatives.

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include a mixture of problems that involve using all the rules learned so far.
Revisit the worksheet from Lesson 4, before students learned the more general approaches and rules. Do any
of the problems illustrate the rules you’ve learned?
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 3 — Exercises and Problem Set
Kuta Software Free Pre-Algebra Worksheets Exponents and Radicals — Powers of products and quotients

TARGET TASK

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Simplify each exponential expression.

a.   (93 )6

b.  (1132 × 37 × 514 )3

c.   (x2 yz 4 )3

8
d.   
4
8
5

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 6
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 7
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Reason with zero exponents to write equivalent, simpli ed exponential expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for zero exponents: x0 = 1  for non-zero numbers.

2. Simplify exponential expressions using exponent rules.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The question of what is the value of 00 may come up. There is not a de nitive answer to this, as there are valid

reasons to believe that it equals 1, and there are valid reasons to believe it equals 0 (involving some math beyond 8th

grade). It is common to say that 00 is unde ned.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 7
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1

What is the value of 50 ? Explore 3 different strategies to determine the value.

Strategy 1: Use product of powers rule

How does the statement below shed light on the value of 50 ?

2 0 2+0 2
5 ⋅ 5 = 5 = 5

Strategy 2: Use quotient of power rule

How does the statement below shed light on the value of 50 ?

2
5 2−2 0
= 5 = 5
2
5

Strategy 3: Use a table

Complete the table below to shed light on the value of 50 .

Exponent Value

5
3
 

5
2
 

5
1
 

5
0
 

Guiding Questions

Before looking at the different strategies, what are some possible values of 50 ? 

What is the value of any non-zero number divided by itself?

What pattern do you see in the table? 
In general, what is the value of any number raised to the 0th power? 

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 7
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 Notes
Students reason abstractly using properties of exponents to make sense of the meaning of a zero exponent
(MP.2). 
Depending on how this Anchor Problem is used in class, the scaffolding may be removed or the strategies
may be distributed around the class. Students should get exposure to more than 1 way to conceptualize
the zeroth power.

PROBLEM 2
Which is bigger, one raised to the millionth power or one million raised to the zeroth power?

Guiding Questions
How do you represent the two options above using a base and exponent? 
How is this a trick question? 
Can you think of other examples like this one?

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include a mix of problems that incorporate the previous properties learned.

Challenge: Write an exponential expression using at least 3 different bases and at least one set of parentheses
that simpli es to 1.
Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Exponents —
Properties of exponents (easy, hard) (Some of these include negative exponents, which have not been covered
yet. Do not include these problems until Lesson 8.)
Illustrative Mathematics Raising to the Zero and Negative Powers — Parts a-c only
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 4 —
Problem Set and Applying Properties of Exponents to Generate Equivalent Expressions Round 1 & 2

TARGET TASK

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 7
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1
Which expressions below are equivalent to 1? Select all that apply.

6
a. 
3 0
⋅ 3
6
3

5 4
b. 
4 4
×
4 5
4 4

c. 23 − 23

d. (27 − 27 )20

e. (30 ⋅ 30 )10

PROBLEM 2

What is the value of n in the equation below? Explain your answer.

3
n 2
2 ⋅ = 1
5
2

MASTERY RESPONSE

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 7
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
1.

   

2.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 7
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 8
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Reason with negative exponents to write equivalent, simpli ed exponential expressions.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1 1
1. Investigate, determine, and apply the general rule for negative exponents: x−m =
m
 and −m
= x
m
;
x x

understand x−m as the reciprocal of xm.

2. Simplify exponential expressions using exponent rules.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

A common misconception with negative exponents is to over-apply the rule to bases that have an implicit exponent

1
of 1 or to negative numbers (not exponents). For example, 2x−1 is often incorrectly written as , not realizing that
2x

the base 2 has a positive exponent of 1 and should remain in the numerator.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 8
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1

What is the value of 5−2 ? Explore 3 different strategies to determine the value. 

Strategy 1: Use product of powers rule

How does the statement below shed light on the value of 5−2 ?

2 −2 2+(−2) 0
5 ⋅ 5 = 5 = 5 = 1

Strategy 2: Use quotient of power rule

How does the statement below shed light on the value of 5−2 ?

4 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5
5 4−6 −2
= = 5 = 5
6 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 5
5

Strategy 3: Use a table

Complete the table below to shed light on the value of 5−2 .

Exponent Value

5
3
 

5
2
 

5
1
 

5
0
 

5
−1
 

5
−2
 

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 8
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 Guiding Questions

Before looking at the different strategies, what are some possible values of 5−2 ? 

Recall your work with fractions. What do you call two numbers that when you multiply them together you
get 1? 
In strategy 2, when you expand and simplify the fraction, where do you still have factors of 5 left?
What pattern do you see in the table? 

Considering the pattern in the table, will the value of 5m ever be negative? Even if m is a really big negative

number?

In general, what is the relationship between xm and x−m?

Notes
Students reason abstractly using properties of exponents to make sense of the meaning of a negative
exponent (MP.2). 
Depending on how this Anchor Problem is used in class, the scaffolding may be removed or the strategies
may be distributed around the class. Students should get exposure to more than 1 way to conceptualize
negative powers.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 8
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2
Simplify the following expressions to the fewest number of bases possible and no negative exponents.

4
a.  
15
−3
15

b.  2x−5

c.  (ab2 )−3

−3
d.  
m

−2
1
e.  ( )
3

1
f.   −8
7

Guiding Questions
Will the expression in part (a) be greater than 1 or less than 1?
In the expression in part (b), what is the exponent of the base 2? Will the base 2 be treated the same way as
the base 5?
There are a couple different ways to approach expression (c); which way did you approach it?

Notes
Watch for students applying the rules for exponents with precision, especially with negative exponents, and not
over-applying any rules (MP.6). See the note in Tips for Teachers for an example.

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Problems similar to: x8 = x

10
⋅ x
?

5 −5
Problems similar to: Which is larger?   OR  ?
2 2
−5 5
2 2

Challenge: For what values of a is a−b > a

b
, when b is a positive integer?

Illustrative Mathematics Raising to the Zero and Negative Powers — Parts d-f only

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 8
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 Open Middle Negative Exponents
Which One Doesn't Belong Numbers — Number 45 from Chris Bolognese
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic A > Lesson 5 — Problem Set
Open Middle Negative Exponents - Closest to Zero — Challenge
Open Middle Exponents: Power of a Power Rule
Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Exponents —
Properties of exponents (easy, hard) (Include problems with negatives not used in the previous lesson.)

TARGET TASK
What errors were made in the examples below? Explain the mistake and then nd an equivalent expression.

−3 2 1
x y
a.   −4 2
=
6 5
y x y x

1
b.  4m−1 =
4m

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 8
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 9
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Simplify and write equivalent exponential expressions using all exponent rules.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Apply any or all exponent rules to write equivalent exponential expressions that are simpli ed or use fewer
bases or factors. 
2. Justify each step in order to know that each expression is equivalent.
3. Reason with positive and negative bases and exponents.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The goal of this lesson is for students to continue practicing with writing equivalent exponent expressions, now using
all the rules and strategies they have learned. This can also be used as a ex day, depending on the needs of your
particular students. The problem set guidance includes options for independent work as well as whole class or small
group activities.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1

Find n so that the number sentence below is true:

3 3 3 n 9
2 ⋅ 4 = 2 ⋅ 2 = 2

Then use your response above to explain why 23 ⋅ 43 = 2

9
.

Guiding Questions
How can you re-write 4 as a base of 2?
What property or properties can you use to know that your answer is correct?

How else could you write 29 using a base of 4 as one of the factors?

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 9
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2
Write a simpli ed, equivalent expression for the one shown below:

2 2 −1
4x (2y )

−2 0
2x y

Guiding Questions
Which bases have a negative exponent? What should you do with them?
Which bases have a positive exponent? What should you do with them?
Which bases have an exponent of 1?
Is there a speci c rst step, or is there more than one way to approach this problem? 
What is your justi cation for each step? How do you know you are writing an equivalent expression?
Challenge: Write a complex-looking exponential expression that simpli es to -10. Write a complex-
looking exponential expression that simpli es to 0.

Notes
This is a good opportunity for students to compare their approach with others. There are multiple ways to start
simplifying this expression. It can be valuable for students to see the approach of others, as well as describe their
own. In students’ descriptions, listen for accurate use of vocabulary and language to explain what they did and
why it is allowed.

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Use any other problems not used from previous lessons.

Nathan Kraft's Blog I Shall Never Play a Review Game Again!
RDA Performance Task Bank Grade 8 Mathematics Sample SR Item
Illustrative Mathematics Extending the De nition of Exponents, Variation 1 — Challenge
Don’t Panic, the Answer is 42 Exponent Rules Unit —
Good options to use include the Exponent Rules Proof Worksheets, the Exponent Rules Karuta game, and the
Exponent Quizzes.
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 8 —
Applying Properties of Exponents to Generate Equivalent Expressions - Round 1 & 2
Yummy Math Negative Exponents? Ugh —
This is set in a real-world context and is an interesting application for students to work with exponents in
context.)
MARS Formative Assessment Lesson for Grade 8 Applying Properties of Exponents
Math Education Page Math Curriculum Materials for Middle School —
Negative Exponents, 8th Grade (Includes problems that require students to explain patterns and rules, not just
rote practice.)

TARGET TASK

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 9
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
If x is a positive integer greater than 1, then which of the following will be positive? Select all that apply.

a.   x−5

b.  −4x−5

c.  (−3x)−4

1
d.  
3
−2x

e.  x8 ⋅ x−6 ⋅ x−2

f.  x − x−1

g.  −x2

MASTERY RESPONSE

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 9
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 9
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 10
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Write large and small numbers as powers of 10. 

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Represent large numbers as powers of 10 or multiples of powers of 10.
2. Represent small numbers (<1 and >0) as powers of 10 or multiples of powers of 10. 
3. Strategize ways to verbally communicate very large or very small numbers to others. 
4. Compare magnitudes using powers of ten. 
5. Associate quantities with real-world measurements and examples.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

This lesson is approaching 8.EE.3 and 8.EE.4 and reviews concepts rooted in powers of 10 that will be
important for students to know for scienti c notation.
The Powers of Ten video is a great introduction to these upcoming lessons on magnitude and scienti c
notation, although students may have seen it before. It is about 9 minutes long.
The MegaPenny Project is a really fun visualization of just how big a million, brillion, trillion, even quadrillion
are, as represented in pennies. This can be very helpful to emphasize the difference between a million and a
billion.

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1
There are about one million people living in Austin, Texas. There are about ten times as many people living in New
York City, NY. Phil says that means there are one billion people living in New York City.

Explain why Phil is incorrect.

Guiding Questions
What is one million written in decimal or standard notation? 
What is two times one million? 
What is 10 times one million? 
What is 100 times one million?
How many millions does it take to make one billion? 
How many thousands does it take to make one million?
How many billions does it take to make a trillion? 

Notes
This Anchor Problem reviews students’ understanding of large numbers and how they compare to one another.
This can be skipped depending on the needs of your students.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 10
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2
Read the following sentences to a peer:

Approximately 3,800,000 people live in Los Angeles, CA.

The population of the world is approximately 7,200,000,000.
A mosquito weighs about 0.0025 grams.
The average human cell weighs 0.000000000001 kg.
Scientists have estimated that there are approximately 37,200,000,000,000 cells in the human body.

Guiding Questions
What are the place values to the left of zero? 
What are the place values to the right of zero?
What other ways can you communicate these numbers to a peer?
What patterns do you recall around the number of zeroes to the right and left of the decimal point? How
can you use those patterns to communicate these numbers?

Notes
Students may come up with various strategies to describe and communicate these numbers to each other. Keep
an ear out for ef cient or interesting strategies to share with the class, and ones that set students up for
understanding scienti c notation (to come in the next lesson).

PROBLEM 3
Represent the following numbers as powers of 10 or multiples of powers of 10.

a. One billion
b. 10,000
c. 0.001
d. 0.00000001
e. 0.00000005
f. 100,000,000
g. 500,000,000

How many times bigger is one billion than 10,000?

Guiding Questions
How many times greater is a digit in one place than it is in a place to its right? To its left?
What pattern exists as you continue moving right? Moving left?
What relationship do you notice between the power of 10 and the number of digits either to the left or
right of the decimal point?
How would you determine how much bigger 200 is than 20? 
How many 10,000’s make up one billion?
What real-world examples might be measured in the quantities above? What units would be associated
with those measurements?

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 10
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 Problems similar to: True or false, a trillion is a million millions.
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 7 — Problem Set
Robert Kaplinsky How Many Stars Are There In The Universe?
Illustrative Mathematics Orders of Magnitude — Part a
Illustrative Mathematics Millions and Billions of People
Illustrative Mathematics Multiplying by Decimals of 10 — This can be adapted to multiply by powers of 10.
Illustrative Mathematics Thousands and Millions of Fourth Graders —
The scaffolding can be removed to adapt for 8th graders.

TARGET TASK
PROBLEM 1

A large construction crane weighs one million pounds. A large truck weighs 10,000 pounds. How many times greater
is the weight of the crane than the weight of the truck?

PROBLEM 2
Complete the chart below. The rst row has been completed for you as an example.

Example of something
Power of 10 Decimal Notation Place Value
measured in this quantity

10
2
100 Hundred Miles traveled between states

10
3
     

10
6
     

10
9
     

10
12
     

MASTERY RESPONSE

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 10
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
1.

    

2.

    

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.3 — Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very
large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example,
estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10⁸ and the population of the world as 7 ×
10⁹, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.
8.EE.A.4 — Perform operations with numbers expressed in scienti c notation, including problems where both
decimal and scienti c notation are used. Use scienti c notation and choose units of appropriate size for
measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for sea oor spreading).
Interpret scienti c notation that has been generated by technology.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS
5.NBT.A.2 — Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of
10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a
power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.
5.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it
represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 10
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 11
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
De ne and write numbers in scienti c notation.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. De ne and understand a number written in scienti c notation as a product of 2 factors, where the rst factor
is a number greater than or equal to 1 and less than 10 (has only one digit to the left of the decimal point), and
the second factor is a power of 10 (integer powers only).
2. Understand scienti c notation as an ef cient, abbreviated way to communicate about very large and very
small numbers.
3. Write numbers in scienti c notation into standard form and vice versa.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

There are a few common misconceptions that students may have when it comes to scienti c notation. One is
confusing the power of 10 as representing the number of 0’s and not place values. Show students examples
where this pattern does not hold up. Another is confusing the negative power of 10 as indicating a negative
value. Remind students of what negative exponents mean and have them re-write them as fractions with a
numerator 1. Lastly, students may not write the rst factor as a number between 1 and 10. Show students

examples such as 35 × 103  and ask them to write it into scienti c notation. 

Some real-world contexts that involve scienti c notation may be new or unfamiliar to students (celestial
objects, subatomic particles, geography of unfamiliar locations, etc.). To the extent possible, provide additional
information around these contexts both in and out of math class to support conceptual understanding. 

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 11
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1
What’s the number? Write each number below in standard form.

a.   30, 000 × 10−1

b.   3 × 103

c.   0.3 × 104

Guiding Questions

What does 10−1 equal? 103 ? 104 ?

How can you use the powers of 10 to determine the value of each number?
Can you write the number 3,000 using any power of 10? How? 
As the power of 10 changes in each example, how does the number on the left change? 
One of these is written in a form called scienti c notation (see note below). Which one is written in
scienti c notation? 
How are the other examples not written in scienti c notation? 

Notes
Allow students to explore their own strategies to write these numbers in standard form before de ning
scienti c notation.
Use this problem to de ne scienti c notation. A number written in scienti c notation is written as a
product of 2 factors. The rst factor is a number greater than or equal to 1 and less than 10 (has only one
digit to the left of the decimal point), and the second factor is an integer power of 10.

PROBLEM 2

Write each number described below into scienti c notation.

a. The distance from the earth to the sun is 92,955,807 miles.

b. The mass of a grain of salt is approximately 0.0000000585 kilograms.

Guiding Questions
Why is scienti c notation a useful way to express numbers such as the ones above?
Why would you want to estimate or round the number in example a before using scienti c notation? To
what place value will you round?
For very large numbers, will the power of 10 be positive or negative? For very small numbers?
The number in example b is not negative. Why will the exponent be negative in scienti c notation?

Notes
This is a good opportunity to talk about scienti c notation as an abbreviated and more ef cient way of
communicating large and small numbers. You could ask students for examples in the written language, such as
asap, lol, Ave., AM/PM, MA (or other state abbreviations), etc. The rst example about the distance from the
earth to the sun also provides a good opportunity to talk about the trade-offs of using scienti c notation, in that
you can lose some level of accuracy and precision in exchange for greater ef ciency in communication (MP.6).

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 11
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 3

Match each number in column A to a number in column B. One number in each column is missing, which must be
written in to create the remaining pairs.

Guiding Questions
Which numbers in column A are greater than 0? Are greater than 1? Are less than 1?
Which numbers in column B will have a positive exponent? A negative exponent?
What is wrong with the approach of counting the number of 0’s to determine the power of 10?

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Exponents — Writing numbers in scienti c notation
MARS Formative Assessment Lesson for Grade 8 Estimating Length Using Scienti c Notation —
Use the Collaborative Activity, Card Sets A – C
Yummy Math Super Bowl ads and scienti c notation
Kuta Software Free Pre-Algebra Worksheets Exponents and Radicals —
Writing scienti c notation (Good for basic problems. Do not include problems that involve multiplying two
numbers in scienti c notation.)

TARGET TASK

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 11
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
The table contains seven measurements written in decimal and scienti c notation.

a. Complete the table so that each measurement is written in both decimal and scienti c notation.
b. In the last column, rank the measurements in order of size. (1 = smallest, 2 = next smallest, and so on up to 7 =
largest)

Decimal Notation Scienti c Notation Rank

  1 × 10
−2
 m  

0.004 m    

200 m    

  8 × 10
5
 m  

40,000,000 m    

40 m    

  8 × 10
−4
 m  

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.3 — Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very
large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example,
estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10⁸ and the population of the world as 7 ×
10⁹, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 11
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 4.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it
represents in the place to its right. For example, recognize that 700 ÷ 70 = 10 by applying concepts of place value and
division.
5.NBT.A.2 — Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of
10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a
power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.
5.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it
represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 11
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 12
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Compare numbers written in scienti c notation.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Compare two numbers, written in either standard form or scienti c notation, to determine which one is larger
or smaller. 
2. Determine the number of times greater one quantity is than another quantity.
3. Apply the properties of exponents to ef ciently compare powers of 10. 

ANCHOR PROBLEMS
PROBLEM 1

The Fornax Dwarf galaxy is 4.6 × 105  light-years away from Earth, while Andromeda is 2.430 × 106  light-years away

from Earth. Which is closer to Earth?

Guiding Questions
Are you looking to answer which distance is shorter or longer? 
Are you looking to answer which number is smaller or bigger?

Looking just at the powers of 10, which distance is closer to Earth, 105 or 106 ? 

Looking just at the numbers 4.6 and 2.430, do you come to the same conclusion? 
 What is each number written in standard form?
When comparing numbers in scienti c notation, what is important to look at rst? Second? 

Notes
This Anchor Problem encourages students to pay attention to the meaning of the numbers as they are written in
scienti c notation. In order to compare, you need to look at the power of 10 rst to understand the magnitude of
the number (MP.2).

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 12
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2
Subatomic particles are smaller than atoms. The average lifetime of the tau lepton particle is

2.906 × 10
−13
 seconds, and the average lifetime of the neutral pion particle is 8.4 × 10−17  seconds. Which

subatomic particle has a longer average lifetime?

Guiding Questions
Would you want to write these numbers in standard form? 

Which number is bigger, 10−13 or 10−17 ? Which is bigger 10−13 or 10−17 ?

Looking just at the powers of 10, which average lifetime is longer, 10−13 or 10−17 ? 

Looking just at the numbers 2.906 and 8.4, do you come to the same conclusion? 
When comparing numbers in scienti c notation, what is important to look at rst? Second?

PROBLEM 3
The population of New York City is approximately 8 million people. The population of New York State is

approximately 2 × 107 . How many times greater is the population of the state than the population of the city?

Guiding Questions
Consider a similar problem with more simple numbers: There are 20 red blocks in a bag, and there are a
total of 140 blocks in the bag. How many times greater is the number of total blocks than the number of
red blocks in the bag? How would you solve this problem? How does that shed light on how to approach
the problem above? (MP.1)
Write the population of NYC in scienti c notation. What fraction can you write that can help you nd the
answer? 
How can you use properties of operations to help you simplify this problem? 

Notes
One approach that works well to solve this type of problem is to represent the two values written in scienti c
notation as a fractional relationship. This allows students to apply properties of operations and ef ciently work
7 2 7 1
with the powers of 10. In this example, 2 × 10
6
= ×
10
6
= × 10
1
= 0.25 × 10 = 2.5  times greater. 
8 × 10 8 10 4

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 12
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 4

A single piece of cat food weighs 4.5 × 10−4 kg. The plastic bowl that holds the cat food weighs 

9 × 10
−1
kg. The weight of the bowl is about how many times the weight of a single piece of food?

Guiding Questions
How is this problem similar to Anchor Problem #3? How is it different?
Which value is greater?
What strategy can you use to determine the factor that compares the two quantities?

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include problems where students compare numbers written in scienti c notation and standard form using
inequality symbols < and >.

Include error analysis problems where numbers were incorrectly compared by looking at only one component

of numbers written in scienti c notation (for example, 3.5 × 104 >1 × 105 ).

Include problems where students order numbers that are given in both scienti c notation and standard form.
Challenge: How much larger is the mass of the sun than the mass of the earth?
RDA Performance Task Bank Grade 08 Mathematics Sample CR Item C1 TB
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 8 —
Exercises 2-3, Problem Set 3-4
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 11 — Problem Set 1-2
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 13 — Problem Set, Exit Ticket

TARGET TASK
Two of the largest mammals on earth are the blue whale and the African elephant.

1. An adult male blue whale weighs about 160 tons (1 ton = 1, 000 kg). Show that the weight of an adult blue whale

is equal to 1.6 × 105 kg.

2. An adult male African elephant weighs about 8 × 103 kg. About how many times heavier is an adult male blue

whale than an adult male African elephant?

MASTERY RESPONSE

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 12
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.3 — Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very
large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example,
estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10⁸ and the population of the world as 7 ×
10⁹, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.
8.EE.A.4 — Perform operations with numbers expressed in scienti c notation, including problems where both
decimal and scienti c notation are used. Use scienti c notation and choose units of appropriate size for
measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for sea oor spreading).
Interpret scienti c notation that has been generated by technology.

FOUNDATIONAL STANDARDS
4.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it
represents in the place to its right. For example, recognize that 700 ÷ 70 = 10 by applying concepts of place value and
division.
5.NBT.A.2 — Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of
10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a
power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.
5.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it
represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 12
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 13
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Multiply and divide with numbers in scienti c notation. Interpret scienti c notation on calculators.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Multiply two numbers in scienti c notation by rearranging the factors as

(a × 10
m
)(b × 10
n
) = (a × b)(10
m
× 10
n
 using the commutative property.
)

m
a 10
2. Divide two numbers in scienti c notation by rearranging the factors as (a × 10m) ÷ (b × 10n) = ( )× (
n
.
)
b 10

3. Apply the product and quotient properties of exponents to ef ciently calculate with powers of 10.
4. Use a calculator to multiply and divide in scienti c notation and interpret the results (MP.5).

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Tools needed for this lesson: scienti c calculators (handheld and/or online)

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 13
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1

1
One sheet of 8 "  by 11 " paper weighs 4.5 × 10−3  kg. A school is expecting a delivery of 100 cases of paper which
2

include a total of 5 × 105 pieces of paper. How much does all the paper in the cases weigh? 

Guiding Questions
What operation will you use to solve this problem?
Why is it not ef cient to use standard form?
What property of operations will allow you to change the order of the numbers you’re multiplying? How
can you use this property to nd an easier way to multiply?
What property of exponents is useful here? 

Is 22.5 × 102 written in scienti c notation? How can you change it so it is? 

What is your answer written in standard form? 

Notes
Students see how scienti c notation can be an effective form to use when calculating with large or small
numbers, as opposed to standard form. They also see how properties of exponents can be applied to make
calculations even more ef cient. 

Students pay close attention to the resulting value of 22.5 × 102 to observe it is not in scienti c notation

form and they re-write it to be so (MP.6).

PROBLEM 2

The speed of light is approximately 300, 000, 000 meters per second. The sun is approximately 1.5 × 1011 meters from

Earth. How many seconds does it take for sunlight to reach Earth? What is this in minutes?

Guiding Questions
What operation will you use to solve this problem?
Why is it not ef cient to use standard form?
How is this similar to comparative problems you solved in the previous lesson? 
What property of exponents is useful here? 
What is your answer in standard form? 
Do you nd this answer surprising?

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 13
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 3

A student multiplied two numbers in an online scienti c calculator and got the following result:

What does the answer in the calculator mean? 

What are possible factors that the student entered into the calculator?

Guiding Questions
Do you see any resemblance to scienti c notation? 
What do you think the “e” means? Why do you think it’s represented with the letter “e”?
How would you write this in scienti c notation?

How would you expect the number 4 × 1018 to be represented on this calculator? How about 8.7 × 10−10

?
Why do you think calculators represent large or small numbers in this form rather than using standard
form?
Try out some other calculators and online calculators. Do they all represent scienti c notation in the same
way? What variations do you see? Try out other products.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 13
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 4
Calculate. Write your answer in scienti c notation and standard form.

7
6.6 × 10 −5
⋅ 3 × 10
−1
1.1 × 10

Guiding Questions
What are two different approaches you can take to solve this problem?
What properties of operations are useful?
What properties of exponents are useful?
Check that your nal answer is written in scienti c notation – is the rst factor a number between 1 and

10 ?

Notes
This Anchor Problem is optional and can be included as part of the Problem Set depending on time.
Students can use scienti c calculators to check their answers.

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include problems where a number written in scienti c notation is taken to a power; for example,

(3.2 × 10
−3 5
) .

Have students check their answers using scienti c calculators.

EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 11 — Example 1, Exercise 5
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 10 —
Examples 1-2, Exercises 1-2
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 8 —
Exercises 4-5, Problem Set 1-2
Kuta Software Free Pre-Algebra Worksheets Exponents and Radicals —
Writing scienti c notation (Use problems not used in Lesson 11; include problems that involve multiplying
two numbers in scienti c notation, 17 – 22.)
Illustrative Mathematics Ant and Elephant
MARS Summative Assessment Tasks for Middle School A Million Dollars

TARGET TASK

The average American household spends about $40,000 each year. If there are about 1 × 108 households, what is the

total amount of money spent by American households in one year? Write your answer in scienti c notation and
standard form. How would you read this number to a peer?

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 13
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.4 — Perform operations with numbers expressed in scienti c notation, including problems where both
decimal and scienti c notation are used. Use scienti c notation and choose units of appropriate size for
measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for sea oor spreading).
Interpret scienti c notation that has been generated by technology.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 13
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 14
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Add and subtract with numbers in scienti c notation.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Determine if two or more numbers written in scienti c notation have the same magnitude or place value by
looking at the power of 10. 
2. Re-write numbers to have the same power of 10 in order to add or subtract. 
3. Distinguish between addition and subtraction problems and comparative or multiplication and division
problems.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The Target Task is slightly longer than normal and may require some additional time budgeted for it. 
Tools needed for this lesson: scienti c calculators (handheld and/or online). Students can use calculators to
strategically check their answers. 

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 14
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1

Two students are presented with the challenge of adding 2.5 × 103  and 1.3 × 104 . They have just learned how to

multiply numbers in scienti c notation, and they try out using similar strategies. They get two possible answers:

3.8 × 10
4
   OR     3.8 × 107

a. Explain or show to the students how both of the answers are incorrect. 
b. Why will the strategies used when multiplying numbers in scienti c notation not work when adding?
c. What are some strategies that can be used to solve this problem?

Guiding Questions
When multiplying with numbers in scienti c notation, you are able to use the commutative property to
multiply the two rst factors together and then the two powers of 10. Why does this not work with
addition? 

What is the place value of the “2” in 2.5 × 103 ? What is the place value of the “1” in 1.3 × 104 ? Can you add

these two numbers together to get the digit “3”? Why or why not?
What do you notice about the powers of 10 in the two numbers? Why is this an important detail when
adding numbers?

Notes
Use this problem to expose the misconception that adding numbers in scienti c notation is treated the
same way as multiplying. In this problem, allow students to investigate strategies and approaches on their
own, and then share these with their peers. They will be able to narrow in on ef cient approaches in the
next few problems. For example, some students may opt to write these numbers in standard form and
compute. This strategy may work for smaller powers of 10, but as seen in the next Anchor Problem, this is
not the most ef cient strategy. 
The term “order of magnitude” may be used here to reference the powers of 10. If the order of magnitude
of two numbers in scienti c notation are different, then the place values of the numbers being multiplied
by the powers of 10 are not the same.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 14
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2

The Great Lakes are a series of freshwater lakes located on the US and Canadian border. Lake Superior has the

greatest volume of water with 3.12 × 1015  gallons of water. The smallest lake, by volume of water, is Lake Ontario

with 4.26 × 1014 gallons of water.

How many more gallons of water are in Lake Superior than in Lake Ontario?

Guiding Questions
What operation is required to answer this question? 
Do the numbers “3” and “4” in the volumes of water for each lake represent the same place value? 
Why can you not just nd the difference between “3.12” and “4.26”? 
How can you represent these numbers with the same power of 10, in order to make the place values of the
digits the same? 
How is this different from the question: The volume of Lake Superior is how many times the volume of
Lake Ontario?

Notes
Compare this problem with Anchor Problem 1 and discuss why using standard form may not be an ef cient
strategy to solve this problem.

PROBLEM 3
A water molecule is made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, represented as H2O. One hydrogen atom has a

mass of 1.7 × 10−27  kg, and one oxygen atom has a mass of 2.7 × 10−26 kg. 

What is the total mass of a single water molecule?

Guiding Questions
Which has a greater mass – a hydrogen atom or an oxygen atom? 
What is the mass of 2 hydrogen atoms? How did you determine this? 
Do the numbers represent the same place values? How will you change it so they do?

Notes
This Anchor Problem is optional and can be included as part of the Problem Set depending on time. 

PROBLEM SET
The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson. They can be used to
create a problem set for class (for non-Fishtank Plus users), or as supplementary or additional resources to the pre-
made Problem Set (for Fishtank Plus users).

Include error analysis questions and review of previous concepts and skills from the unit.
Kuta Software Free Algebra 1 Worksheets Exponents — Operations with scienti c notation
EngageNY Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics > Module 1 > Topic B > Lesson 9 — Exercises and Problem Set

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 14
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
TARGET TASK

The approximate total surface area of Earth is 5.1 × 108  km 2 . 

a. All the salt water on Earth has an approximate surface area of 352,000,000 km 2 , and all the freshwater on

Earth has an approximate surface area of 9 × 106 km 2 . How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water,

including both salt and fresh water? Write your answer in scienti c notation. 
b. How much of Earth’s surface is covered by land? Write your answer in scienti c notation.
c. Approximately how many times greater is the amount of Earth’s surface that is covered by water compared to
the amount of Earth’s surface that is covered by land? 

MASTERY RESPONSE

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.4 — Perform operations with numbers expressed in scienti c notation, including problems where both
decimal and scienti c notation are used. Use scienti c notation and choose units of appropriate size for
measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for sea oor spreading).
Interpret scienti c notation that has been generated by technology.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 14
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
 LESSON 15
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Exponents and Scienti c Notation

OBJECTIVE
Solve multi-step applications using scienti c notation and properties of exponents.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

1. Outline a solution pathway for a multi-step problem (MP.1)
2. Understand the relationships between numbers in a problem in order to determine how you will use them
(MP.1)
3. Apply properties of exponents and use scienti c notation to model and solve real-world problems (MP.4).
4. Strategically use and interpret technology to support calculating with very large or very small numbers (MP.5).

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The Anchor Problems in this lesson are all lengthy problems which pull together concepts from the unit,
speci cally around scienti c notation. Depending on time and class structure, there are a few different ways
these problems could be used. One Anchor Problem could be selected for the whole class to engage with, or
small groups could be assigned with each group getting a different problem. These problems could also be
spread out over more than 1 day for students to engage with more problems, or for students to be able to
share and discuss their work. 
There is no Problem Set Guidance, as the Anchor Problem(s) is/are meant to take up the majority of the class.
However, spiraled review could be prepared for students who nish early. 
This is also a good opportunity for students to use scienti c calculators or other technology to verify their
calculations along the way.
Tools useful for this lesson: scienti c calculators, reference sheets

ANCHOR PROBLEMS

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 1
A penny is about 0.0625 of an inch thick.

a. In 2011 there were approximately 5 billion pennies minted. If all these pennies were placed in a single stack,
how many miles high would that stack be?
b. In the past 100 years, nearly 500 billion pennies have been minted. If all these pennies were placed in a single
stack, how many miles high would that stack be?
c. The distance from the moon to the earth is about 239,000 miles. How many pennies would need to be in a
stack in order to reach the moon?

Guiding Questions
What is the problem asking you to do? 
What operations will be needed? 
How will using scienti c notation help you in your computations?
Outline your solution pathway, or draw a picture to keep track of your process.
Are the units appropriate for this context?
How can you use a calculator to verify your calculations?

Notes
See note under “Tips for Teachers” for suggestions on how to use this lesson’s Anchor Problems.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 2

This headline appeared in a newspaper.

Every day 7% of Americans eat at Giantburger

restaurants.

Decide whether this headline is true using the following information:

There are about 8 × 103  Giantburger restaurants in America.

Each restaurant serves on average 2.5 × 103 people every day.

There are about 3 × 108 Americans.

Explain your reasons and show clearly how you gured it out.

Guiding Questions
What is the problem asking you to do? 
What operations will be needed? 
How will using scienti c notation help you in your computations?
Outline your solution pathway, or draw a picture to keep track of your process.
Are the units appropriate for this context?
How can you use a calculator to verify your calculations?

Notes
See note under "Tips for Teachers" for suggestions on how to use this lesson's Anchor Problems.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 3
The average mass of an adult human is about 65 kilograms, while the average mass of an ant is approximately

4 × 10
−3
 grams. The total human population in the world is approximately 6.84 billion, and it is estimated there are

currently about 10,000 trillion ants alive.

Based on these values, how does the total mass of all living ants compare to the total mass of all living humans?

Guiding Questions
What is the problem asking you to do? 
What operations will be needed? 
How will using scienti c notation help you in your computations?
Outline your solution pathway, or draw a picture to keep track of your process.
Are the units appropriate for this context?
How can you use a calculator to verify your calculations?

Notes
See note under “Tips for Teachers” for suggestions on how to use this lesson’s Anchor Problems.

PROBLEM 4

There are approximately seven billion (7 × 109 ) people in the world. 

In the 1990’s researchers calculated that if there were just 100 people in the world:

There would be 20 children

25 people would not have food and shelter
17 people would speak Chinese
8 would speak English

1. What fraction of people in the world do not have food and shelter? How many people in the world do not have
food and shelter?
2. How many more people in the world speak Chinese than speak English? 

3. Approximately 3 × 108 people live in the USA. In the world of 100 people, how many would live in the USA?

Guiding Questions
What is the problem asking you to do? 
What operations will be needed? 
How will using scienti c notation help you in your computations?
Outline your solution pathway, or draw a picture to keep track of your process.
Are the units appropriate for this context?
How can you use a calculator to verify your calculations?

Notes
See note under “Tips for Teachers” for suggestions on how to use this lesson’s Anchor Problems.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
PROBLEM 5

a. A computer has 128 gigabytes of memory. One gigabyte is 1 × 109 bytes. A oppy disk, used for storage by

computers in the 1970's, holds about 80 kilobytes. There are 1000 bytes in a kilobyte. How many kilobytes of
memory does a modern computer have? How many gigabytes of memory does a oppy disk have? Express
your answers both as decimals and using scienti c notation.
b. George told his teacher that he spent over 21,000 seconds working on his homework. Express this amount
using scienti c notation. What would be a more appropriate unit of time for George to use? Explain and
convert to your new units.

c. A certain swimming pool contains about 3 × 107 teaspoons of water. Choose a more appropriate unit for

reporting the volume of water in this swimming pool and convert from teaspoons to your chosen units. 
d. A helium atom has a diameter of about 62 picometers. There are one trillion picometers in a meter. The
diameter of the sun is about 1,400,000 km. Express the diameter of a helium atom and of the sun in meters
using scienti c notation.  About many times larger is the diameter of the sun than the diameter of a helium
atom?

Guiding Questions
What is each problem asking you to do? 
What operations will be needed? 
How will using scienti c notation help you in your computations?
Outline your solution pathway, or draw a picture to keep track of your process.
Are the units appropriate for this context?
How can you use a calculator to verify your calculations?

Notes
See note under “Tips for Teachers” for suggestions on how to use this lesson’s Anchor Problems.

TARGET TASK
A new movie is being released and it is expected to be a blockbuster. Use the information below to predict how much
money the movie will make in ticket prices over the opening weekend. 

The average movie ticket price in the country is $9.

There are approximately 4 × 104 movie screens in the country.

The movie will be playing on 30% of the screens in the country on opening weekend.
For each screen, there is an average of 250 seats, and it is expected that each showing will be sold out. 
There are 8 showings per screen over the opening weekend.

Write your answer in scienti c notation and standard form.

MASTERY RESPONSE

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
CORE STANDARDS
8.EE.A.1 — Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
For example, 3² × 3^-5 = 3^-3 = 1/3³ = 1/27.
8.EE.A.3 — Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very
large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example,
estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10⁸ and the population of the world as 7 ×
10⁹, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.
8.EE.A.4 — Perform operations with numbers expressed in scienti c notation, including problems where both
decimal and scienti c notation are used. Use scienti c notation and choose units of appropriate size for
measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for sea oor spreading).
Interpret scienti c notation that has been generated by technology.

Match Fishtank
8th Grade Math Unit 1 Lesson 15
Except as otherwise noted, © 2015-2020 Match Education, and licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.