Exponential Pushups: How Many Can Your Students Do

The purpose of this exercise is twofold; first, to show exponential growth, second to serve as a fun way of testing your student’s knowledge of exponents.

• Ask you classroom who can do 2 push-ups? Have someone show you.

• Explain that this is the same as doing 2^1 pushups.

• Ask you classroom who can do 4 push-ups? Have someone show you.

• Explain that this is the same as doing 2^2 pushups

Continue this exercise until you get to 2^7, from here have them calculate and image doing that many pushups. Where you stop from here is up to you.

Next, pair up your students and give them a worksheet with exponent problems. The only catch is, they must show you what the answer is by doing pushups.



Example,

• 3^2 a student from the group must show you the answer is 9 by performing 9 pushups.