| Lesson start ideas | Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson |
| Which subject | Mathematics |
| What age group | Year or Grade 9 |
| What topic | Exponential functions |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Any other preferences |
Start the lesson by showing students a video clip of a scientist conducting an experiment that involves exponential growth. Pause the video at a key point and ask the class to guess what will happen next.
Lead a class discussion about the patterns of exponential growth. Use real-life examples such as population growth or the spread of a virus to illustrate the concept.
Explain that exponential functions are a type of mathematical function that grows at a constant rate. Ask students to think of other examples of exponential growth in their daily lives.
Give students a hypothetical scenario about a bank account that earns interest compounded yearly. Ask them to create a table or graph showing the growth of the account over a certain number of years.
Provide a brief lesson on the properties of exponential functions, including the exponential growth formula and how to interpret the parameters of the function.
Challenge students to apply their understanding of exponential functions to real-world scenarios such as compound interest or radioactive decay. Allow them to work in small groups to come up with their own scenarios for the class to solve.
Conclude the lesson by asking students to reflect on what they have learned about exponential functions. Have them summarize the key concepts in their own words and share with a partner or with the class.