Transum Maths Software

Indices

There are 366 different Starters of The Day, many to choose from. You will find in the left column below some starters on the topic of Indices. In the right column below are links to related online activities, videos and teacher resources.

A lesson starter does not have to be on the same topic as the main part of the lesson or the topic of the previous lesson. It is often very useful to revise or explore other concepts by using a starter based on a totally different area of Mathematics.

Main Page

Indices Starters:

Exponential Error: This lesson starter presents a number of statements about indices and pupils are asked if they can spot the mistake.

The Power of Christmas: Find a power of 2 and a power of 3 that are consecutive numbers.

 

Small images of these Starters ::  Index of Starters


Indices Advanced Starters:

Calendar Riddle: Work out the date of my birthday from the clues in rhyme.

Eight to the Unknown: Solve the equation using the laws of indices

Exponential Trigonometry: Find, in degrees, all eight of the solutions to the given exponential, trigonometric equation

Index Equation: Solve x squared equals sixteen to the power of x

Same Three Digits: Find expressions which contain indices and evaluate to numbers containing the same digits.

Single Fraction: Simplify an expression involving fractions, exponents and a square root.

Index of Advanced Starters


Suggested

Indices

Indices

A self marking exercise on indices (powers or exponents) including evaluating expressions and solving equations.

The short web address is:

Transum.org/go/?to=powers

 

Curriculum for Indices:

Year 5

Pupils should be taught to recognise and use square numbers and cube numbers, and the notation for squared (2) and cubed (3) more...

Years 7 to 9

Pupils should be taught to use conventional notation for the priority of operations, including brackets, powers, roots and reciprocals more...

Pupils should be taught to use integer powers and associated real roots (square, cube and higher), recognise powers of 2, 3, 4, 5 and distinguish between exact representations of roots and their decimal approximations more...

Pupils should be taught to interpret and compare numbers in standard form A x 10n 1≤A<10, where n is a positive or negative integer or zero more...

Years 10 and 11

Pupils should be taught to simplify and manipulate algebraic expressions (including those involving surds {and algebraic fractions}) by: factorising quadratic expressions of the form x2 + bx + c, including the difference of 2 squares; {factorising quadratic expressions of the form ax2 + bx + c} and by simplifying expressions involving sums, products and powers, including the laws of indices more...

Pupils should be taught to {estimate powers and roots of any given positive number} more...

Pupils should be taught to calculate with roots, and with integer {and fractional} indices more...

Pupils should be taught to calculate with numbers in standard form A × 10n, where 1≤A<10 and n is an integer more...

Years 12 and 13

Pupils should be taught to understand and use the laws of indices for all rational exponents. more...

Pupils should be taught to know and use the function ax and its graph, where a is positive. Know and use the function ex and its graph more...

Pupils should be taught to know that the gradient of ekx is equal to kekx and hence understand why the exponential model is suitable in many applications more...

Pupils should be taught to understand and use exponential growth and decay; use in modelling (examples may include the use of e in continuous compound interest, radioactive decay, drug concentration decay, exponential growth as a model for population growth); consideration of limitations and refinements of exponential models more...

Exam-Style Questions:

There are almost a thousand exam-style questions unique to the Transum website.

Feedback:

Comment recorded on the 1 August 'Starter of the Day' page by Peter Wright, St Joseph's College:

"Love using the Starter of the Day activities to get the students into Maths mode at the beginning of a lesson. Lots of interesting discussions and questions have arisen out of the activities.
Thanks for such a great resource!"

Comment recorded on the 9 April 'Starter of the Day' page by Jan, South Canterbury:

"Thank you for sharing such a great resource. I was about to try and get together a bank of starters but time is always required elsewhere, so thank you."

Comment recorded on the 9 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Mr Jones, Wales:

"I think that having a starter of the day helps improve maths in general. My pupils say they love them!!!"

Comment recorded on the 8 May 'Starter of the Day' page by Mr Smith, West Sussex, UK:

"I am an NQT and have only just discovered this website. I nearly wet my pants with joy.
To the creator of this website and all of those teachers who have contributed to it, I would like to say a big THANK YOU!!! :)."

Comment recorded on the 2 May 'Starter of the Day' page by Angela Lowry, :

"I think these are great! So useful and handy, the children love them.
Could we have some on angles too please?"

Comment recorded on the 19 June 'Starter of the Day' page by Nikki Jordan, Braunton School, Devon:

"Excellent. Thank you very much for a fabulous set of starters. I use the 'weekenders' if the daily ones are not quite what I want. Brilliant and much appreciated."

Comment recorded on the 17 November 'Starter of the Day' page by Amy Thay, Coventry:

"Thank you so much for your wonderful site. I have so much material to use in class and inspire me to try something a little different more often. I am going to show my maths department your website and encourage them to use it too. How lovely that you have compiled such a great resource to help teachers and pupils.
Thanks again"

Comment recorded on the 19 November 'Starter of the Day' page by Lesley Sewell, Ysgol Aberconwy, Wales:

"A Maths colleague introduced me to your web site and I love to use it. The questions are so varied I can use them with all of my classes, I even let year 13 have a go at some of them. I like being able to access Starters for the whole month so I can use favourites with classes I see at different times of the week. Thanks."

Comment recorded on the 25 June 'Starter of the Day' page by Inger.kisby@herts and essex.herts.sch.uk, :

"We all love your starters. It is so good to have such a collection. We use them for all age groups and abilities. Have particularly enjoyed KIM's game, as we have not used that for Mathematics before. Keep up the good work and thank you very much
Best wishes from Inger Kisby"

Comment recorded on the 28 May 'Starter of the Day' page by L Smith, Colwyn Bay:

"An absolutely brilliant resource. Only recently been discovered but is used daily with all my classes. It is particularly useful when things can be saved for further use. Thank you!"

Comment recorded on the i asp?ID_Top 'Starter of the Day' page by Ros, Belize:

"A really awesome website! Teachers and students are learning in such a fun way! Keep it up..."

Comment recorded on the 19 October 'Starter of the Day' page by E Pollard, Huddersfield:

"I used this with my bottom set in year 9. To engage them I used their name and favorite football team (or pop group) instead of the school name. For homework, I asked each student to find a definition for the key words they had been given (once they had fun trying to guess the answer) and they presented their findings to the rest of the class the following day. They felt really special because the key words came from their own personal information."

Comment recorded on the 10 April 'Starter of the Day' page by Mike Sendrove, Salt Grammar School, UK.:

"A really useful set of resources - thanks. Is the collection available on CD? Are solutions available?"

Comment recorded on the 14 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Inger Kisby, Herts and Essex High School:

"Just a quick note to say that we use a lot of your starters. It is lovely to have so many different ideas to start a lesson with. Thank you very much and keep up the good work."

Comment recorded on the 7 December 'Starter of the Day' page by Cathryn Aldridge, Pells Primary:

"I use Starter of the Day as a registration and warm-up activity for my Year 6 class. The range of questioning provided is excellent as are some of the images.
I rate this site as a 5!"

Comment recorded on the 26 March 'Starter of the Day' page by Julie Reakes, The English College, Dubai:

"It's great to have a starter that's timed and focuses the attention of everyone fully. I told them in advance I would do 10 then record their percentages."

Comment recorded on the 3 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Mrs Johnstone, 7Je:

"I think this is a brilliant website as all the students enjoy doing the puzzles and it is a brilliant way to start a lesson."

Comment recorded on the 3 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Fiona Bray, Cams Hill School:

"This is an excellent website. We all often use the starters as the pupils come in the door and get settled as we take the register."

Comment recorded on the 16 March 'Starter of the Day' page by Mrs A Milton, Ysgol Ardudwy:

"I have used your starters for 3 years now and would not have a lesson without one! Fantastic way to engage the pupils at the start of a lesson."

Comment recorded on the 1 February 'Starter of the Day' page by Terry Shaw, Beaulieu Convent School:

"Really good site. Lots of good ideas for starters. Use it most of the time in KS3."

Comment recorded on the 14 September 'Starter of the Day' page by Trish Bailey, Kingstone School:

"This is a great memory aid which could be used for formulae or key facts etc - in any subject area. The PICTURE is such an aid to remembering where each number or group of numbers is - my pupils love it!
Thanks"

Comment recorded on the 5 April 'Starter of the Day' page by Mr Stoner, St George's College of Technology:

"This resource has made a great deal of difference to the standard of starters for all of our lessons. Thank you for being so creative and imaginative."

Comment recorded on the 2 April 'Starter of the Day' page by Mrs Wilshaw, Dunsten Collage,Essex:

"This website was brilliant. My class and I really enjoy doing the activites."

Comment recorded on the 18 September 'Starter of the Day' page by Mrs. Peacock, Downe House School and Kennet School:

"My year 8's absolutely loved the "Separated Twins" starter. I set it as an optional piece of work for my year 11's over a weekend and one girl came up with 3 independant solutions."

Comment recorded on the 6 May 'Starter of the Day' page by Natalie, London:

"I am thankful for providing such wonderful starters. They are of immence help and the students enjoy them very much. These starters have saved my time and have made my lessons enjoyable."

Comment recorded on the 21 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Mr Trainor And His P7 Class(All Girls), Mercy Primary School, Belfast:

"My Primary 7 class in Mercy Primary school, Belfast, look forward to your mental maths starters every morning. The variety of material is interesting and exciting and always engages the teacher and pupils. Keep them coming please."

Comment recorded on the 10 September 'Starter of the Day' page by Carol, Sheffield PArk Academy:

"3 NQTs in the department, I'm new subject leader in this new academy - Starters R Great!! Lovely resource for stimulating learning and getting eveyone off to a good start. Thank you!!"

Comment recorded on the 3 October 'Starter of the Day' page by S Mirza, Park High School, Colne:

"Very good starters, help pupils settle very well in maths classroom."

Comment recorded on the s /Indice 'Starter of the Day' page by Busolla, Australia:

"Thank you very much for providing these resources for free for teachers and students. It has been engaging for the students - all trying to reach their highest level and competing with their peers while also learning. Thank you very much!"

Comment recorded on the 17 June 'Starter of the Day' page by Mr Hall, Light Hall School, Solihull:

"Dear Transum,

I love you website I use it every maths lesson I have with every year group! I don't know were I would turn to with out you!"

Notes:

Where do many fish live? Indices (in the seas!) This topic involves the use of the index, power or exponent. The concept is easily misunderstood and a surprisingly large number of pupils will evaluate 62 as 12 and not 36.

After having mastered positive integer indices pupils should move on to negative indices and fractional indices. Exploring this topic in both numeric and algebraic ways will provide understanding and competence in this important concept.

Indices Teacher Resources:

Estimate Powers and Roots: Estimate the powers and roots of the given positive numbers.

Indices Activities:

Indices: A self marking exercise on indices (powers or exponents) including evaluating expressions and solving equations.

Indices Pairs: The traditional pairs or pelmanism game adapted to test knowledge of indices.

Standard Form: Test your understanding of standard form (scientific notation) with this self-marking quiz.

Standard Order: Arrange the numbers given in standard form with the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom.

Estimate Powers and Roots: Estimate the powers and roots of the given positive numbers.

Power Play: Exercises on powers and roots and simplifying index expressions involving numbers of the same base.

Indices True False: Arrange the given statements involving indices to show whether they are true or false.

Power Shift: Arrange the given numbers as bases and indices in the three-term sum to make the target total.

Standard Form Algebra: Deeply test your understanding of standard form (scientific notation) by involving a little algebra.

Dr Tim's Indices Challenge: Dr Tim Honeywill has come up with these challenges to test your understanding of indices and algebra.

Logarithms: Self-marking exercises on evaluating logarithms and using them to solve equations.

Finally there is Topic Test, a set of 10 randomly chosen, multiple choice questions suggested by people from around the world.

Alternatively, for the more advanced student, there is an ever-growing collection of Exam-Style Questions with worked solutions on the topic of Exponential.

Indices Videos:

Indices video
Transum's Indices Video


Indices Video: Indices, exponents and powers can all be used as a short way to describe repeated multiplication.

Indices Song: A free trial lesson from Math Upgrade dot com.

Standard Form Video: Learn how to write and calculate with numbers in standard form - sometimes called scientific notation.

Indices In Depth: An in depth look at the topic of indices from beginning to end.

Indices Worksheets/Printables:

Indices Eye Test: Two novelty printable (A3 size preferably) optician-style eye test charts containing indices which can be evaluated mentally as a fun, classroom visual aid.

Indices True False Cards: A set of printable cards to use with the laws of indices true or false activity.

Indices External Links:

Links to other websites containing resources for Indices are provided for those logged into 'Transum Mathematics'. Subscribing also opens up the opportunity for you to add your own links to this panel. You can sign up using one of the buttons below:

Search

The activity you are looking for may have been classified in a different way from the way you were expecting. You can search the whole of Transum Maths by using the box below.

 

 

 

 

Other

Is there anything you would have a regular use for that we don't feature here? Please let us know.

Suggested

Logarithms

Logarithms

Self-marking exercises on evaluating logarithms and using them to solve equations.

The short web address is:

Transum.org/go/?to=logs

 

Teaching Notes:

Many Transum activities have notes for teachers suggesting teaching methods and highlighting common misconceptions. There are also solutions to puzzles, exercises and activities available on the web pages when you are signed in to your Transum subscription account. If you do not yet have an account and you are a teacher, tutor or parent you can apply for one by completing the form on the Sign Up page.

A Transum subscription also gives you access to the 'Class Admin' student management system, downloadable worksheets, many more teaching resources and opens up ad-free access to the Transum website for you and your pupils.

Comments

Have today's Starter of the Day as your default homepage. Copy the URL below then select
Tools > Internet Options (Internet Explorer) then paste the URL into the homepage field.

Set as your homepage (if you are using Internet Explorer)

 

Cliff Pickover, Twitter

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.

Transum.org is a proud supporter of the kidSAFE Seal Program