Florida B.E.S.T. MA.912.AR.5.3
The Standard
Given a mathematical or real-world context, classify an exponential function as representing growth or decay.
Florida B.E.S.T. Standards for Mathematics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students decide whether a quantity grows or shrinks by a constant percent over equal time periods. They connect growth to a multiplier above 1 and decay to a multiplier between 0 and 1.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student correctly labels a model as growth or decay from its equation, table, graph, or context. The student uses the multiplier or percent change to justify the choice.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may classify by the sign of the initial value instead of the multiplier. They may treat a 20% decrease as multiplying by 0.20 rather than 0.80. Some confuse exponential change with adding or subtracting a constant amount.
How to Assess It
- Give students P(t) = 500(0.92)^t and ask: “Does this model growth or decay? State the percent change and explain how you know.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs cards showing equations, tables, and contexts, then have students physically sort them into growth and decay groups.
Prompt students: "How does the multiplier show whether a population is growing or shrinking, and what equation supports your claim?"
Play Growth or Decay corners: display a function, and students move to the correct corner before explaining the base or percent change.
Compare a savings balance earning 4% yearly with a car losing 15% yearly, and identify each multiplier.
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