Maryland Math 6.AT.B.5
The Standard
Write numerical expressions involving whole number exponents and positive rational number bases. Use technology to evaluate numerical expressions involving whole number exponents and positive rational number bases.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · APPLY AND EXTEND PREVIOUS UNDERSTANDINGS OF ARITHMETIC TO ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students write repeated multiplication of a positive fraction or decimal using an exponent. They use a calculator to find the value, keeping parentheses around a fraction base.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student writes 0.4^3 for 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.4 and gets 0.064 with a calculator. They enter (2 ÷ 3)^2 to square the whole fraction.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may read 0.4^3 as 0.4 × 3. They may enter 2 ÷ 3^2 instead of (2 ÷ 3)^2, which squares only the denominator. They may also think a positive base raised to the zero power equals zero.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Write 2/3 multiplied by itself three times using an exponent, then use a calculator to find its value to three decimal places. Look for (2/3)^3 and 0.296.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Fold a paper square in half three times, shade one piece, and write (1/2)^3 for the shaded part.
Have students compare (2/3)^2 and 2/3^2 on calculators, then write which numbers get squared.
Play a matching game with cards showing 0.4^3, 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.4, and 0.064; students check matches with calculators.
A ball rebounds to half its previous height; students use (1/2)^3 and a calculator to find its height after three bounces.
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Printable 6.AT.B.5 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.AT.B.5, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 5.AT.A.1
Interpret and evaluate numerical expressions with grouping symbols (e.g. parentheses, brackets, or braces).
- 5.AT.A.2
Write expressions that record calculations with numbers and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them.
- 6.AT.B.6.c
Evaluate expressions given specific values of their variables in context. Include expressions that involve arithmetic operations and whole number exponents.
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