I’m too dumb to get it
In: Mathematics
I love that this question was posted this week, because I just had to give my 5th grade students the answer of “I don’t know why 10 to the zero power is 1, as I would assume it would equal zero; let’s just say it’s one of those things in math that ‘just is’ until you learn more advanced concepts next year and beyond.” I honestly did do some research and found several of the explanations offered in the comments here. Unfortunately, they would be beyond the scope of where our curriculum is focused (they have just been introduced to the concept of exponents), and the abilities of the vast majority of my students.
My question is, is it conceptually disingenuous (or flat-out incorrect) to teach 11 year-olds who are just learning about multiplying and dividing by powers of ten that, for example, 10 squared = 10 x 10, or that two 10s are being multiplied together, and leaving it at that?
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