Today Ben and I worked on the properties of multiplying and dividing exponents. We started with using his desk and the expo marker to work the problem 4^3*4^(-1) (that is 4 to the third power times 4 to the -1 power). We reviewed the rule: multiplying like bases -> add powers. So that gave us 4^2. Then we evaluated that as 16. We practiced several examples like 4y^3*3y^2=12y^5. Ben started picking up on the concept. Then I introduced division. I asked him, "If we multiply like bases and add powers, then when we divide like bases, what do you think we do?" He answered, "Subtract." That led us into a discussion about the rules of inverses. We then moved to the white board and I wrote problems for him to try on his own. He worked them aloud, asking great questions along the way.