I love logarithms! It is such a foreign concept to students, so I love tackling the challenge and watching them learn something new! I can see the gears turning and the light bulbs coming on as we go through the lesson and practice. These are my go-to logarithm activities to keep students engaged and build fluency in evaluating logarithms.
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ToggleLogarithm Activities
These are the logarithm activities I use in my class to introduce the definition of a logarithm and evaluating logarithms. It takes at least two 50-minute classes to complete these activities, but by the end, my students understand the definition of a logarithm and it makes teaching properties of logarithms and solving exponential/logarithmic equations a breeze.
1. Exponent Puzzles – An Introduction to Logarithms
Want your students to be introduced to the idea of a logarithm without calling it a logarithm? I really love this activity because students practice what they already know about exponents and it easily transfers to the definition of a logarithm.
I created a document that combined three levels of exponential puzzles into one page. It also includes practice on creating common bases for exponential expressions.
Read more on how I implemented it and get a link to download the activity.
2. The Logarithm Song
My students know there will be a song with almost every unit. We love to sing and be silly – it sticks! This song is a must when introducing logarithms!
Read more for the list of all of my favorite math songs for the high school classroom.
3. Logarithm War
War is a fun and easy to learn card game, so turning the competitive card game into logarithms will get students practicing logarithms without complaining or realizing how much they are learning.
My students often comment, “This was so much fun, I wish math class were like this every day!” and “Can we do this again tomorrow?”
This is one of the best activities I have found to increase fluency. Read more to find out how I implemented this activity and a link to a free download.
4. Hexagon Logarithm Puzzle
Read more to see how I implement it in my classroom (especially struggling learners) and a download link.
5. Evaluating Logarithms Maze
To prevent students from guessing, not all blocks are used. I will often tell my students how many blocks are either used or not used – that way they will know if they made a mistake along the way.
After completing all of these activities, I will sometimes give students a Delta Math assignment for evaluating logarithms as extra independent practice.
Usually by the end of these activities, my students understand the definition of a logarithm and we can move onto evaluating more complex logarithms such as creating common bases and properties of logarithms.
Let me know if you use some of these activities in your classroom. I would love to know how they go. Are there other logarithm activities you love? Let me know in the comments.