OPPOSITES AND EXPONENTS

It was 1st period, and the class was Algebra I.  I put he following on the board:

                         – 3² =       A) –6  B)  6   C)  –9   D)  9

Sadly of the 30 students 28 chose D, and 1 chose C, and 1 chose A.
I then asked 3 of them to read the problem out loud.  They all said,

                            "negative 3 squared"


This is what they were saying  (–3)², or –3 the quantity squared. 


This is why 28 of them were incorrect by sign and another has no idea what 
an exponent does.  One of them was correct, because we know the answer is
C.  This is why I strongly suggest that we teach our students to call this sign
"–", "the opposite of".  Now read the problem.


             "the opposite of",  3 squared


The value of 3 squared is 9, and its opposite is –9.

This was a lead in to the question what is;

                             – x²; x = – 5  or x = 7

the opposite of (–5)²  or   the opposite of (7)²

                                x = – 25  or  x = – 49 


I hope these comments will help.