In this lesson, students deepen their understanding of the meaning of exponents by reasoning about the values of exponential expressions. They write, interpret, compare, and evaluate exponential expressions in which the base may or may not be a whole number. 

Students also practice looking for and making use of structure to determine if two exponential expressions are equivalent, as well as to write expressions that are equivalent to a given one (MP7). As they discuss their way of evaluating and comparing expressions, students have opportunities to construct logical arguments and critique the reasoning of others (MP3).