Green Acres School

Students in 7th grade pre-algebra class created stories, poems, and songs to explain the Product of Powers Property (when multiplying powers with the same base, add the exponents). Among the entertaining projects was the wonderful poem, The Grieving Four. The poem explains the Product of Powers Property and exemplifies literary eloquence in mathematics.

The Grieving Four

Four and Four, Jr. went out for a walk
In the wilderness of the graph squares

They each had a parcel; Four Junior’s was two
And Four had a three he might wear

The fractions and ratios (the negatives, too)
Hopped about with their tails held high

Four, Jr. ran with his parcel aloft
And his head turning up toward the sky

Oh, tragedy! How grievous! A simple mistake
Served to change the fine life of poor Four

Four, Jr. (as usual), not watching his step
Plunged into a hole in the floor

Four searched all day in the graph squares
And finally found his young son

The hole was too deep for Four, Jr. to live
Oh, to think they’d been having such fun

And all that was left was the parcel of two,
The parcel Four, Jr. had had

Four wrapped the two up with his parcel of three
And wept for his lost lad

So childe – if you find that you must multiply
Two powers as similar as twins…

Dispose of one twin and add up the two parcels
Now, there is your homework. Begin!