"Discrete mathematics and computer science,"
	Chain Letters, Christmas Cash and Magic Cards - Sarah Armstrong, Santa Ana High School
	The unit, "Chain Letters, Christmas Cash and Magic Cards", is an exploration of exponents, exponential growth and the binary number system. It is intended to take between ten to fifteen days. It is aligned with the seventh grade standards from the state of California, and follows the guidelines for middle schools as presented by the NCTM. The unit begins with students exploring the nature of exponents, including positive and negative exponents, the basic laws of exponents, and investigating several examples of exponential growth. Students also take an introductory look at logarithms. Furthermore, students are introduced to the binary number system through magic cards which are based on the powers of 2. Following this introduction, students learn how to convert numbers from the decimal into the binary system, and from the binary to the decimal system. Students will also learn the vocabulary of computers associated with the binary system, such as bit and byte. Students also will learn a simple method for writing and translating in secret codes.