What do you mean by non-linear models? Do you have to think of some sort of example?
For an upside down parabola, you can think of the area of a rectangle, where its perimeter is fixed. For example, the perimeter might be 60 sq cm, so A = x(30 - x) = 30x - x^2.
For an exponential equation y = a^x, you can graph the balance each year in a compound interest account. For example, let P=100 and r=0.10, so A = P(1 + r)^n = 100(1+0.10)^n = 100*(1.1)^n.