teaching math?

[Lin]

Last week I got a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register.
I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me back two
quarters, but she hailed the manager for help and while he tried to
explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this?
Read on...

Teaching Math in 1950:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.
What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1960:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80.
What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1970:
A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money.
The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar.
Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M."
The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set

Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M".
Answer this question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?

Teaching Math in 1980:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.
His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.
Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math in 1990:
By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20.
What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question:
How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees?
There are no wrong answers.

Teaching Math in 2000:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.
His cost of production is $120. How does Arthur Andersen determine that
his profit margin is $60 ?

Teaching Math in 2005:
El hachero vende un camion carga por $100.
La cuesta de produccion es............

[usdupn02]

LOL...As a former teacher, I can attest to the accuracy of this information!!!

Janet

[preciouschihua]

LOL
Wow I thought It was just me

Suz

[SunnyGirl]

I never was good at math.....

I'm gonna have to trust Lin and Janet!

The only one I understood was the math 2005

Hugs, SG

[lildee]

Hi Lin,

In response to your "teaching Math" I have been saying this for years. Ever since my daughter had trouble with math in the third grade. How about teaching these kids REAL MATH. Stuff that they can use everyday. Like you little Burger King incident. Surely your cashier had no idea that she had to give you back two quarters. Other things that these kids could be taught is how to write out a check properly and balance a checkbook. Maybe somewhere they could come up with an extra credit class called Everyday Math and Its Applications. It could also involve some basic area problems. Say like when you need to by carpeting or floor tiles or paint for a room. These kids today have absolutely no idea how to figure out basic stuff. Even when they go to the supermarket. They can't do any estimations. Say they go to the store with $200 for groceries, they will just go through the aisles and put into the shopping cart whatever their little heart desires not taking into account that they only have $200. We even have a supermarket here that has built in calculators on the shopping carts to aid with this problem. Or here is a better one. They are having a party and need to buy chopped meat for hamburgers and each hamburger weighs a quater pound, there are 10 guests. How much meat do they need? Duh they can't figure it out. Right now my older is studying algebra and the younger one is studying pre-algebra. I have taken all these went I went to school and honestly I don't think I have hardly if ever used them again. I truly wonder how reality based our education systems are. Well, so much for the change in education. You ended with your example in Spanish, well here it is Korean and Japanese. It's funny because when I was working the PTA in the city and we had to have a notice go out to the parents about a special event at the school it had to go out in at least six different languages! I would love to see things get back to basics, but that is not considered advancement.

Love ya and Happy Birthday
Arlene

[Lin]

The books today do have alot of story problems abtou real life things such as ball game scores. Kids relate to food and games, so i use that whenever i need to show the importance of a problem. Last Sunday i made a cake and had to cut it in 24 pieces. We are doing diviison at school. So i shared about that cake. I asked the class to help me decide the best way to cut it and we did it on the board. I ahve been teaching since 1970. And i DO see many of these trends that have come along the way. I could really relate to it! I took copies to school and the teachers loved it.

I agree Lildee...they NEED to be able to make change, balance a checkbook, figure how to divide a cake, figure how to plan a party and get enough supplies, know how to keep score in a game, etc. in MY class they Do learn those skills they'll need later in life. But after 3rd grade, I have no idea if they keep on top of them. I'd bet many high schools DO ahve such a math class. One thing i can see wrong...is many high schoolers MUST take AP classes because of their transcripts. And I'd guess this would not be on an AP list. Then again, those may be the kids who remembered those skills from 3rd grade..>LOL

Anyway, I enjoyed the list, and am glad you did too.
LIN