The Loony Bin
(
loonies@bloodaxe.demon.co.uk
)
Sun, 17 Nov 1996 19:35:42 +0000
Hiya People...
Here's some math for you...
Wishes & Dreams...
- ANDREA
xx
*************<andrea@bloodaxe.demon.co.uk>*************
*****<ajc6@ukc.ac.uk>*****<bloodaxe@geocities.com>*****
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*******************Internet Goddess********************
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------- Forwarded foolishness follows -------
How Math Teaching Has Changed (or why Students can't add or subtract)
----------------------------------------
Take a simple math problem, subject it to 30 years of new, improved
teaching methods, and deduce the formula to yield our average yearly
drop in SAT scores.
In 1960: "A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of this price. What is his profit?
In 1970: (traditional math) "A logger sells a truckload of lumber for
$100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price; in other words, $80.
What is his profit?
In 1970: (new Math) " A logger exchanges a set of L of lumber for a set
M of money. The cardinality of set M is 100, and each element is worth
$1.
Make one hundred dots representing the elements of the set M. The set C
of costs of production contains 20 fewer points than set M. Represent
the set C as a subset of M, and answer the following question: What is
the cardinality of the set P of profits?
In 1980: " A logger sells a truckload of wood for $100. His cost of
production is $80, and his profit is $20. Your assignment is to
underline the number 20."
In 1990: "By cutting down beautiful forest trees, a logger makes $20.
What do you think of this way of making money? Topic for class
participation: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel?