Evolution Of Our Schools

[Swamp Puppy]

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?

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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?

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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
"M."
Represent the set "C" as subset of set "M" and answer the following
question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?

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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.

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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.

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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?
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Teaching Math in 2010:
El hachero vende un camion carga de madero por 100 pesos.
La cuesta de production es........ (eh, wot's that you say?)

[happybrew]

Hey! I remember that new math in the 70's! It confused everyone, and the teachers hated it. My sixth grade teacher didn't even use a math text for that reason. He just taught us what we needed to know on the chalkboard, and we had to take notes. I didn't learn anything new in math until 9th grade.

happybrew

[fortywinks]

[True]

Mossberg_3.5,

Me gustan las matématicas...

Verdad

[Chromaflage]

Answer to "Teaching Math in 2000":

He uses a bigger truck.... :grin:

ORS

[DanS]

That was hilarious.

"Underline 20." I'm rolling on that one! :grin:

[ 11-13-2003, 10:16 PM: Message edited by: DanS ]

[id. painter]

You all think its funny , Im a teacher and it hits too close to home for humor. Good one though. id. painter

[Old MAn River]

You hit nail on the head on that.the 70's
hit close to home and i can't stop laughing!

[BonkBonkBonk]

thats great!

[kayakfisher]

In some ways I know this is close to home..but on the other hand, my boys, in grades 6 and 8 are doing far more complex math than i did at their age...and I did do one year of calculus, which I could not do until college. They will be doing that by 11th grade at the rate they are going now.

This is in a public school by the way, and they have math homework everyday.

My sixth grader's class is basically deriving most of the principles of math ie Pythagorean (sp?..to lazy to look it up now!)Theory...by the problems they do in class and at home. Little by little they are given problems that eventually lead them to derive these principles of math instead of having it handed to them on a platter, and then being told to go home and do some problems. This is actually pretty cool...and their teachers don't accept late assignments at all..if it is late it gets a zero. (They still have to do it however.)

Mike