The Evolution of Math in the United States

[Ooh-Ah]

The Evolution of Math in the United States
 
Last week I purchased a burger and fries at McDonalds for $3.58.

The counter girl took my $4.00 and 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 two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this?

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1960s...

Teaching Math In 1960

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


T eaching Math In 1970

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 1980

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?



Teaching Math In 1990

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 2000

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There e are no wrong answers.)


Teaching Math In 2007

Un ranchero vende una carreta de madera por $100. El costo de la produccion era $80. Cuantas tortillas se puede comprar? 

 

[nmh]

It’s true but PUBLIC SCHOOL advocates don’t want YOU to know this. PLUS the dumbed down parents don’t know the difference.

[the invisib1e hand]

no comprende, amigo.

Henninger in today's Wall Street Journal was a worthy read. This issue is bringing out the moonbat in everyone.

[Diggity]

LOL

[the invisib1e hand]

It’s true but PUBLIC SCHOOL advocates don’t want YOU to know this. PLUS the dumbed down parents don’t know the difference.

You don't understand. All that math stuff was just a prop to make a statement about Mexican immigrants.

[grey_whiskers]

This is a valid point: one of the things that the Bill Gates and other CEOs say is that America is not competitive because the students leaving high school are illiterate.

How is legalizing tens of millions of illegal non-English-speaking Third World FOREIGNERS going to help ?

Cheers!

[Snoopers-868th]

I thought it made both points perfectly clear.

[umgud]

This is good. Sent it to my dad.

[therut]

U lef somting ot. U hve to reed it fr th KED.

[Daffynition]

What? Math is big in publix skolz.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If you REALLY want the counter help to look at you as if you were Einstein, the next time you get a bill of $1.87, hand her $7.12.

[Robwin]

Kool. There were 6 questions and I got 3 right. Not bad. That means my score is 70%. Or is it 42%? Or is it 56%?
Well, no matter, I done real good.

[Obie Wan]

A logger cuts down a truckload of lumber,Al Gore shows up with United Nations police and arrests him !!!

[Dan Evans]

I remember working the window at McDonalds about 1961. We had to tally the order in our heads instead of adding each item because the mechanical cash registers were so slow. And of course we figured the change that way too.

All the employees at McDonalds were male.

[Mr_Moonlight]

OUCH! But true nonetheless ... yesterday I bought a book on Linux from a large bookstore and the price came to $21.58 or something like that .. handed the clerk a $20 and $5, then dug into my pocket and found a nickel and 3 pennies (for the 8 cents over 50). The poor gal couldn't deal with it, so I politely put the coins back in my pocket to be thrown into my 'change jar' later on.

(btw - this Linux stuff looks pretty good so far, hope to have it up and running within a week as a full blown OS system :)

[ODC-GIRL]

I just finished helping my son with his 4th grade mulitplication.

3,269
x 15

---

45
300
1000
15000
90
600
2000
30000

---

49,035

I just about LOST my mind.

[JimVT]

There is a story in our local rag this week crediting the High School for being in the "top five percent in the country based on the number of students sitting the AP exam." The list was created by Newsweek.

Strike one- As a former reporter myself I know one doesn't use abbreviations until you indicate what they represent EARLIER in the story.

I believe the newsie was referring to advanced placement exams.

The index ranks schools by their rate of participation in college level tests where schools have to give the number of kids taking AP exams and the number of seniors graduating in the same year.

Mind you the rating has nothing to do with exam grades...just how many showed up to take it.

Local officals are all atwitter because they administered 192 AP test and graduated 184 students.

I'm putting my name in for the School Hall of Fame...heck...I went 0 for 9 the one year I played ball.

[ODC-GIRL]

Well, that didn’t come out the way it should have, but you get the point!

[burzum]

Oh wow! A transformation matrix on the one on the left, Maxwell’s equations on the second one from the left, and a wave equation on the second one from the right. Now this is the way to study physics!