60 years of teaching maths. NB

[BrendanS]

From America but the general gist may be similar?

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 "M." Represent the
set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following 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? What's wrong about it? 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? And how many documents were shredded to achieve this number?

Teaching Math in 2010:
El Loggero se habla with the truckero y se ponen de acuerdo con otro
driver de la competencia y etc...


<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[Talbot]

This could have been funny if it wasn't so true /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BrendanS]

You can tell which generation I come from...I can remember "sets" most vividly! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[boatless]

So does VD ring a bell?

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[BrendanS]

Oh yeah! Worked in Porton Down PHLS researching gonorrhoea and other stuff!

Used to love chatting to the squaddies coming home on a Sun night on the evening train which went on to the south coast and all the bases enroute, giving them terror stories about tertiary syphilis when they asked about 'a friend' /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[tico]

Venn Diagrams perchance?

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[boatless]

Yep, thought Brendan would get that? I clearly remember the giggles at the back of the class. I was at the front, of course....

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[BrendanS]

I did - but preferred the alternative answer

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[Planty]

When I was in Junior School, just before the complete balls that was sets we had to do some equally bizarre math involving numbers as shapes?? Thus Triangle + Square = Christ knows what, they had some special teachers come in to do it too.
Anyone else remember this lot of guff?? Perhaps it was only approved schools that had it! (Joke, very nearly true in later life if I hadn't met the current Mrs Plant though!)

Passed 11+ eventually only to be totally confused again with "Sets", God help us.
Paul

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jhr]

Triangle, square etc. sounds like preparation for 11 plus exams, which I seem to recall were full of similarly asinine questions.

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[MainlySteam]

You are all way beyond me - what does "100" mean?

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Medskipper]

Or as my son/daughter would say: sorry whats my motivation for trying to understand this!!!!

Barry


<hr width=100% size=1>I just want to retire with my boat to the Med!

 

[BrendanS]

Once you've finished counting fingers and got to ten....it's a bit more

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[AndrewB]

No problems with 100, its £100 I'm finding incomprehensible right now.

<hr width=100% size=1>