The Evolution of Teaching Math
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 the 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" for profits?
Teaching Math in 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. Her cost of production is
$80 and her 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 his way of making a living? Topic for class participation after
answering the following question: How do the forest birds nd squirrels
feel as the logger cuts down the trees? There are no wrong
answers.
Teaching Math in 1996
By laying off 40% of its loggers, a company improves it stock price from
$80 to $100. How much capital gain per share does the Ceo make by
exercising his stock options at $80? Assume capital gains are no longer
taxed, because this encourages investment.
Teaching Math in 1997
A company out-sources all of its loggers. The firm saves on benfits, and
when demand for its product is down, the logging work force can easily be
cut back. The average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had
three weeks vacation, a nice retirement plan and medical insurance. The
contracted logger charges $50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good
move?
Teaching Math in 1998
A laid-off logger with four kids at home and a ridiculous alimony from his
first failed marriage comes into the logging company corporate offices and
goes postal, mowing down 16 executives and a couple of secretaries, and
gets lucky when he nails a politician on the premises of collecting his
kickback. Was outsourcing the loggers a good move for the
company?
Teaching Math in 1999
A laid-off logger serving time in Folsom for blowing away several people
is being trained in computer science in order to work on Y2K projects.
What is the probability that the automatic cell doors will open on their
own as of 0001, 01/01/00?