As you may know, I taught foreign languages on the high school level for a number of years. I loved it because it included so many enjoyable aspects: travel, art history, studying literature and how people think…psychology if you will. I have known since I was twelve I would be a teacher. But what would I teach? I knew studying Spanish would fulfill me in the long run. At times, I wondered what I would have taught if not Spanish? I think Math would have been my close second, then English.
Math was one of those classes in school I fit into my schedule every year. When I got to college and found out, I didn’t have to take math any more, I felt a bit bewildered and disoriented. What would I do without it? NOT. So, I continued to sign up for math classes and missed earning a minor in math by one course. Gradually, I weaned myself away from a discipline that had demanded so much throughout the pre-college years.
You probably know, or perhaps you don’t, that testing drives our curriculum nowadays. Teaching to the test and not necessarily for the joy of learning sadly seems to prevail. There were many meetings where our administrators asked the elective teachers to write a plan of how we would contribute to the CORE tested subjects: English, Math, Science and Social Studies. We were told we had to incorporate at least one other CORE discipline into our elective classes. Yes, there was a lot of grumbling!
So one summer I created word problems and more word problems addressing all the tested objectives in math. The project became Math in Culture. Surprisingly, I found it wasn’t a chore! I wrote a few problems, which led to even more. I couldn’t wait to get to the computer at our curriculum writing round table. One word problem led to another and by the time the project was completed I had over a hundred Spanish, French and German culturally related problems!
At first, my students were confused. “This is Spanish class, not math.” “Just one problem a day,” I told them. Soon they took it in stride and began to understand the connections between math and culture. The realization set in, yes, it is all around us. At the end of that year, math scores in our building did climb. “It was those Math in Culture problems,” one student laughed. Oh, how I love a team effort and “ah-ha” moments.
So I have decided to post a problem a day in the context of culture. I thought I’d post one a day through Sunday. If we can take on the A-Z challenge, we can take on one digit, two digits, three digits…more!
Here’s the first one. Read through it and then post your answer in the poll box. No stress, no calories, no exercise pain. Try it!
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The first problem is easy and has to do with division and chocolate, Godiva chocolate. No, this was not one of the problems my students calculated, but it is one I calculate carefully around the holidays.
photo via wiki commons
Godiva chocolate is a popular export item from Belgium. Georgette would like to purchase a box with the best value. The boxed choices include the following: Signature Chocolate Truffle assortment (4 pieces = $10.00); Spring Truffle Gift box (6 pieces = $15.00); Ultimate Desserts Truffles gift box (24 pieces = $50.00); Signature Box Truffle assortment (18 pieces = $40.00). Which box offers the best value per truffle?
I’ll post the answer tomorrow.
I love this post. I mentioned on my Godot post that my first challenge for Vision & Verb was figuring out the pixel dimensions for a 5″x7″, 300 dpi image. I finally decided it’s like the speed/time/distance forumula – if you know two variables, you can determine the third. So, the image needed to be 1500 x 2100 pixels. That’s algebra, right?
I wish I’d run into you about 8th grade. I don’t know if I had a math disability, but by that time I had math terrors. It began with flash cards for my tables in first grade, and never got better. By the time I took my required general math class in college, I was a goner.
Of course, that was 1965 or so, and they were teaching that “new math” stuff with sets and subsets – the only thing I remember from that class is the set of “purple plinkety-bloops”. I swear. I did learn how to play bridge in that class, so it wasn’t a total loss. There were 500 students in front of a few tv sets, and the bridge-players were in the back.
At least now I don’t have to use my fingers to multiply by nine, and I can balance a checkbook. Have you ever known someone who’s balanced a checkbook by changing banks? Now you do.
Oh you’re funny – “the set of “purple plinkety-bloops”. I didn’t come by my math naturally…Spanish yes…math, no. I have my dad and my bff Peggy to thank for keeping me on track. It was not something I could do alone. Thankfully I never missed a homework, but it always took discussing it and going over it with either one of them. We had a party line back in the 60′s and my mother would scold me to get off the phone, to which I would beg her to let me stay on as “we were doing homework.” Yes, at times algebra has helped me alter html dimensions of a photo when I wanted to adjust an image. I think it’s my confidence with math that let me “fool” with the four line long formulas that produce a photo in our posts. btw My bff became a math teacher then a department chair of math and then ultimately a principal. Daughter #2 majored in math and became a math grader at A&M. I have started with simple division in this mini-series, but will move onto probability, a little geometry and yes, scientific notation. I hope folks don’t run away bruised from past memories of their math experience. Thank you for “loving” this post. Once again, I pushed publish and thought “here goes”.
Great post Georgette. I am, however, the flip side of your coin. I took math classes and the information and processes presented sounded like Greek to me! That being said, I can relate to the Godiva chocolate problem. I will admit to using a calculator to get the answer. Hey, it’s about getting the right answer and knowing how to get it and not being a math martyr and doing it sans technology!
Despite my pathetic math skills, I was an artist… I am a master at measurement!
My colleague in French used to use the carpenter’s rule “measure twice, then cut”. So often that thought would make me slow down in those fast-paced years of bell to bell teaching. A master of measurement! That is a great skill. Math was not easy for me. I had to work at it and spend way more time on it than my bff. But I did learn to like and even love it. I don’t know what I would have done without my dad and her. I marvel at how Daughter #2 majored in math and took courses beyond the level where I had stopped. I did help her in lower grades, but still recognized how much my dad had helped me. He died when she was two, and one regret I have was that he wasn’t around to help her. Sometimes, my brother helped her long distance over the phone.
Back to the carpenter’s rule. Remember all those e-mails and memos we would receive? I learned not to respond to the first memo/e-mail but wait until the next one after more decision-making had taken place. It saved minutes in my day. That little rule extended to time management.
I LOVE math & always have … it’s nice when you have a ‘feel’ for numbers & they come easily … always felt badly for my students who had no number sense at all & were so stressed over math.
I think your children inherited your numbers sense. What a fundamental gift you passed on to them. You remind me that you too, my friend, went on to teach math, a difficult class to teach considering all the practice that needs to be done, checked and monitored. For many students, the math expert is their teacher and they cannot get the help at home. You carried a load but made it lighter for many.
Oh dear. Numbers? Me? Of course, I’m not any better with foreign languages, either, Georgette. Chocolate, though, THAT computes!
So is your money with the Godiva or the snickers/RPBCs?
Godiva. Godiva. Godiva. I hate the combo of chocolate and peanuts/peanut butter. (Yes, I was part of the Reese’s conspiracy, but only because I didn’t have to eat any!)
Well, it is Mother’s Day coming up. You make me want some right now! Godiva is a good value compared to let’s say…flower bouquets. I will never turn down a snickers bar.
You may have all of mine, too! I’ll take your flowers.
oi-vey such a deal. I do love flowers, and my family knows I prefer chocolate. But I’m counting my chickens because I haven’t gotten either one – yet.
Math was always my most difficult subject, except the year I took geometry. I loved Spanish, however. Still do!
Tomorrow I’m going to mention what AP – not Advanced Placement – but Alzheimer’s Prevention says about encouraging mental challenges…you’re on a good track if you’re keeping up the foreign language.
D’oh! I clicked the wrong box.
I enjoyed math growing up, but not enough to continue beyond first-term calculus in college. About the only time I didn’t enjoy math was when I had to tutor my much less math-friendly mom in it!
oh-no, Deb! haha…just click again. I programmed this for more than one response. I can imagine you took a lot of logic in law school that was equally or more challenging. Be sure L’il D picks up on concepts of measuring, – cups, gallons, feet, lbs. – early building blocks to math.
I’m going for the most chocolates as my math says I get more days with Godiva that way. Yum. Don’t even bring home the four piece selection. I’ll keep it all for myself.
No, four pieces can’t be shared. They would definitely have only one name on them. I like your reasoning, the more days with Godiva, the happier I would be.
I think the large box is the best value, but couldn’t resist the “none of the above” option.
I think I would vote the none of the above option, too. Is spending money to save money a good value? Funny…Rick just walked in the door with a snickers bar for dessert…yum.
Aw-oh. I must admit Math is not my strong suit, but for Godiva chocolates, I’ll do anything, even Math….and even if the chocolates are only virtual chocolate. Even though this subject isn’t my favorite (the math, I mean!), I think I can hold my own and get the right answer.
I’m sure the wedding planner and mama of the microbiologist knows something about this. (wink)
Georgette, you and I are the very opposites here. Give me ENGLISH/GRAMMAR/SPELLING any day, but, please NO math! That being said, only for you, would I (a 50′ish year old woman ) break out pencil and paper to do this math problem. And I hope I got the answer right. (yes, I’m a day late reading this, but I promise I haven’t read Friday’s post yet to see the answer!)
I trust you Dianna. (wink) No stress, no worries. Please don’t feel compelled…but it’s good brain food. Thank you for taking on the challenge. Really, I should come up with some stars of some sort, but don’t know how to do it, and the feedback on the poll is anonymous except when folks tell me. Thought I’d only do this through the weekend, but then others may surface over the summer and later, when I see a math problem/situation begging to be solved.
This is incredible, Georgette. You know me, and I am not a fan of math, but I quite like the way you did this lesson. I could see myself enjoying the subject had you been my teacher.
Why thank you, LD. I chose to do this project for two reasons (1) I wanted to contribute to improving the scores that needed the most lift (2) and, I think I’d like a crack at teaching something I know can be fun. I hope my students picked up on the fun part, that math could be familiar and not “foreign” to them.
I’m really angry you weren’t my teacher Georgette. Really angry. And frustrated because if you were I’d be able to not only DO math but love what I was doing while eating the Godiva chocolates.
I’m so glad Daughter #2 is teaching Math. I have a dream someday we can collaborate to present an updated “Math in Culture” together at a conference.