Stevo985 Posted January 13, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2014 So was Gareth (and me) correct or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 the question kind of suggested to me you were taking one of the halfs and halfing that, so I'm in the Eames camp Let me rephrase (as I can't remember the exact phrasing of the guy who told me) but Stevo and Gareth are right in one sense so far. Have you seen that 'Are you smarter than a 10 year old' program? Well in the spirit of that, here's a word problem for you all. I have a plank of wood 8 metres long. I cut it in half. Then I cut them in half. Then in half one final time. How many pieces of wood do I have now? How long is each piece of wood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've actually done this for real. I ended up with about 5 random lengths of **** wood and two halves of a workbench. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Sorry, I meant them. So 8m piece. Cut it in half. Then both again. Then again. I was trying to phrase it without giving the answer away. It would be in more child friendly speak in a proper question. In that case 8x1m lenghts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 So was Gareth (and me) correct or not? Aye in one sense. Any other answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I'm in the Eames... Camp! Works much better with this punctuation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 13, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2014 Well you could also have 8 pieces that are still 8 metres long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Well you could also have 8 pieces that are still 8 metres long Bingo. I never said which way you had to cut it in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I'm in the Eames... Camp! Works much better with this punctuation. ah, I can but dream. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 My other answer, if I was being pedantic about how the question was originally phased (i.e. it wasn't explicitly stated that you kept both halves of the plank after cutting), would have been "1 piece, 50 cms long". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Bingo. I never said which way you had to cut it in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) My other answer, if I was being pedantic about how the question was originally phased (i.e. it wasn't explicitly stated that you kept both halves of the plank after cutting), would have been "1 piece, 50 cms long". Exactly. I thought it was really interesting how many assumptions we make in maths problems when trying to put things in a real world context (eg the very reason we use word problems). For example, another question that I found interesting was: A boat holds 6 people. There are 74 people. How many boats do you need? This is an attempt to put a division/multiple question in context to show there can't always be a remainder. However, how real is it really? Are all people the same size? Are those 74 people all adults? Disability? Interested me anyway :-) Edited January 13, 2014 by StefanAVFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 13, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah but you'd look a right word removed if you got asked that boat question in a maths test and put something like "15 boats. I included 2 extra to allow for wheelchair users" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah but you'd look a right word removed if you got asked that boat question in a maths test and put something like "15 boats. I included 2 extra to allow for wheelchair users" There's the conundrum. Do we teach children to be lateral thinkers or to learn what they need to pass exams? Big debate raging atm about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) My other answer, if I was being pedantic about how the question was originally phased (i.e. it wasn't explicitly stated that you kept both halves of the plank after cutting), would have been "1 piece, 50 cms long". Exactly. I thought it was really interesting how many assumptions we make in maths problems when trying to put things in a real world context (eg the very reason we use word problems). For example, another question that I found interesting was: A boat holds 6 people. There are 74 people. How many boats do you need? This is an attempt to put a division/multiple question in context to show there can't always be a remainder. However, how real is it really? Are all people the same size? Are those 74 people all adults? Disability? Interested me anyway :-) 1) the bloke sailing the boat reduces the capacity to 5 so you'd need 15 boats/trips to transport 74 people. EDIT. Clearly I'm a word removed. Edited January 13, 2014 by Eames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 My other answer, if I was being pedantic about how the question was originally phased (i.e. it wasn't explicitly stated that you kept both halves of the plank after cutting), would have been "1 piece, 50 cms long". Exactly. I thought it was really interesting how many assumptions we make in maths problems when trying to put things in a real world context (eg the very reason we use word problems). For example, another question that I found interesting was: A boat holds 6 people. There are 74 people. How many boats do you need? This is an attempt to put a division/multiple question in context to show there can't always be a remainder. However, how real is it really? Are all people the same size? Are those 74 people all adults? Disability? Interested me anyway :-) 1) the bloke sailing the boat reduces the capacity to 5 so you'd need 15 boats/trips to transport 74 people. EDIT. Clearly I'm a word removed. 1 boat maximise the profit 1 boat, get them half way across the Med get another boat repeat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 13, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah but you'd look a right word removed if you got asked that boat question in a maths test and put something like "15 boats. I included 2 extra to allow for wheelchair users" There's the conundrum. Do we teach children to be lateral thinkers or to learn what they need to pass exams? Big debate raging atm about it. Different subjects though. Surely maths is based on fact, if you like. You can't **** with numbers. They are what they are. Lateral thinking is something else. It's not one or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 In calculations yeah. But the purpose of words problems is to put a calculation in a real world context, because more often than not, the average person will need maths in that context rather than a specialised context (accountants, architects etc). And by being so narrow minded with our approach (which everybody does), you're narrowing that 'real world context'. As I said, it's an interesting debate and something I'm going to research further for a paper. And cross-curricular approaches are 'in' at the moment. You'll rarely see a lesson that is just one subject these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah but you'd look a right word removed if you got asked that boat question in a maths test and put something like "15 boats. I included 2 extra to allow for wheelchair users" Ah, yes, the Bowery factor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Do we teach children to be lateral thinkers or to learn what they need to pass exams? Big debate raging atm about it. Only what they need. I want to be able to outsmart the rampant gangs of youths when society goes all Mad Max 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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