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    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Val Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by ultramarina
    A really badly written question can transform even a good math student into one who looks bad on paper some of the time, unless/until they develop the "Hmm, what they really meant was..." skills HowlerKarma was talking about. Kids who are having more difficulty are likely to mess those up every time. That clarity is SO incredibly important.

    We ran headlong into the badly-written-word-problem thicket tonight:

    "24 students wanted to watch candy being made in the firehouse kitchen. The students organized into even groups and gathered around each of 5 pots of candy. How many gathered around each pot? How many students had to stand behind another student?"

    Err..huh? But then the groups weren't even, regardless of whether "even" means "number in group is divisible by two" or "the groups were the same size." That is, assuming that the remaining students were made to "stand behind" the others?? So they didn't count as being in the group??

    Time and again, the edumacational system in this country manages to surprise even a cynic like me with the depths to which it will sink in search of mediocrity. frown

    Last edited by Val; 10/11/12 09:09 PM.
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    Originally Posted by Val
    We ran headlong into the badly-written-word-problem thicket tonight:

    "24 students wanted to watch candy being made in the firehouse kitchen. The students organized into even groups and gathered around each of 5 pots of candy. How many gathered around each pot? How many students had to stand behind another student?"

    Err..huh? But then the groups weren't even, regardless of whether "even" means "number in group is divisible by two" or "the groups were the same size." That is, assuming that the remaining students were made to "stand behind" the others?? So they didn't count as being in the group??

    Time and again, the edumacational system in this country manages to surprise even a cynic like me with the depths to which it will sink in search of mediocrity. frown

    How sad to be hoping it was a typo! Otherwise, it's so beyond sad - what is this from, the teacher, a textbook, a worksheet?

    DeHe

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    ...How many students needed to be dissected or have a limb amputated to create equal mass amongst each group?

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    I agree with Evemomma... the best choice here is to answer with fractions... maybe a quick doodle of the firehouse kitchen.

    Last edited by DAD22; 10/12/12 12:30 PM.
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    Val Offline OP
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    Evemomma and DAD22,

    smile smile smile

    You found a way to make this mess something I can laugh about. Thank you!

    Val

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    Val Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by DeHe
    How sad to be hoping it was a typo! Otherwise, it's so beyond sad - what is this from, the teacher, a textbook, a worksheet?

    DeHe

    It was from a worksheet produced by the textbook publisher.

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    Man, I have some doozies from my DD's book. Worse than that (I can tell what they mean there, although it's horrible). I wish I could reproduce them, but I'm paranoid about revealing where I am.

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    This makes me think of a project: a compilation of the worst math problems from elementary school texts. Seriously...someone should be doing that.

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    Val Offline OP
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    VICTORY!

    DD's teacher noticed that her division skills "separated her" from the middle group and moved her up. Now she slightly less below her actual level.

    Am starting an Ultimate Bad Homework Questions thread.

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    Hooray for the group move and yeah! For starting the thread, too. I'm so glad our school doesn't use textbooks except as just another resource, instead of god's word.

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