To: White Shoes who wrote (16988 ) 8/3/1998 5:23:00 PM From: Peter V Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 18263
Perfect for this thread (you have to read to the end): > Subject: Teaching Math Through The Ages > > TEACHING MATH IN 1940-1950: > > 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 the 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 this way of making a living? 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 1996: > > By laying off 40% of its loggers, a company improves its 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 outsources all of its loggers. The firm saves on benefits, > 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 for the company? > > > 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 collecting his kickback. Was outsourcing the loggers a > good move for the company? > > > TEACHING MATH IN 1999: (Hypothetical addition, EXTRA CREDIT) > > A laid-off logger serving time in Folsom for blowing away several > people is being trained as a COBOL programmer in order to work on Y2K > projects. What is the probability that the automatic cell doors will > open on the year 2000? --