Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

[norwegen]

What are your thoughts on this?

While many condemn this "new math" because it doesn't require precise answers, most decisions in life that involve math only require that you recognize the best option. Estimates are good enough

If you are driving your car you need to decide which route is the shortest, You make a mental estimate of which route is the shortest distance. You don't calculate that route A is 746 yards shorter

If you go to McDonalds with $20 and order six items you make an estimate of whether $20 is enough money, you don't calculate that you will get 17 cents in change

Both of those examples present us with several thousand units (exactly two thousand in the McDonald's example). The OP presents us with 112 units; seems kinda silly to estimate that.

 

[ChrisL]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

 

[rightwinger]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

I guess for the rest of us it is worded terribly

But we didn't see the rest of the test or sit in class and have the teacher tell us that when you see the word "about" it means make an estimate

It should have just said.....About how many cookies are left?

 

[Spare_change]

First of all, it asks which way to find out about how many cookies she didn't sell, and then it gives a list of the answers instead of choices to choose to solve the problem, so the whole thing makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. This test question must have been dreamed up by a liberal.

Damned libruls!

They are not nearly as smart as they think they are, huh? Arrogant, pompous little arses!

I take great exception to that!

They are NOT "pompous little arses"!!

They are massive, stupendous, gargantuan, gigantic, mammoth, titanic arses!

Let's try to be more accurate next time.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

The term "about" is what tells the student to estimate. The answer also requires the student to know the rules of rounding. It is an excellent question because it tests more than one area of knowledge.

 

[PredFan]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

That's not the way I was taught in the 60s, perhaps I just went to better schools.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

That's not the way I was taught in the 60s, perhaps I just went to better schools.

Considering that is the way I was taught in the 60s, how my now adult children were taught in the 80s and 90s, and how I teach it now, I would think you might be in error.

 

[PredFan]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

That's not the way I was taught in the 60s, perhaps I just went to better schools.

Considering that is the way I was taught in the 60s, how my now adult children were taught in the 80s and 90s, and how I teach it now, I would think you might be in error.

Considering that graduates are less and less educated these days, I think not.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

That's not the way I was taught in the 60s, perhaps I just went to better schools.

Considering that is the way I was taught in the 60s, how my now adult children were taught in the 80s and 90s, and how I teach it now, I would think you might be in error.

Considering that graduates are less and less educated these days, I think not.

Insulting my children? Nice!

You have gone from discussing education to your proving that you are just an ass.

I'm sorry that your experience with education has left you deficient in the area of mathematics.

I suggest enrolling in an adult education program.

 

[PredFan]

If the whole test was about rounding then it makes total sense. If this question was mixed in with other math questions, it's worded poorly.

Sorry folks! This is the way I was taught in the 1960s and it is the way I teach it today!

I am sorry you had such a poor education or unfortunately cannot recall it.

That's not the way I was taught in the 60s, perhaps I just went to better schools.

Considering that is the way I was taught in the 60s, how my now adult children were taught in the 80s and 90s, and how I teach it now, I would think you might be in error.

Considering that graduates are less and less educated these days, I think not.

Insulting my children? Nice!

You have gone from discussing education to your proving that you are just an ass.

I'm sorry that your experience with education has left you deficient in the area of mathematics.

I suggest enrolling in an adult education program.

Actually, I'm very proficient in mathematics, as well as science, and history.

And I also know that it's a fact that we are graduating kids that are dumber and dumber.

 

[ChrisL]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

The term "about" is what tells the student to estimate. The answer also requires the student to know the rules of rounding. It is an excellent question because it tests more than one area of knowledge.

That is like a slang term. Even approximately would have been a better choice of terms. The person who wrote that sentence sounds like an uneducated goon.

 

[rightwinger]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

The term "about" is what tells the student to estimate. The answer also requires the student to know the rules of rounding. It is an excellent question because it tests more than one area of knowledge.

That is like a slang term. Even approximately would have been a better choice of terms. The person who wrote that sentence sounds like an uneducated goon.

"find about" can have two different meanings

It can reflect what you are finding or mean approximately

But usually students have been doing these type of problems all week and they are familiar with what they mean by "about"

 

[ChrisL]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

The term "about" is what tells the student to estimate. The answer also requires the student to know the rules of rounding. It is an excellent question because it tests more than one area of knowledge.

That is like a slang term. Even approximately would have been a better choice of terms. The person who wrote that sentence sounds like an uneducated goon.

"find about" can have two different meanings

It can reflect what you are finding or mean approximately

But usually students have been doing these type of problems all week and they are familiar with what they mean by "about"

Well I think that math teacher needs to take some English classes because that was just a poorly structured sentence to begi with, which makes it confusing, especially if you are just learning. Some teachers are sadists, I think. Lol.

 

[Conservative65]

Interesting.

Crystal ACTUALLY sold 15 cookies (112-97).

If you use the preferred 'estimate', you come up with an estimate of 30 cookies. If you use the estimate preferred by the test taker, you come up with 10 cookies.

It would seem that 10 is closer to 15 than 30. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the teacher is the one who does my taxes.

Crystal actually sold 97 cookies...there were 15 that were not sold

If the exercise is to show the process of estimating or doing it in your head

97 is three less than 100
112 is 12 more than 100

3+12 = 15 unsold cookies

I have no idea what the exercise was trying to teach

Educated people that know how to do math can do it in one step. 112-97. Why take three steps to do what can easily be done in one?

 

[Conservative65]

It was worded terribly. Using the word "about" would throw some people off. They should have asked which estimate is correct instead.

The term "about" is what tells the student to estimate. The answer also requires the student to know the rules of rounding. It is an excellent question because it tests more than one area of knowledge.

That is like a slang term. Even approximately would have been a better choice of terms. The person who wrote that sentence sounds like an uneducated goon.

"find about" can have two different meanings

It can reflect what you are finding or mean approximately

But usually students have been doing these type of problems all week and they are familiar with what they mean by "about"

There's an easy way to find out EXACTLY how man weren't sold. It's called subtraction.

 

[rightwinger]

Interesting.

Crystal ACTUALLY sold 15 cookies (112-97).

If you use the preferred 'estimate', you come up with an estimate of 30 cookies. If you use the estimate preferred by the test taker, you come up with 10 cookies.

It would seem that 10 is closer to 15 than 30. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the teacher is the one who does my taxes.

Crystal actually sold 97 cookies...there were 15 that were not sold

If the exercise is to show the process of estimating or doing it in your head

97 is three less than 100
112 is 12 more than 100

3+12 = 15 unsold cookies

I have no idea what the exercise was trying to teach

Educated people that know how to do math can do it in one step. 112-97. Why take three steps to do what can easily be done in one?

Because most of the math you do in your life does not require a precise calculation and comparison

You are just estimating and picking the better option

Do I have enough gas to make it home?
Do I have enough money to pay for this?
Do I have enough of a gap to merge into traffic?

You do not take precise measurements and compare two options. You make a quick estimate and then a choice based on those estimates

 

[Conservative65]

Interesting.

Crystal ACTUALLY sold 15 cookies (112-97).

If you use the preferred 'estimate', you come up with an estimate of 30 cookies. If you use the estimate preferred by the test taker, you come up with 10 cookies.

It would seem that 10 is closer to 15 than 30. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the teacher is the one who does my taxes.

Crystal actually sold 97 cookies...there were 15 that were not sold

If the exercise is to show the process of estimating or doing it in your head

97 is three less than 100
112 is 12 more than 100

3+12 = 15 unsold cookies

I have no idea what the exercise was trying to teach

Educated people that know how to do math can do it in one step. 112-97. Why take three steps to do what can easily be done in one?

Because most of the math you do in your life does not require a precise calculation and comparison

You are just estimating and picking the better option

Do I have enough gas to make it home?
Do I have enough money to pay for this?
Do I have enough of a gap to merge into traffic?

You do not take precise measurements and compare two options. You make a quick estimate and then a choice based on those estimates

Actually, it does.

Perhaps that's why so many file bankruptcy because they estimate rather than calculate but miss it.

 

[rightwinger]

Interesting.

Crystal ACTUALLY sold 15 cookies (112-97).

If you use the preferred 'estimate', you come up with an estimate of 30 cookies. If you use the estimate preferred by the test taker, you come up with 10 cookies.

It would seem that 10 is closer to 15 than 30. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the teacher is the one who does my taxes.

Crystal actually sold 97 cookies...there were 15 that were not sold

If the exercise is to show the process of estimating or doing it in your head

97 is three less than 100
112 is 12 more than 100

3+12 = 15 unsold cookies

I have no idea what the exercise was trying to teach

Educated people that know how to do math can do it in one step. 112-97. Why take three steps to do what can easily be done in one?

Because most of the math you do in your life does not require a precise calculation and comparison

You are just estimating and picking the better option

Do I have enough gas to make it home?
Do I have enough money to pay for this?
Do I have enough of a gap to merge into traffic?

You do not take precise measurements and compare two options. You make a quick estimate and then a choice based on those estimates

Actually, it does.

Perhaps that's why so many file bankruptcy because they estimate rather than calculate but miss it.

If you are selling cookies you need to know "about" how many cookies you have left

If you have "about" 15 cookies, you need to go get more
If you have "about" 100 cookies, you do not

Students are learning you do not always need a precise answer to make a decision and are learning how to estimate

 

[Conservative65]

Interesting.

Crystal ACTUALLY sold 15 cookies (112-97).

If you use the preferred 'estimate', you come up with an estimate of 30 cookies. If you use the estimate preferred by the test taker, you come up with 10 cookies.

It would seem that 10 is closer to 15 than 30. If I didn't know better, I'd guess the teacher is the one who does my taxes.

Crystal actually sold 97 cookies...there were 15 that were not sold

If the exercise is to show the process of estimating or doing it in your head

97 is three less than 100
112 is 12 more than 100

3+12 = 15 unsold cookies

I have no idea what the exercise was trying to teach

Educated people that know how to do math can do it in one step. 112-97. Why take three steps to do what can easily be done in one?

Because most of the math you do in your life does not require a precise calculation and comparison

You are just estimating and picking the better option

Do I have enough gas to make it home?
Do I have enough money to pay for this?
Do I have enough of a gap to merge into traffic?

You do not take precise measurements and compare two options. You make a quick estimate and then a choice based on those estimates

Actually, it does.

Perhaps that's why so many file bankruptcy because they estimate rather than calculate but miss it.

If you are selling cookies you need to know "about" how many cookies you have left

If you have "about" 15 cookies, you need to go get more
If you have "about" 100 cookies, you do not

Students are learning you do not always need a precise answer to make a decision and are learning how to estimate

Yet you do. Having precise numbers means you don't make mistake. Estimating opens up that possibility.