Math through time
Teaching
Math in 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 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 out-sources 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?
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:
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 YEAR 2000 projects. What
is the probability that the automatic cell doors will open on their own as of
00:01, 01/01/00?
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