Real-World Problems

One of my jobs, the one for which I am certified and the one that is my calling, is Math Teacher. When I was offered a full-time position as a professional Data Jockey, I accepted for the salary (after doing the math, it was virtually impossible to say "no'), but I kept a part-time position as an online math teacher so I could still feel like I was performing my math mitzvah. Teacher discounts at office supply stores, craft stores (Michaels!), and J. Crew are just an added perk. Teachers: Here's a list of all the other teacher discounts that you didn't know existed: http://www.giftcardgranny.com/blog/the-complete-list-of-66-teacher-discounts/.

This year, I switched my Algebra 2 and Geometry classes to a Common Core curriculum. Much of the CC content is the same as our previous curriculum, but one major improvement is the quality of the written assignments. Our old curriculum had a single written assignment at the end of each unit, consisting of 20 five-point problems that were basically just straight computation tasks. The new CC problems, though, are far more interesting and teach valuable life lessons. Here are a few of my favorites: How to locate keys accidentally dropped off leaning towers in Pisa, Montreal, or Abu Dhabi; securing a sponsor and entering a sailboat race in San Francisco or Australia; how to make a 3-D printer profitable; calculating the largest TV that you can buy based on your car's trunk size; and being a crime scene investigator. Regarding that last one: No worries. The cow wasn't injured and the driver who swerved to miss her on Highway 2 passed a field sobriety test. Even if you aren't a math geek, you have to admit that these Real-World Problems are kind of fun, right? Right? At the very least, you must agree that they are more interesting and teach more relevant skills than "calculate the volume of a sphere with a circumference of 50π."

Written tasks can be a great way for students to demonstrate a plethora of skills and conceptual understanding...provided that the problems are well-written, engaging, and complex enough to justify a student's written explanation. I know my math teacher friends can attest to how difficult it is to actually create a good problem, so here are a couple of my own to help you out. Feel free to adapt and use them in your own classrooms/lives. Have fun!


1) MathMercy's firewood guy called her out of the blue to ask her out on a date. (Perhaps he felt guilty for delivering the firewood that she was carrying when she tripped and landed on her face back in December.) MathMercy remembered that he was a nice guy and she didn't have anything else going on that afternoon, so she agreed to coffee and a chat in the park. During their conversation, Firewood Guy mentioned that he came from a very tall family, and that at 6 feet 8 inches tall, he wasn't even the tallest. MathMercy comes from considerably shorter stock, and just happens to be the shortest in her short family, at only 5 feet 2 inches tall. Although she is used to being the shortest person in a group, she is pretty sure she has never met anyone quite that tall. She wonders what it would be like to always be looking down at people instead of looking up at them. a) How does MathMercy's height compare to Firewood Guy's height? b) How tall is someone who is proportionally shorter than MathMercy? c) MathMercy's neck is getting sore from looking up all the time, and she realizes that if she places a mirror in just the right spot between herself and Firewood Guy, they can hold a conversation by looking down at each other's reflection in the mirror. If the mirror is 5 feet 2 inches away from Firewood Guy, what must be the distance from the mirror to MathMercy? 

2) MathMercy has observed that the more of something she wants, the less she gets, and the less she wants, the more she gets. Identify the type of variation and sketch a graph demonstrating the relation.

I have created a different sort of problem for myself that I am, unfortunately, unable to convert to an equation and solve. Probably shouldn't say anything, but if I don't it will feel like I am harboring some sneaky activity that I shouldn't be messing with. I agreed to let my ex take my dog and me out to the park a couple of times. I thought it would be harmless if I stood my ground and gently but firmly kept it at a purely platonic, non-romantic level. Maybe we can just be friends, right? Wrong. He isn't ready and I'm not equipped to keep shutting him down. It's too much...I don't know...feeling about something I simply don't feel.

Just to complicate (or perhaps simplify?) things: I have been quite honestly telling the ex that I really just like first dates and that I have no desire to date anyone consistently. Then, I end up meeting someone that I am really looking forward to seeing again. Stupid universe! And that's enough about that.