Friday, January 6, 2012

MCAS Math Marathon

It's Friday and we're handing out MCAS Math homework for the weekend again. In part, we're helping students get ready for the statewide MCAS tests.

There's another important reason as well. Sometimes kids feel as if they learn math in school and they will never use it again. That’s just not true. People in all sorts of jobs use math. People across the street on the construction site in Old Colony, for example, need all their math skills. They use math all day, every day.

That’s why students everywhere have to study math. We, however, are going to do it, Perkins Style. Each Friday we give third, fourth, and fifth graders one math problem from a previous MCAS test. Then we’ll give them another similar question using real data from the construction site. Our kids are learning to be elementary school students and real world workers at the same time!

Here are the third grade's questions. First, here's an actual MCAS question.

Now, here is the 3rd grade's Perkins version:

Fourth graders, here's your actual MCAS question:

Now, this is your Perkins version:

We haven't forgotten you, fifth graders. Here's your official MCAS question:

Finally, here's your Perkins version:

Okay kids, when you're done with your problems, think about this statement by the French poet and novelist Anatole France: People who don't count won't count.