Category: Humor

Posted in Humor

Two Plus Two Apples or Why Indians Flunk

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I found a piece of paper with this little poem inserted in my old notebook. It was written by Beverly Slapin. I realized I was born an Indian and will always be.
two apples

All right, class, let’s see who know what two plus two is. Yes, Doris?

I have a question. Two plus two what?

Two plus two anything.

I don’t understand.

OK, Doris, I’ll explain it to you. You have two apples and you get two more. How many do you have?

Where would I get two more?

From a tree.

Why would I pick two apples if I already have two?

Never mind, you have two apples and someone gives you two more.

Why would someone give me two more, if she could give them to someone who’s hungry?

Doris, it’s just an example.

An example of what?

Let’s try again—you have two apples and you find two more. Now, how many do you have?

Who lost them?

YOU HAVE TWO PLUS TWO APPLES!!!! HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE ALL TOGETHER????

Well, if I ate one, and gave away the other three, I’d have none left, but I could always get some more if I got hungry from that tree you were talking about before.

Doris, this is your last chance—you have two, uh, buffalo, and you get two more. Now how many do you have?

It depends. How many are cows and how many are bulls, and is any of the cows pregnant?

It’s hopeless! You Indians have absolutely no grasp of abstraction!

Huh?

-by Beverly Slapin

Posted in Humor, Statistics

Who increased the debt? – a lesson on graphs

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Graphs display information in an organized and easy-to-read manner.They are visual representations of quantities and their relationships so they are not pictures. That graphs are pictures is a common misconception.  By end of fourth grade a pupil should be able create, understand and interpret at least the basics of three types of graphs, line, bar graphs as well as pie charts.Fourth graders should learn the skills necessary to understand the importance, as well as the use of each graph. They should understand that a line graph is used to express change over a period of time, a bar graph is used to express the quantity of different items, and a pie chart is great for representing the quantity of an item out of one hundred percent. When the learners have understood each use they will be able to fully apply that knowledge into recognizing the importance of graphs in their lives especially in their political life:-)

Here’s a graph I found in my Facebook homepage. It’s an example of political bar graph, if there is such a type:-). What I love about this bar graph are the pictures they put on top. It helps one remember what these guys have been up to.

Interpreting graphs is a skill expected of a fourth grader but this post is not intended for them but for those who were once fourth graders.

Political Bar Graph

Suggested questions for discussion:

  1. What do the red and blue bars represent?
  2. If a red bar will be next to the rightmost bar now, will it be longer or shorter than the blue bar? Estimate and explain your assumptions?
  3. To what can you attribute the sharp decrease from President Reagan to G.H. W Bush?
  4. What other questions can you asked based on this graph?

I hope you will have a “fruitful” discussion. Here’s one discussion in my Facebook page:

Except for the math part, this post should not be taken seriously and the graph should certainly not find their way to the classroom.  For the history of that graph read: Nancy Pelosi’s questionable chart and Chart goes viral.

 

Posted in Humor

Facebook is CIA’s #1 online surveillance program – Humor

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Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is now CIA’s # 1 agent.  And the government wants you to use Facebook. You are more trackable and traceable there than via your Twitter or Google+ accounts. View the flash report below from The Onions News Network (ONN).

Of course the CIA will not find fault with you liking Math for Teaching’s Facebook page. It’s a plus in your resume’. So go, like it in FB. If you don’t want to get traced, follow this blog in Google+, Twitter or subscribe by email. Thanks.