Blueridge Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I am mortified... :ack2: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57390219-71/teacher-allegedly-gives-kids-gruesome-math-problems/?tag=mncol;mlt_related Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Eh, I thought that the bloodsucking one was kind of funny. The others not so much but more because they were trying too hard. From the article, it looks like it was adults who were more traumatized by the questions that the kids. I do agree that questions that promote stereotypes should be definitely banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 ok, yes, it was gruesome, but how was it racist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 That was a crazy story; I linked it a few days ago (just in case you're interested in what other people had to say). I think some of those on the site were worse than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 ok, yes, it was gruesome, but how was it racist? You would have had to go through the links and look at some of the other problems. For example: Homeschool Fun: Printable Math Worksheets Third Grade Math Problem 2 My 3 friends and I were caught and tied up by 1023 screaming cannibals in a jungle last night. Soon we were feeling terribly itchy because of the mosquitoes. We begged the cannibals to scratch us. 219 cannibals refused because they were busy cutting vegetables. The rest of them, however, surrounded us in equal numbers and began to scratch us with their teeth, just like dogs. It felt good! How many cannibals scratched me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 You would have had to go through the links and look at some of the other problems. For example: Homeschool Fun: Printable Math Worksheets Third Grade Math Problem 2 My 3 friends and I were caught and tied up by 1023 screaming cannibals in a jungle last night. Soon we were feeling terribly itchy because of the mosquitoes. We begged the cannibals to scratch us. 219 cannibals refused because they were busy cutting vegetables. The rest of them, however, surrounded us in equal numbers and began to scratch us with their teeth, just like dogs. It felt good! How many cannibals scratched me? I didn't read the article but I can really see a 3rd grader getting a kick out of the about question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I didn't read the article but I can really see a 3rd grader getting a kick out of the about question. And you don't think it might be racially problematic to have the jungle dwellers be cannibals and to scratch with their teeth like dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 And you don't think it might be racially problematic to have the jungle dwellers be cannibals and to scratch with their teeth like dogs? Cannibals could be any color; people living in a jungle could be any color - I don't see this as a racial thing. I had an aunt who lived in a South American jungle for a while, she's white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Cannibals could be any color; people living in a jungle could be any color - I don't see this as a racial thing. I had an aunt who lived in a South American jungle for a while, she's white. But, she is not an indigenous person to that climate. She is not what most people would think of in context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 And you don't think it might be racially problematic to have the jungle dwellers be cannibals and to scratch with their teeth like dogs? I hope you're kidding. If not, wouldn't that be a hasty generalization? The problem states: "My 3 friends and I were caught and tied up by 1023 screaming cannibals in a jungle last night." It does not state that all jungle dwellers are cannibals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I hope you're kidding. If not, wouldn't that be a hasty generalization? The problem states: "My 3 friends and I were caught and tied up by 1023 screaming cannibals in a jungle last night." It does not state that all jungle dwellers are cannibals. After this story? http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/parents-outraged-homework-references-slavery-beatings-145000547.html Where students had to answer questions like these: Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick? Frederick had 6 baskets filled with cotton. If each basket held 5 pounds, how many pounds did he have all together? If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week? 2 weeks? No, I'm definitely not kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 In what way are Homeschool Fun: Printable Math Worksheets related to a Georgia public school math assignment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 In what way are Homeschool Fun: Printable Math Worksheets related to a Georgia public school math assignment? When the teacher uses problems from the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 And you don't think it might be racially problematic to have the jungle dwellers be cannibals and to scratch with their teeth like dogs? Nope. I don't picture cannibals as any race. I just imagine crazy people in masks. I assume my kids are doing the same but maybe not. Even if they are picturing a certain race, do I think that will harm them or make them racist?? Nope. They'll just think it is funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I don't think these are appropriate at all to pass around a classroom, however, I've had to get pretty creative with ds lately. I could see using these problems in the future, or some of them anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I read some, not all, of the word problems that the website put on there. Eww.. I get they are trying to catch the kids attention, by having the subjects of eating maggots (yuck), and throwing temper tantrums in word problems. It isn't the way I would want to get my kids to do math. :( It just doesn't sit well with me, but I'm a really sensitive person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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