Ausmumof3 Posted June 16, 2020 Posted June 16, 2020 Ds is working through Saxon algebra 1 and is getting the what decimal part problems. While we can use the formula to get the correct answer, it’s not something I learned at school. I feel like there’s something missing for me. I’m not seeing the application? Anyone have links or suggestions as to where I could find out more about the why of what they are doing? Quote
forty-two Posted June 16, 2020 Posted June 16, 2020 Problems like "what decimal part of 240 is 90?" - answer 0.375 of 240 = 90 - is that what you mean? I have no idea how Saxon approaches them, but we did a bunch of "___ of ___ = ___" problems in Dolciani, where the first blank could be a fraction, decimal, or percentage. It was a pretty flexible and useful equation template - we set up and solved lots of different kinds of word problems with it. And it was a good test of understanding for dd - successfully setting up and solving those problems required a strong, flexible understanding of fractions/decimals/percentages. 1 Quote
Lecka Posted June 17, 2020 Posted June 17, 2020 Is it practice in solving equations with a variable? But so far without a variable? I am seeing some things like that in a lower level of Saxon, where they practice something that seems kinda easy, and then use the same format to introduce something harder. Quote
EKS Posted June 17, 2020 Posted June 17, 2020 (edited) Does it make more sense to say "What fractional part of 240 is 90?" If so, it's just that fraction 90/240 = 9/24 = 3/8 expressed as a decimal (0.375). ETA: I just realized that this was given as an example problem by forty-two and not the OP. Sorry about that! Edited June 17, 2020 by EKS Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 15 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said: Is it like what decimal part of 368 is 100? If so, I just used this skill a little while ago! I'm putting together little meals for my kid. His feeding team wants each meal to have almost exactly 100 calories. So, I know that pureed avocado has 368 calories per cup. How much of.a cup do I need to serve him. Well 100/368 calories would be 0.27 (rounding there), and I also know that 0.27 is a tiny bit more that a quarter. So, I fill my 1/4 cup measuring cup and leave a tiny bit extra mounded on top. Is that what you mean by an application? Oh yeah I see. Thank you. I would do the same calculation but I just wouldn’t use/haven’t heard the term/phrase before. Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 52 minutes ago, Lecka said: Is it practice in solving equations with a variable? But so far without a variable? I am seeing some things like that in a lower level of Saxon, where they practice something that seems kinda easy, and then use the same format to introduce something harder. Well it’s using DP for decimal part instead of a variable. And yeah that’s why I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something because I don’t want to trip over it later. 1 Quote
Lecka Posted June 17, 2020 Posted June 17, 2020 I happened to buy some bleach and a squirt bottle today, and the squirt bottle was 26 Oz. I was supposed to mix the bleach with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. I did think “so 2.6 ounces.” And then filled the bottle up to about 23.5. I don’t know that I needed this specific math but being able to do it would help me, in general, be able to do stuff like this. I am having a guest at the end of the month and need to get on top of my sanitizing! Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 34 minutes ago, square_25 said: Can you give me an example problem? What decimal part of 36 is 20.88? Quote
Lecka Posted June 17, 2020 Posted June 17, 2020 Ha, I am lucky I was pretty close! I should go spray some more of my stuff around, I want to clean all my doors tonight and extensively spray all my bathrooms. I have one done so it can be used while I spray the other ones. 1 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, square_25 said: So are they just asking to calculate what fraction it is, except in decimals? I think? the formula/explanation they give is what decimal part of 43 is 26.04 In D x (of) = (is). We replace D with WD, of with 42 and is with 26.04. Then we solve WD(42) = 26.04 so WD(42)/42 = 26.04/42 so WD = 0.62 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 3 minutes ago, square_25 said: OK, so it really is like "What percentage of 36 is 20.88?" or "What fraction of 36 is 20.88?" except instead of fractions or percentages you do a decimal. Wow... I've totally never heard this phrasing before. That’s basically what I’m thinking it’s the vocab that threw me. I’m not finding much in google so assume it’s not overly common. i have this trouble a lot with US based math programmes. We learned mostly using numbers and symbols not the definitions. Mostly we learned/did the same stuff. I mean I never learned the phrase “commutative property is addition” I just knew you can add in any order for example. Partly possibly poor teaching but a lot to do with vocab. Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 1 minute ago, CuriousMomof3 said: What is WD? Why couldn't you just leave it as D? I think you have just convinced me to scratch Saxon off my list of possible math programs. I've taught the little kid version and liked it, but this has me shaking my head. It was never on my list! But someone passed it on to me and ds was getting stuck with AOPS. So I figured before spending more I should give it a go. I don’t really like it but he does. There is a lot of review and repetition and it’s very formulaic. I’m totally get the concerns with lack of flexibility/ deep understanding but I think for this particular kid at this point in time it may be the best way forward. Quote
forty-two Posted June 17, 2020 Posted June 17, 2020 (edited) 40 minutes ago, square_25 said: OK, so it really is like "What percentage of 36 is 20.88?" or "What fraction of 36 is 20.88?" except instead of fractions or percentages you do a decimal. Wow... I've totally never heard this phrasing before. I hadn't either - I googled it plus Saxon and got a helpful YouTube video that gave me the example I used. It was for Saxon Alg 1/2, not Alg 1, but the solving approach was a little more ... idk, mechanical? Formulaic? See this-do that? than I prefer. But I didn't see what came before or after, so idk how it fits in to the overall program. Edited June 17, 2020 by forty-two 1 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 17, 2020 Author Posted June 17, 2020 50 minutes ago, square_25 said: There really really really needs to be a curriculum like AoPS except with much smaller leaps. I am a huge fan of the idea of the "conceptual spiral," which I will now fail to explain, because I'm not sure I can do it justice. But I do like spirals... I just like them to engage with concepts more. (And I have now failed to explain the idea. Sigh. But it's how I construct DD7's math work, and it's worked really well.) If you decide to write one let me know! 😄 Quote
katilac Posted July 3, 2020 Posted July 3, 2020 On 6/16/2020 at 8:21 PM, CuriousMomof3 said: I think you have just convinced me to scratch Saxon off my list of possible math programs. I've taught the little kid version and liked it, but this has me shaking my head. I have yet to see the math program that doesn't have at least one weird thing like this, you just need to make sure it's not full of weird things. Quote
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