Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Using Children's Books to foster Numeracy: useful websites
Articles about Using Children's Literature to teach Mathematics
Promoting Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Through Children's Literature
http://www.cayc.ca/promolit.pdf
Curriculum: Math and Literature—A Match Made in the Classroom!
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr249.shtml
Book Lists:
Marilyn Burns Classroom Library
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/statehomepages/nm/pdfs/NM_BurnsGK.pdf
Books for Teaching Math Concepts
http://www.education.uiowa.edu/crl/bibliographies/documents/BooksforTeachingMathConceptsupdatedforweb2009.pdf
Lesson Plan Ideas:
Share 2 Learn: Literature ad Math
http://www.share2learn.com/mathliterature.html
Illuminations: Mathematics and Children's Literature
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=U83
Utah Education Network: How Big is A Foot
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=10729
Exemplars: How Big is a Foot
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=10729
Find the story for the above 2 lessons at
http://www.vidyaonline.net/arvindgupta/kingsfoot.pdf
General Resources:
Home Page for New Math Teachers
http://terri.clarityconnect.com/terri.html
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Numeracy on the Bus
This morning, on the bus ride up to Burnaby Mountain, as I stared mindlessly at the propaganda lining the bus walls, I happened upon the following claim:
“Glasses for Half the Price!”, followed by a website address.
As I am counting the days until my insurance coverage will kick in to pay for new glasses, this spoke to me. “Right on!” I thought, “I need new glasses, half price is a great deal! I’ll get my glasses from there and that way be sure that insurance will cover the whole amount!”
As I was on the bus halfway up the mountain, I couldn't immediately log on to the web and check it out, so I got to using my numeracy skill to think about the claim and if I really believed them.
Half of the Price….. hmm, what price are they referring to? What store’s pricing are they comparing themselves to? Lenscrafters? Cheap-O Optical? Who? In my experience, the price of frames and lenses vary greatly from place to place.
And when they speak of ‘glasses’ are they referring to just the frames? Or frames and lenses? Or maybe just the lenses?
Last year I did some comparison shopping and found significant differences in similar frames, and I found some deceptive advertising from a major eyeglass retailer when they offered free lenses. The ‘free’ lenses only went with certain frames, whose prices seemed to be inflated to compensate for the gift of the basic lenses. Also, the free lenses were the most basic style and they were kind enough to inform customers of how they deserved a much better quality of lenses with all the latest technology…which they again were pleased to offer at a price.
When they had finally priced out my ‘sale’ offer eyeglasses, I was presented with an estimate of over $500… My insurance covers up to $275 dollars, so a quick calculation told me I would have to cover the other (500-275) $225. No way.
I ended up buying a very similar frame with high quality lenses from Factory Optical, a locally owned, low-key operation and they cost me $178. Now, I realize the other store has more expenses: they are in a mall, their store is fancy, you get your glasses in an hour blah, blah, blah. I don’t care that the store was off the beaten path or that I had to wait a week for the glasses. My Utility factor was based on quality and price, not convenience.
And, as hoped, I got some nice glasses for a good price.
Anyways, back to the ad on the bus. Thinking about the bus ad brought the memory of last years glasses shopping into the forefront of my thoughts and I was skeptical.
Assuming the ad spoke of a complete pair of glasses, I still didn’t know what their baseline for ‘half-price’ was.
Half off of the big box store price of about $500 would be (500/2) 250, making the ad’s offer $250 for eyeglasses. That’s still (250-178) $72 more than what I paid last year and not really such a good deal for me.
ON the other hand, if they are referring to the Factory Optical price of $178 and taking half off of that, that would mean I could get my glasses for $89, which would be a great deal.
I decided to investigate their website: [www.clearlycontacts.ca] to price a pair of glasses similar to the pair I bought last year (using that as a type of scale for comparison)
This is what I came up with
[ www.clearlycontacts.ca/glasses/frames/hugo-boss-47-dark-tortoise/prod25079.html ]
A similar styled pair, similar designer brand, and lenses included for only $98! (plus taxes, I would assume)
If this pair is $98, I guess they are assuming you would usually pay (98 x2) $196 for these glasses, which makes their price point close to Factory optical’s pricing than the other store’s. I guess their claim of “Glasses for Half the Price” was pretty accurate.
“Glasses for Half the Price!”, followed by a website address.
As I am counting the days until my insurance coverage will kick in to pay for new glasses, this spoke to me. “Right on!” I thought, “I need new glasses, half price is a great deal! I’ll get my glasses from there and that way be sure that insurance will cover the whole amount!”
As I was on the bus halfway up the mountain, I couldn't immediately log on to the web and check it out, so I got to using my numeracy skill to think about the claim and if I really believed them.
Half of the Price….. hmm, what price are they referring to? What store’s pricing are they comparing themselves to? Lenscrafters? Cheap-O Optical? Who? In my experience, the price of frames and lenses vary greatly from place to place.
And when they speak of ‘glasses’ are they referring to just the frames? Or frames and lenses? Or maybe just the lenses?
Last year I did some comparison shopping and found significant differences in similar frames, and I found some deceptive advertising from a major eyeglass retailer when they offered free lenses. The ‘free’ lenses only went with certain frames, whose prices seemed to be inflated to compensate for the gift of the basic lenses. Also, the free lenses were the most basic style and they were kind enough to inform customers of how they deserved a much better quality of lenses with all the latest technology…which they again were pleased to offer at a price.
When they had finally priced out my ‘sale’ offer eyeglasses, I was presented with an estimate of over $500… My insurance covers up to $275 dollars, so a quick calculation told me I would have to cover the other (500-275) $225. No way.
I ended up buying a very similar frame with high quality lenses from Factory Optical, a locally owned, low-key operation and they cost me $178. Now, I realize the other store has more expenses: they are in a mall, their store is fancy, you get your glasses in an hour blah, blah, blah. I don’t care that the store was off the beaten path or that I had to wait a week for the glasses. My Utility factor was based on quality and price, not convenience.
And, as hoped, I got some nice glasses for a good price.
Anyways, back to the ad on the bus. Thinking about the bus ad brought the memory of last years glasses shopping into the forefront of my thoughts and I was skeptical.
Assuming the ad spoke of a complete pair of glasses, I still didn’t know what their baseline for ‘half-price’ was.
Half off of the big box store price of about $500 would be (500/2) 250, making the ad’s offer $250 for eyeglasses. That’s still (250-178) $72 more than what I paid last year and not really such a good deal for me.
ON the other hand, if they are referring to the Factory Optical price of $178 and taking half off of that, that would mean I could get my glasses for $89, which would be a great deal.
I decided to investigate their website: [www.clearlycontacts.ca] to price a pair of glasses similar to the pair I bought last year (using that as a type of scale for comparison)
This is what I came up with
[ www.clearlycontacts.ca/glasses/frames/hugo-boss-47-dark-tortoise/prod25079.html ]
A similar styled pair, similar designer brand, and lenses included for only $98! (plus taxes, I would assume)
If this pair is $98, I guess they are assuming you would usually pay (98 x2) $196 for these glasses, which makes their price point close to Factory optical’s pricing than the other store’s. I guess their claim of “Glasses for Half the Price” was pretty accurate.
Numeracy at T and T Market
The other day I arrived at the SFU Surrey Campus with time to spare, so I headed over to T and T Market in search of unusual and yummy food products imported from nations around the world.
I came across NesCafe 3 in 1 instant coffee packets imported from Malaysia. These are packets of instant coffee, creamer and sugar, individually packaged for your convenience. Thirty packages to a bag, each bag costing $8.69.
This was significant to me for 2 reasons: 1. I am a coffee fanatic and 2. I am cheap.
“Hmmm…”, I thought “Should I buy this to take to school? I could have my coffee and spend less money!” In order to make the decision, I considered several things.
If 30 cups cost $8.69, how much does that work out per cup? -Rounding it up to $9, that would be 9.00 divided by 30, which would be about 30 cents per cup.
How much of a savings per cup is that compared to what I would usually spend at the SFU coffee shop? - In a best case scenario, where I bring a mug and at SFU Bby (where coffee is cheaper), at Renaissance coffee, I spend 1.35 for a refill cup. That means I would save 1.05 per cup.
I usually have 2 cups every day I at class, so that means spending 2.10 each day. For four days a week on campus per week, I am saving about $8.40. Not too bad!
But… then I started to thinking… Do I really want to be drinking instant instead of brewed coffee? Does the savings make it work it?
So, I did a quick little analysis of the Utility factors involved:
UT for delicious taste of a brewed cuppa joe: 10
UT for spending $1. 35 per cup: -9
Total for brewed: 1
UT for somewhat less delicous taste of instant 5
UT for spending the minimal amount of $.30 9
Total for instant: 14
It became obvious that I was willing to opt for the mediocre coffee with the thrifty price tag, so I bought the big bag of Nescafe 3 in 1!
I came across NesCafe 3 in 1 instant coffee packets imported from Malaysia. These are packets of instant coffee, creamer and sugar, individually packaged for your convenience. Thirty packages to a bag, each bag costing $8.69.
This was significant to me for 2 reasons: 1. I am a coffee fanatic and 2. I am cheap.
“Hmmm…”, I thought “Should I buy this to take to school? I could have my coffee and spend less money!” In order to make the decision, I considered several things.
If 30 cups cost $8.69, how much does that work out per cup? -Rounding it up to $9, that would be 9.00 divided by 30, which would be about 30 cents per cup.
How much of a savings per cup is that compared to what I would usually spend at the SFU coffee shop? - In a best case scenario, where I bring a mug and at SFU Bby (where coffee is cheaper), at Renaissance coffee, I spend 1.35 for a refill cup. That means I would save 1.05 per cup.
I usually have 2 cups every day I at class, so that means spending 2.10 each day. For four days a week on campus per week, I am saving about $8.40. Not too bad!
But… then I started to thinking… Do I really want to be drinking instant instead of brewed coffee? Does the savings make it work it?
So, I did a quick little analysis of the Utility factors involved:
UT for delicious taste of a brewed cuppa joe: 10
UT for spending $1. 35 per cup: -9
Total for brewed: 1
UT for somewhat less delicous taste of instant 5
UT for spending the minimal amount of $.30 9
Total for instant: 14
It became obvious that I was willing to opt for the mediocre coffee with the thrifty price tag, so I bought the big bag of Nescafe 3 in 1!
Numeracy in my coffee cup
Each morning, I wake up before my husband and the first thing I do is put on a pot of coffee. I then proceed to make lunches, unload/ reload the dishwasher, and tidy up the kitchen.
Eventually, my husband rolls out of bed and tumbles into the living room, turns on the morning news and mumbles something about wanting coffee. Being the Good Wife that I am, I reason to myself that he is not a morning person, poor fellow, I should really get him a cup of coffee and set his day off to a nice start as kindness is the foundation of the respect and love I have for him.
Simultaneously, my inner B. is thinking that this lazy oaf needs to get off the bloody couch and get his own (BLEEP)ing coffee, what does he think this is, a restaurant? So what do I do? Of course, being the Good Wife, I take down the cups from the shelf and proceed to get my beloved a cup of coffee, sweetened with a toach of organic sweet cane, just as he likes it…
But, my inner B. is not willing to go down without a fight, so I choose those cups carefully. Cup A and Cup B are, at first glance, quite similar but I know the differences (insert evil laughter here).
Both cups are the same height, but Cup B is a more square shape and has a larger diameter than the circular, smaller diametered Cup B. When filled Cup B holds more than Cup A. When I fill them to the same height (fairsy-sharesy!), whomever gets Cup B gets more coffee. Whomever gets more coffee WINS! Of course I take Cup B, I WIN! TAKE THAT YOU LAZY BUM! (more evil laughter)
“Nothing, Honey, just talkin’ to myself, here’s your coffee. Enjoy!”
I am avenged, yet my husband, in his blissful innumerate ignornace, doesn’t suspect a thing…
Eventually, my husband rolls out of bed and tumbles into the living room, turns on the morning news and mumbles something about wanting coffee. Being the Good Wife that I am, I reason to myself that he is not a morning person, poor fellow, I should really get him a cup of coffee and set his day off to a nice start as kindness is the foundation of the respect and love I have for him.
Simultaneously, my inner B. is thinking that this lazy oaf needs to get off the bloody couch and get his own (BLEEP)ing coffee, what does he think this is, a restaurant? So what do I do? Of course, being the Good Wife, I take down the cups from the shelf and proceed to get my beloved a cup of coffee, sweetened with a toach of organic sweet cane, just as he likes it…
But, my inner B. is not willing to go down without a fight, so I choose those cups carefully. Cup A and Cup B are, at first glance, quite similar but I know the differences (insert evil laughter here).
Both cups are the same height, but Cup B is a more square shape and has a larger diameter than the circular, smaller diametered Cup B. When filled Cup B holds more than Cup A. When I fill them to the same height (fairsy-sharesy!), whomever gets Cup B gets more coffee. Whomever gets more coffee WINS! Of course I take Cup B, I WIN! TAKE THAT YOU LAZY BUM! (more evil laughter)
“Nothing, Honey, just talkin’ to myself, here’s your coffee. Enjoy!”
I am avenged, yet my husband, in his blissful innumerate ignornace, doesn’t suspect a thing…
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Numeracy at Music School
My son has been taking piano lesson at a neighborhood music school. They recently sponsored a recital at the church down the street where many of the students made their parents proud by singing, playing various instruments and generally looking extremely adorable.My son was the youngest little one of all and I was truly impressed by the composure and grace
he exhibited while he sat at the enormous grand piano and tickled the ivories. While thining about examples of numeracy in daily life, I got to thinking about music and all the numeracy exhibited in interpreting a piece.
I decided to look at the simple piece my son played at his recital, a variation of the 'Mary had a Little Lamb' melody.
This is whay I came up with in a sort of list form:
Child needs to know how to count to understand notes and note length
Child needs to understand idea of fraction (whole, half, quarter and eighth notes)
Child needs to understand syllables (ie counting them out) in a world to be able to match the words and the notes
Child needs to be able to grasp connection between symbol and what it stands for, in this case, what does a note mean? how does this symbol relate to how long this sound should last?
Child needs to understand the ideas of 'slower/faster', 'louder/softer' in relation to what is played, using a type of scale to measure (using a song as the scale to measure against - ie I play it, now you pay it faster/slower/softer/louder)
I can see why music is considered closely to mathematics, the concepts are clearly related. I keep telling my little guy that he likes math, so it is logical that he likes music and he agrees!
Numeracy in a Public Service Announcement
The BC gaming commission has produced a new ad for TV aimed at helping the viewer understand the idea of simple probability.
Have a look at it. http://www.bclc.com/documents/GameSense_Conform_bar.wmv
It's funny and I think it attempts to portray the concept that the probability of an event happening (in this case, a girl accepting the guy's advances) as being independent of the number of times you repeat that event.
In the case in this ad, the chances of the girl accepting his advances do not improve despite the number of times he attempts to get her attention.
I see this like a simple probability experiment, much like flipping a coin. The probability of you flipping a specific side (heads or tails) on any given flip does not change, regardless of how many times you flip that coin.
Looking at the situation portrayed in the ad as a probability experiment, the probability of the woman saying yes is one out of two possible outcomes (yes or no).
Expressed mathematically this is:
P(yes) = ½ or 50%
Interestingly, the probability of her saying yes is also 50% for any given attempt.
Hmm... in that case, if this was really like the coin flip experiment it would have had to have been a woman with no short-term memory. In order for this to be a truly random event, she would have had no memory of him having asked her before. As she does have a memory of his advances, this is influencing her response. In this woman's case, her memory will either cement her decision to refuse him or eventually he will wear her down and she will accept. Not random at all.
I realize the point of the Public Service Ad is to hep people realize that repeated play in a casino game is not making the probability of them winning any better, but perhaps the depiction they chose is not the best suited to their message, as the event they are depicting doesn't really convey that message when you start to dissect it.
Have a look at it. http://www.bclc.com/documents/GameSense_Conform_bar.wmv
It's funny and I think it attempts to portray the concept that the probability of an event happening (in this case, a girl accepting the guy's advances) as being independent of the number of times you repeat that event.
In the case in this ad, the chances of the girl accepting his advances do not improve despite the number of times he attempts to get her attention.
I see this like a simple probability experiment, much like flipping a coin. The probability of you flipping a specific side (heads or tails) on any given flip does not change, regardless of how many times you flip that coin.
Looking at the situation portrayed in the ad as a probability experiment, the probability of the woman saying yes is one out of two possible outcomes (yes or no).
Expressed mathematically this is:
P(yes) = ½ or 50%
Interestingly, the probability of her saying yes is also 50% for any given attempt.
Hmm... in that case, if this was really like the coin flip experiment it would have had to have been a woman with no short-term memory. In order for this to be a truly random event, she would have had no memory of him having asked her before. As she does have a memory of his advances, this is influencing her response. In this woman's case, her memory will either cement her decision to refuse him or eventually he will wear her down and she will accept. Not random at all.
I realize the point of the Public Service Ad is to hep people realize that repeated play in a casino game is not making the probability of them winning any better, but perhaps the depiction they chose is not the best suited to their message, as the event they are depicting doesn't really convey that message when you start to dissect it.
Numeracy at the gas pump
This summer I want to take a trip to Kelowna (well, actually, I want to take a trip to Cancun but my numeracy skills allow me to realize I cannot afford that).
Anyways, I am thinking about going to Kelowna and want to try and figure out the cost of driving.
In order to calculate the cost of driving, I will just consider the costs of gas to drive the distance without accounting for 'wear and tear' on my car.
So, in order to figure out the gas costs for a drive to Kelowna, I need to know the distance between Vancouver and Kelowna (might depend n the route, I prefer the Coq.), the price of gas, how much my ank will hold and how much mileage I get per tank of gas.
According to Yahoo Maps, the driving distance between here and Kelowna via the Coquihalla is 388 kilometers.
My car holds 44 litres of gas. Today the gas station in front of my house has regular gas at $1.06 per liter, so I will use that in my calculation.
To estimate my gas mileage (why don't we say 'kilomerage'?), I am going to look at what Ford posts as the mileage rating for my car and make a bit of an adjustment for my age of the car (7 yrs old, excellent condition).
Ford lists this as 32 mpg for highway driving. I chose highway, as this trip will be on the highway. Of course, imperial instead of metric. Let's convert it.
One mile is 1.6 kilometres.
To figure out how many kilometres are in 32 miles, I multiply 32 by 1.6. This is 51.2 kilometres.
One gallon (American measure) is 3.8 litres.
So 32 miles per 1 gallon works out to 51.2 kilometers per 3.8 litres.
How can I figure this out to be more meaningful?
Knowing the kilometres per litre might be better.
51.2 k / 3.8 litres
To figure out the per litre rating, I will divide each side of this ratio by 3.8.
51.2 k / 3.8 = 13.47 k
3.8 l / 3.8 = 1 litre
So, I have figured out that my car gets about 13.47 kilometres per litre. I will round this down to 13 kilometres per litre.
Filling my 44 litre tank will allow me to drive about(13 kilometres x 44 litres) 572 kilometres.
Yahoo tells me Kelowna is 388 kilometres away. I will be driving there and back, so that total is 776 kilometres, not including any driving around Kelowna and area that I will do during the trip.
To travel 776 kilometres, I will need (776kms/13.47 kmpl) about 60 litres of gas.
Before leaving on the trip, I would fill the 44 litre tank. Assuming it was completely empty, at $1.06 per litre, it would cost (44 x 1.06) $46.64. To ensure not running out of gas on the return trip, I would fill 'er up again in Kelowna for the return trip.
On the 388 kilometres trip getting to Kelowna, how much gas would the tank need to be full again? If the whole trip is going to use up about sixty litres, then half of that (one way) would be 30 litres.
If 30 litres has been used, then I would need to top up with 30 litres.
So, with one full tank ad then a top up of 30 litre, how much would I spent on gas altogether?
As I already figured out, the first full tank would cost $46.64. The 30 litre top up would cost me (1.06 x 30) 31.80. Adding up the two, I get $78.44 altogether.
So driving to Kelowna would cost me about $80 in gas, certainly a lot easier to justify than a $1200 ticket to Mexico....
Anyways, I am thinking about going to Kelowna and want to try and figure out the cost of driving.
In order to calculate the cost of driving, I will just consider the costs of gas to drive the distance without accounting for 'wear and tear' on my car.
So, in order to figure out the gas costs for a drive to Kelowna, I need to know the distance between Vancouver and Kelowna (might depend n the route, I prefer the Coq.), the price of gas, how much my ank will hold and how much mileage I get per tank of gas.
According to Yahoo Maps, the driving distance between here and Kelowna via the Coquihalla is 388 kilometers.
My car holds 44 litres of gas. Today the gas station in front of my house has regular gas at $1.06 per liter, so I will use that in my calculation.
To estimate my gas mileage (why don't we say 'kilomerage'?), I am going to look at what Ford posts as the mileage rating for my car and make a bit of an adjustment for my age of the car (7 yrs old, excellent condition).
Ford lists this as 32 mpg for highway driving. I chose highway, as this trip will be on the highway. Of course, imperial instead of metric. Let's convert it.
One mile is 1.6 kilometres.
To figure out how many kilometres are in 32 miles, I multiply 32 by 1.6. This is 51.2 kilometres.
One gallon (American measure) is 3.8 litres.
So 32 miles per 1 gallon works out to 51.2 kilometers per 3.8 litres.
How can I figure this out to be more meaningful?
Knowing the kilometres per litre might be better.
51.2 k / 3.8 litres
To figure out the per litre rating, I will divide each side of this ratio by 3.8.
51.2 k / 3.8 = 13.47 k
3.8 l / 3.8 = 1 litre
So, I have figured out that my car gets about 13.47 kilometres per litre. I will round this down to 13 kilometres per litre.
Filling my 44 litre tank will allow me to drive about(13 kilometres x 44 litres) 572 kilometres.
Yahoo tells me Kelowna is 388 kilometres away. I will be driving there and back, so that total is 776 kilometres, not including any driving around Kelowna and area that I will do during the trip.
To travel 776 kilometres, I will need (776kms/13.47 kmpl) about 60 litres of gas.
Before leaving on the trip, I would fill the 44 litre tank. Assuming it was completely empty, at $1.06 per litre, it would cost (44 x 1.06) $46.64. To ensure not running out of gas on the return trip, I would fill 'er up again in Kelowna for the return trip.
On the 388 kilometres trip getting to Kelowna, how much gas would the tank need to be full again? If the whole trip is going to use up about sixty litres, then half of that (one way) would be 30 litres.
If 30 litres has been used, then I would need to top up with 30 litres.
So, with one full tank ad then a top up of 30 litre, how much would I spent on gas altogether?
As I already figured out, the first full tank would cost $46.64. The 30 litre top up would cost me (1.06 x 30) 31.80. Adding up the two, I get $78.44 altogether.
So driving to Kelowna would cost me about $80 in gas, certainly a lot easier to justify than a $1200 ticket to Mexico....
Numeracy in the bakery aisle
Today I went to the local grocery store and bought a package of hot dog buns. Always interested in the fiber content of the bread I eat, I had a look at the label to see what it had to say about the buns.
This was a package of 6 buns, so I expected to find out some information about the dietary info that one bun contains. Instead I found information about what is contained in a serving of “48g”.
Huh? 48G? What does that mean? Is that equivalent to one bun? Part of a bun?
In the name of numeracy, I decided to figure it out.
Looking at the front of the package, it lists the contents as “Wholewheat (sic) Hot Dog Buns- 6 pk 288g”.
How much was one bun? To find out, I divided 288 by 6. According to this calculation, one bun is 48g. Why couldn't they simply say that on the packaging?
One bun has 130 calories and 3grams of fiber, which is apparently 12% of the daily value of fiber one should consume per day.
I wonder how much that fibre amount actually is?
If 3g is 12%, how much is 100%.
First I found out what amount was equal to 1% daily required intake, by dividing 3g by 12. That works out to be .25g.
So if 1% of the daily reccomended intake is .25%, I can multiply that by 100 to get the 100% daily intake.
.25 x 100 = 25 g
Does that make sense? I can calculate 12% of 25g to double check.
25g x .12 = 3
I does. So I figured out that one bun is 48g. This one 48g bun provides me with 12% of my daily reccomended intake of fibre and that the total daily reccomended intake is 25g.
Then I started thinking about the mayo....
This was a package of 6 buns, so I expected to find out some information about the dietary info that one bun contains. Instead I found information about what is contained in a serving of “48g”.
Huh? 48G? What does that mean? Is that equivalent to one bun? Part of a bun?
In the name of numeracy, I decided to figure it out.
Looking at the front of the package, it lists the contents as “Wholewheat (sic) Hot Dog Buns- 6 pk 288g”.
How much was one bun? To find out, I divided 288 by 6. According to this calculation, one bun is 48g. Why couldn't they simply say that on the packaging?
One bun has 130 calories and 3grams of fiber, which is apparently 12% of the daily value of fiber one should consume per day.
I wonder how much that fibre amount actually is?
If 3g is 12%, how much is 100%.
First I found out what amount was equal to 1% daily required intake, by dividing 3g by 12. That works out to be .25g.
So if 1% of the daily reccomended intake is .25%, I can multiply that by 100 to get the 100% daily intake.
.25 x 100 = 25 g
Does that make sense? I can calculate 12% of 25g to double check.
25g x .12 = 3
I does. So I figured out that one bun is 48g. This one 48g bun provides me with 12% of my daily reccomended intake of fibre and that the total daily reccomended intake is 25g.
Then I started thinking about the mayo....
Numeracy in Real Estate Advertising
I found an ad in a real estate magazine that read : “ Own from 699/mo. It Only Looks Like Rent” Wow! I thought my mortgage was good!
I am always looking at Real Estate, as I always think I could be convinced to sell and move house if the price was right. This ad is for a new condo development in Queensborough, New Westminster.
I wonder what interest rate they are basing this on? In fact, what price are they basing this on? It's not mentioned in the ad. I'll have a look at the small print to see if it becomes any clearer.
(man, the small print was really small)
Here's what it says about the financials :
based on 15% down payment
35 yr mortgage term
mortgage payment subsidy to secure1.79% financing for first 3 years
I still don't know the actual price of the place! I'll check out the website [http://www.viahomes.ca/ ]
ON the website it states that pricing starts from $242,800
Does this jive with their claims of $699 per month? I can't find my financial calculator to do a mortgage calculation, so I will have to find one of those online mortgage calculators. I'll use the one at [http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/iTools-iOutils/MortgageCalculator-eng.aspx]
I'll base the calculation on a price of $242,800 with a 15% down payment (242800 x .15 = 36,420) with an interest rate of 1.79% based on 35 yr term.
That means the mortgaged amount would be 206,380 (including only the basic price of the condo, not gst and related costs). According to the calculator the monthly payments would be $660.94, less than what they have advertised. I will assume that that the difference is due to the associated costs that I did not take into account.
This seems all good, but what stills seems odd is their use of the term 'mortgage payment subsidy'.
If I were in the market to buy one of these condos, there are questions I would ask such as:
What does 'mortgage payment subsidy' mean? How do I qualify for this subsidy? If I don't qualify for this subsidy, what rate would I qualify for? How much would my monthly payments be then?
In my reality, I actually have a portable mortgage on the place I own with a really good rate. If I decided to sell my place and port the mortgage, how much much would my payments be? Currently I have a 20 year term at 1.6%. Also, if I sold my place and bought at Via, I would have more than 20% for the down payment, Estimating proceeds from a sale of my condo, I would probably have around 35%.
If I use those figures, what kind of payments would result? I'll try it. Payments would be about $768/month.
That is (980-786) 194 per month less than I pay right now for my condo in Vancouver, should I be looking at this development more seriously?
At first glance, perhaps, but there is always the utility function to consider and the positive UF of slightly lower mortgage payments at this Queensborough condo does not outweigh the UF of aspects of my Vancouver condo. Some of the things that increase the UF of living in Vancouver are:
-living close to transit and being able to maintain only one car for the family,
-living close to my work ( no long commutes!),
-the convenience of having schools, a grocery store, my son's daycare, and a music school within a block of where I live
Looking at all those factors, I realize that I might have a few more dollars in my pocket (or maybe not if we have to get another car to get to work) if we moved to Queensborough, but I probably would not be happy there.
That said, this place might be a good opportunity for someone with different Utility Functions than me, it's not too bad a deal...
I am always looking at Real Estate, as I always think I could be convinced to sell and move house if the price was right. This ad is for a new condo development in Queensborough, New Westminster.
I wonder what interest rate they are basing this on? In fact, what price are they basing this on? It's not mentioned in the ad. I'll have a look at the small print to see if it becomes any clearer.
(man, the small print was really small)
Here's what it says about the financials :
based on 15% down payment
35 yr mortgage term
mortgage payment subsidy to secure1.79% financing for first 3 years
I still don't know the actual price of the place! I'll check out the website [http://www.viahomes.ca/ ]
ON the website it states that pricing starts from $242,800
Does this jive with their claims of $699 per month? I can't find my financial calculator to do a mortgage calculation, so I will have to find one of those online mortgage calculators. I'll use the one at [http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/iTools-iOutils/MortgageCalculator-eng.aspx]
I'll base the calculation on a price of $242,800 with a 15% down payment (242800 x .15 = 36,420) with an interest rate of 1.79% based on 35 yr term.
That means the mortgaged amount would be 206,380 (including only the basic price of the condo, not gst and related costs). According to the calculator the monthly payments would be $660.94, less than what they have advertised. I will assume that that the difference is due to the associated costs that I did not take into account.
This seems all good, but what stills seems odd is their use of the term 'mortgage payment subsidy'.
If I were in the market to buy one of these condos, there are questions I would ask such as:
What does 'mortgage payment subsidy' mean? How do I qualify for this subsidy? If I don't qualify for this subsidy, what rate would I qualify for? How much would my monthly payments be then?
In my reality, I actually have a portable mortgage on the place I own with a really good rate. If I decided to sell my place and port the mortgage, how much much would my payments be? Currently I have a 20 year term at 1.6%. Also, if I sold my place and bought at Via, I would have more than 20% for the down payment, Estimating proceeds from a sale of my condo, I would probably have around 35%.
If I use those figures, what kind of payments would result? I'll try it. Payments would be about $768/month.
That is (980-786) 194 per month less than I pay right now for my condo in Vancouver, should I be looking at this development more seriously?
At first glance, perhaps, but there is always the utility function to consider and the positive UF of slightly lower mortgage payments at this Queensborough condo does not outweigh the UF of aspects of my Vancouver condo. Some of the things that increase the UF of living in Vancouver are:
-living close to transit and being able to maintain only one car for the family,
-living close to my work ( no long commutes!),
-the convenience of having schools, a grocery store, my son's daycare, and a music school within a block of where I live
Looking at all those factors, I realize that I might have a few more dollars in my pocket (or maybe not if we have to get another car to get to work) if we moved to Queensborough, but I probably would not be happy there.
That said, this place might be a good opportunity for someone with different Utility Functions than me, it's not too bad a deal...
Numeracy on the Road into Surrey
Just how big is the Flag at Flag Motors in Surrey?
Driving into Guildford the other day, we could see the huge flag as we came up the hill. My son was immediately fascinated by the size. “Mommy! How big is that flag!?” he exclaimed. I vaguely remembered in the early nineties, it was touted as the biggest in Canada or in the world or something to that effect but really, I had no idea, but had often wondered the same thing, so I decided to investigate.
I found out some interesting facts related to numeracy:
A standard Canadian flag is 36” by 72”, and the width of any Canadian flag should be twice its height.
The huge flag at Flag Chevrolet is apparently 40 feet by 60 feet. Hmm, this would mean that the huge flag is out of proportion.
According to this ratio, a 40' high flag should be 80' long. At 60' long, it is 20' short of the proper ratio. I question the accuracy of the person who gave me the measurements, as the flag doesn't appear to be so out of proportion.
Converting inches to feet, a standard size Canadian flag is 3 feet by 6 feet. On a properly proportioned flag of 40' by 80', you would be able to lay out 13 rows of 13 flags on top of it with a bit of room to spare. That's 169 flags! Goodness Gracious, that's huge!
I wonder how many cars would fit on top of this big flag if the employees at Flag Chevrolet decided to spent their time on a slow day parking cars on the huge flag?
My car isn't a Chev, but it is an American car, roughly the size of an average chevy...
I don't know the measurements of my car, but I can estimate it to be the size of a parking space. Looking on the web, I can glean that a parking spot is about 3.5 metres by 7.3 metres. To convert a metre to feet, I have to multiply it by 3.28. Converting 3.5 metres, I get 11.48 feet, and 7.3 metres comes out to 23.9 feet. For sake of my visualization of cars parked on the big flag, I will use an aproximate estimate of my car's size to be 11' by 23'.
That means in a 40' by 80' area (ie on the flag), I could park 9 cars with room enough between the cars for driver and passengers to get in and out of the cars.
Now the flag seems even more impressive, as these visualizations allow me to truly appreciate the size in a way that I can relate to.
Even more impressive? Looking on the web, this is not the biggest, just big. I found a picture of an American flag that was 255 feet by 505 feet (www.superflag.com )
That means you could lay out 6300 standard size Canadian flags on top of it. Now, that's a big flag!
Driving into Guildford the other day, we could see the huge flag as we came up the hill. My son was immediately fascinated by the size. “Mommy! How big is that flag!?” he exclaimed. I vaguely remembered in the early nineties, it was touted as the biggest in Canada or in the world or something to that effect but really, I had no idea, but had often wondered the same thing, so I decided to investigate.
I found out some interesting facts related to numeracy:
A standard Canadian flag is 36” by 72”, and the width of any Canadian flag should be twice its height.
The huge flag at Flag Chevrolet is apparently 40 feet by 60 feet. Hmm, this would mean that the huge flag is out of proportion.
According to this ratio, a 40' high flag should be 80' long. At 60' long, it is 20' short of the proper ratio. I question the accuracy of the person who gave me the measurements, as the flag doesn't appear to be so out of proportion.
Converting inches to feet, a standard size Canadian flag is 3 feet by 6 feet. On a properly proportioned flag of 40' by 80', you would be able to lay out 13 rows of 13 flags on top of it with a bit of room to spare. That's 169 flags! Goodness Gracious, that's huge!
I wonder how many cars would fit on top of this big flag if the employees at Flag Chevrolet decided to spent their time on a slow day parking cars on the huge flag?
My car isn't a Chev, but it is an American car, roughly the size of an average chevy...
I don't know the measurements of my car, but I can estimate it to be the size of a parking space. Looking on the web, I can glean that a parking spot is about 3.5 metres by 7.3 metres. To convert a metre to feet, I have to multiply it by 3.28. Converting 3.5 metres, I get 11.48 feet, and 7.3 metres comes out to 23.9 feet. For sake of my visualization of cars parked on the big flag, I will use an aproximate estimate of my car's size to be 11' by 23'.
That means in a 40' by 80' area (ie on the flag), I could park 9 cars with room enough between the cars for driver and passengers to get in and out of the cars.
Now the flag seems even more impressive, as these visualizations allow me to truly appreciate the size in a way that I can relate to.
Even more impressive? Looking on the web, this is not the biggest, just big. I found a picture of an American flag that was 255 feet by 505 feet (www.superflag.com )
That means you could lay out 6300 standard size Canadian flags on top of it. Now, that's a big flag!
Numeracy in the Department Store
My son is 6 years old, and as any parent of a young boy will attest, the mere announcement of a trip to go shopping is an invitation for a litany of complaints delivered in an especially annoying whiny tone.
For this reason, I have developed a way of measuring clothing to see if it will fit my little guy by using my body.
If a hat fits me slightly snugly, it will probably fit him.
If the sleeves on a shirt are roughly ¾ the length of my arm, it will probably fit him.
If the shoe is the length of the outside of my foot, it should probably fit him.
If the pants come up to about ½ the way between my knee and hip, measured from the ground up, they should probably fit him.
The method is not fool-proof, due to the differences inherent to different styles, but most of the time it is pretty reliable and when taking into account the Utility factor of having a tranquil shopping experince and only the occasional trip back to the store to exchange a size compared to the Utility factor of dragging an unhappy, whiny and complaining 6 year old with me to the store to try on clothes to ensure a perfect fit every time….
There is no question as to what I would rather do!
For this reason, I have developed a way of measuring clothing to see if it will fit my little guy by using my body.
If a hat fits me slightly snugly, it will probably fit him.
If the sleeves on a shirt are roughly ¾ the length of my arm, it will probably fit him.
If the shoe is the length of the outside of my foot, it should probably fit him.
If the pants come up to about ½ the way between my knee and hip, measured from the ground up, they should probably fit him.
The method is not fool-proof, due to the differences inherent to different styles, but most of the time it is pretty reliable and when taking into account the Utility factor of having a tranquil shopping experince and only the occasional trip back to the store to exchange a size compared to the Utility factor of dragging an unhappy, whiny and complaining 6 year old with me to the store to try on clothes to ensure a perfect fit every time….
There is no question as to what I would rather do!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Teaching Portfolio
I will be using this blog as a forum to post material that I will eventually compose into a more formal teaching portfolio.
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