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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 12:09:36 PM

Title: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 12:09:36 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/fred-got-two-beatings-per-day-homework-asks-230717586--abc-news.html

QuoteThird graders in in Gwinnett County, Ga., were given math homework Wednesday that asked questions about slavery and beatings.

Christopher Braxton told ABC News affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta that he couldn't believe the assignment his 8-year-old son brought home from of Beaver Ridge Elementary school in Norcross.

"It kind of blew me away," Braxton said. "Do you see what I see? Do you really see what I see? He's not answering this question."

The question read, "Each tree had 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"

Another math problem read, "If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"

Another question asked how many baskets of cotton Frederick filled.

"I was furious at that point," Braxton said.

"This outrages me because it just lets me know that there's still racists," said Stephanie Jones, whose child is a student at the school.

"Something like that shouldn't be imbedded into a kid of the third, fourth, fifth, any grade," parent Terrance Barnett told WSB-TV. "I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

"In this one, the teachers were trying to do a cross-curricular activity," Gwinnett County school district spokeswoman Sloan Roach said.

Roach said the teachers were attempting to incorporate social studies into math problems.

"We understand that there are concerns about these questions, and we agree that these questions were not appropriate," she said.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Valmy on January 09, 2012, 12:12:00 PM
If the Allies killed one German for every 10 bombs they dropped on Dresden and they dropped 120,000 bombs how many Germans did they kill?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Richard Hakluyt on January 09, 2012, 12:20:09 PM
A hooker turns ten tricks a day. She charges $40 for safe sex and $60 for unsafe sex. On a day when she makes $500 how many condoms does she use?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 12:22:56 PM
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on January 09, 2012, 12:20:09 PM
A hooker turns ten tricks a day. She charges $40 for safe sex and $60 for unsafe sex. On a day when she makes $500 how many condoms does she use?


Probably not social studies.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Grinning_Colossus on January 09, 2012, 12:28:24 PM
Francois lives in a refugee camp of 16,000 people. 55% of the people in the camp will contract cholera and 15% of those will die of it. What is the chance that Francois will die of cholera?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: MadImmortalMan on January 09, 2012, 01:32:01 PM
I have no problem with any of these questions. I think ten years hanging with you people has ruined me.  :lol:
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Malthus on January 09, 2012, 01:34:03 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on January 09, 2012, 01:32:01 PM
I have no problem with any of these questions. I think ten years hanging with you people has ruined me.  :lol:

Heh, I thought I was the only one.  :D

My thought on this thread: 'if math class had these sorts of questions, I'd have liked it better'.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Lucidor on January 09, 2012, 01:34:20 PM
Quote from: Grinning_Colossus on January 09, 2012, 12:28:24 PM
Francois lives in a refugee camp of 16,000 people. 55% of the people in the camp will contract cholera and 15% of those will die of it. What is the chance that Francois will die of cholera?

Personally, I'd use 'risk'... ;)
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Grey Fox on January 09, 2012, 01:37:10 PM
Quote"I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

It hurts? Yeah, you having to do some hard parenting instead of letting the TV do it. Wasn't covered by Dora so you're fucked, eh?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: dps on January 09, 2012, 01:46:48 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 09, 2012, 01:37:10 PM
Quote"I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

It hurts? Yeah, you having to do some hard parenting instead of letting the TV do it. Wasn't covered by Dora so you're fucked, eh?

Yeah, there's nothing racist about acknowledging that slavery existed legally here before the 13th Amendment.  Probably if Daddy had been taught history better he would have been more equipped to explain it to his kid.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: lustindarkness on January 09, 2012, 02:59:42 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on January 09, 2012, 01:32:01 PM
I have no problem with any of these questions. I think ten years hanging with you people has ruined me.  :lol:

Were hangings included in the math questions?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Habbaku on January 09, 2012, 03:00:01 PM
Poor Fred.  :(
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: DGuller on January 09, 2012, 03:01:41 PM
The Fred question seems like a trick question.  At some point Fred is going to be beaten to death, so the naive approach of multiplying 2 by a number of days is incorrect.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: The Brain on January 09, 2012, 03:43:38 PM
 :huh: Mexicans aren't slaves.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 03:54:18 PM
Quote from: dps on January 09, 2012, 01:46:48 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 09, 2012, 01:37:10 PM
Quote"I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

It hurts? Yeah, you having to do some hard parenting instead of letting the TV do it. Wasn't covered by Dora so you're fucked, eh?

Yeah, there's nothing racist about acknowledging that slavery existed legally here before the 13th Amendment.  Probably if Daddy had been taught history better he would have been more equipped to explain it to his kid.

None of that has anything to do with his statement about needing to explain why slavery and beatings are in his child's elementary school math problems.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: derspiess on January 09, 2012, 04:15:57 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 09, 2012, 01:37:10 PM
Quote"I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

It hurts? Yeah, you having to do some hard parenting instead of letting the TV do it. Wasn't covered by Dora so you're fucked, eh?

I'm not sure I want to sit down with my kids & tell them all about slavery when they're just 8 years old.  I'd kinda prefer to let them go a little while longer thinking the world is/was a nicer place.  Besides, it's a really awkward way to try to do the "cross-curricular" thing.  When I was in elementary school, we would've laughed our asses off at questions like that.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:13 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 09, 2012, 04:15:57 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 09, 2012, 01:37:10 PM
Quote"I'm having to explain to my 8-year-old why slavery or slaves or beatings are in a math problem. That hurts."

It hurts? Yeah, you having to do some hard parenting instead of letting the TV do it. Wasn't covered by Dora so you're fucked, eh?

I'm not sure I want to sit down with my kids & tell them all about slavery when they're just 8 years old.  I'd kinda prefer to let them go a little while longer thinking the world is/was a nicer place.  Besides, it's a really awkward way to try to do the "cross-curricular" thing.  When I was in elementary school, we would've laughed our asses off at questions like that.

Is that the case though? I mean they've already explained about MLK in fuzzy terms, so you know that something not good happened to African-Americans, even if you don't know the exact specifics.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: PDH on January 09, 2012, 04:29:06 PM
My guess is they just recycled a question from the 1920s...or the 1950s.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: MadImmortalMan on January 09, 2012, 04:36:32 PM
If Fred leaves Cleveland in his Packard going 35mph headed toward Detroit, and at the same time Esther Leaves Detroit in her LaSalle headed for Cleveland at 55, where will they meet?

A: Toledo

B: Sandusky

C: Elyria

D: Brighton Beach
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: The Brain on January 09, 2012, 04:38:25 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

Yeah WTF. Why wouldn't you tell kids about the juicy bits?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: MadImmortalMan on January 09, 2012, 04:42:14 PM
Quote from: The Brain on January 09, 2012, 04:38:25 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

Yeah WTF. Why wouldn't you tell kids about the juicy bits?

Well now they're all getting horrible history apparently, so problem solved.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Malthus on January 09, 2012, 05:04:46 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

It made life interesting for Ide's Grade 2 class gerbil.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: derspiess on January 09, 2012, 05:06:30 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

I was aware of a lot of things at a young age, particularly history & whatnot.  But I was a precocious 8-year old & had sought that out for myself, as I'm assuming the case with most of us here. 

I actually look forward to the day where I can help my kids learn about history, and if mine are curious and mature enough at age 8 I'd love to start taking them to Civil War battlefields & whatnot.  I just think that age is a bit early to have it pushed on them.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: The Brain on January 09, 2012, 05:08:41 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 09, 2012, 05:06:30 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

I was aware of a lot of things at a young age, particularly history & whatnot.  But I was a precocious 8-year old & had sought that out for myself, as I'm assuming the case with most of us here. 

I actually look forward to the day where I can help my kids learn about history, and if mine are curious and mature enough at age 8 I'd love to start taking them to Civil War battlefields & whatnot.  I just think that age is a bit early to have it pushed on them.

Isn't 8 a bit late?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 05:24:31 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

Stop fucking up the joke. :(
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: dps on January 09, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

It helped him get the joke about 4 Germans and 24 Jews in a Volkswagen.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Ed Anger on January 09, 2012, 08:41:10 PM
Or why Santa came down chimneys and Jews went up them.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on January 09, 2012, 09:59:53 PM
Quote from: dps on January 09, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

It helped him get the joke about 4 Germans and 24 Jews in a Volkswagen.

Now that cars basically don't have ashtrays anymore, that joke is even harder to get.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 10:04:59 PM
Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on January 09, 2012, 09:59:53 PM
Quote from: dps on January 09, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

It helped him get the joke about 4 Germans and 24 Jews in a Volkswagen.

Now that cars basically don't have ashtrays anymore, that joke is even harder to get.

What children do we have about here?
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on January 09, 2012, 10:30:16 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 10:04:59 PM
Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on January 09, 2012, 09:59:53 PM
Quote from: dps on January 09, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:57:10 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:46:02 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 04:23:34 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on January 09, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
Man, I was well aware of the Holocaust by the time I was eight.

And look at you? :unsure:

At least I enjoyed my childhood.

Did knowing about the holocaust help that?

It helped him get the joke about 4 Germans and 24 Jews in a Volkswagen.

Now that cars basically don't have ashtrays anymore, that joke is even harder to get.

What children do we have about here?

That comment wasn't aimed at people here.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 09, 2012, 10:43:57 PM
Right, keep on aiming at those peeps who will never know these posts were made. :P
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Eddie Teach on January 09, 2012, 10:59:46 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 09, 2012, 10:04:59 PM
What children do we have about here?

:raises hand:
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: fhdz on January 10, 2012, 12:18:47 AM
Quote from: DGuller on January 09, 2012, 03:01:41 PM
The Fred question seems like a trick question.  At some point Fred is going to be beaten to death, so the naive approach of multiplying 2 by a number of days is incorrect.

:lol:
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: Ideologue on January 10, 2012, 12:26:19 AM
You can still hit a corpse.  Believe me.
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: garbon on January 10, 2012, 12:30:23 AM
:dead horse:
Title: Re: 'If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…' Homework Asks
Post by: CountDeMoney on January 10, 2012, 06:23:03 AM
Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on January 09, 2012, 09:59:53 PM
Quote from: dps on January 09, 2012, 07:25:04 PM
It helped him get the joke about 4 Germans and 24 Jews in a Volkswagen.

Now that cars basically don't have ashtrays anymore, that joke is even harder to get.

I lol'd.  Haven't heard that one in a while.