One thing I’d like to see more of in math education is an appreciation for practical consumer math. For example, suppose your favorite cereal brand unceremoniously starts arriving in a smaller box.
Students should learn to be on the lookout for things like this. They should develop a quantitative curiosity, exploring the various ways that quantity can be disguised.
And ultimately be able to put together a real quantitative analysis that helps them make good decisions.
This is math that everyone can use!
How sneaky these manufacturers are. I agree, we should pay closer attention to this. #consumersunite
I’d be interested in compiling a list of these. Thanks, Patrick! (Fancy pic of you at the White House, high five!)
As far as compiling a list, I’ve got several of them that I should organize better. And someone shared this on Twitter: it’s a feature from the Consumerist called The Grocery Shrink Ray: http://consumerist.com/tag/grocery-shrink-ray-2.
And yes, pretty fancy going to the White House! It was a really interesting and exciting day.