A LESSON IN ARITHMETIC BASED ON A REAL PROBLEM WHICH WAS INTERESTING TO CHILDREN
Such a lesson gives little opportunity for practice in arithmetical computation, but gives the very best possible motive for the drill work which is to follow. This lesson was planned and taught in the third grade of the Speyer School, Teachers College, Columbia University, by Miss Roxana A. Steele.
Teacher’s aims: To have children appreciate the practical value of itemized bills.
To make children conscious of their need for the multiplication table of six.
Pupil’s aim: To find the cost of the basket of food to be given to a poor family on Thanksgiving Day.
Subject Matter
1 squash.
2 cans of vegetables.
3 qt. of potatoes.
2 qt. of apples.
6 lb. of beef.
1 qt. of cranberries.
1 lb. of sugar.
1 lb. of nuts.
Market list prices:
| Small squash | 12¢ |
| Large squash | 18¢ |
| Canned vegetables | 10¢ |
| Potatoes per qt. | 8¢ |
| Apples per qt. | 12¢ |
| Cranberries per qt. | 12¢ |
| Sugar per lb. | 6¢ |
| Nuts mixed per lb. | 18¢ |
| Small squash | 12¢ |
| Large squash | 18¢ |
| 2 ) 30¢ | |
| Medium squash | 15¢ |
Method of Procedure
6 lb. of beef at 16¢ = $.96
| $.16 | |||
| .16 | |||
| .16 | $.16 | a lb. | |
| .16 | × 6 | ||
| .16 | $.96 | for 6 lb. | |
| .16 | |||
| $.96 |
Same method with the other items except item about meat.
How can we find the cost of 6 lb. of beef at 16¢ a pound?
Teacher do the multiplying, showing the practical value of the knowledge of the 6 table. Which is the better way and why?
Is there any question before finding the value of the basket as a whole?
Who can give helpful suggestions to make sure that the answer is correct?
Checking of results at board by pupil whose work is incorrect.
These three children may choose the two best papers and tell why they select them.
What have we found out in to-day’s lesson?
What do you think we ought to do in the arithmetic lesson to-morrow?
(Problem to carry over.)
Aim for next lesson to be expressed by pupils.
We cannot always follow in every detail the plan which we make for a lesson. It is interesting in this connection to read Miss Steele’s accurate account of what actually happened when the lesson, as planned above, was taught. The description which follows appeared in the Atlantic Educational Journal for November, 1910.
A PRACTICAL LESSON IN ARITHMETIC
By Roxana A. Steele, Speyer School, Teachers College, Columbia University
Pupil’s aim: To find the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner.
Teacher’s aim: To make children conscious of their needs in arithmetic.
Last fall Grade Three had been studying the wholesale market in industrial work. The wholesale market was compared with the retail market, prices contrasted, etc., and much language and arithmetic work was based upon this work.
A few days before Thanksgiving a gentleman stepped into the school office and offered to pay for one of the Thanksgiving baskets which the school sends out to poor families in the neighborhood. No one seemed to know the exact value of one of the baskets, so Grade Three was asked to make the estimate.
This could have been done by an adult in a few minutes, but it would have been done no more accurately than the children were able to do it after having made a careful study of market lists. The exercise also furnished an excellent child’s aim for the arithmetic lesson. The class felt its responsibility and was anxious to do good work.
The list of things generally put into one of the baskets was given to the class. The children decided upon the average price of each item. This called for an appreciation of the word average. The work was done orally with class discussion. For instance, when the price of a squash was asked, one child said “twelve cents,” another, “eighteen cents,” etc. The class finally agreed that a medium-sized squash would cost about fifteen cents.
| Small squash | 12¢ |
| Large squash | 18¢ |
| 2 ) 30¢ | |
| 15¢ |
The child who recorded the price of the squash on the board wrote fifteen cents—$.15. Before the lesson was over, several children had a little trouble in writing cents without dimes ($.06), keeping the money columns straight, using the dollar mark and decimal point, etc. With suggestions from other members of the class, the list was complete.
In the item “6 lb. of beef @ 16¢” the class found that it was necessary to multiply by six. As they had never had the six table, I did not expect them to be able to do it, but it chanced that one boy knew his six table and did the work readily.
Marion Thalman.
Nov. 23, 1909.
The Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner
| 1 squash | $.15 |
| 2 cans of vegetables @ 10¢ | .20 |
| 3 qt. of potatoes @ 8¢ | .24 |
| 6 lb. of beef @ 16¢ | .96 |
| 2 qt. of apples @ 12¢ | .24 |
| 1 qt. cranberries | .12 |
| 1 lb. sugar | .06 |
| 1 lb. nuts | .18 |
| $2.15 |
When the price of each item had been decided upon, the children found the total cost at their seats, and their results were compared.
The lesson closed with the question, “What did you find out in to-day’s lesson?” The answers were: “The cost of a Thanksgiving basket”; “That Russell is the only child who knows his six table”; “That we need to write dollars and cents so that we won’t make mistakes.”
At the beginning of the arithmetic lesson the following day, when the class was asked, “What do we need to do to-day?” there was a division of opinion as to whether the drill on dollars and cents or learning of the six table should come first. The decision was in favor of the drill on writing money, and the six table was presented later in the same period.
The result of the lesson on the cost of the dinner was sent to the principal. The class received a note of thanks for the help which it had rendered. The children were proud of their accomplishment and anxious to work out more real problems.