kitchen table math, the sequel: Glencoe critical thinking problem sequence

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Glencoe critical thinking problem sequence

I thought this was a lot of fun, though you-know-who was not able to do it, I am sorry to say:


CRITICAL THINKING For Exercises 41-43, suppose x is an integer.

41. Write an expression for the next integer greater than x.

42. Show that the sum of two consecutive integers, x and the next integer after x, is always odd. (Hint: A number is considered even if it is divisible by 2.)

43. What is the least number of consecutive integers that must be added together to always arrive at an even integer?

Glencoe Algebra, New York edition, page 442

C. is finding algebra manageable at the moment, though I suppose I should wait to see what the grade on his latest test was before I say that.

Nevertheless, when I was helping him study, I could see that he was on track.

He couldn't do this Critical Thinking sequence, but he understood what I had done -- and could explain it to me -- as soon as I did it.

Which I think is probably fine for now.

3 comments:

Catherine Johnson said...

well....

C. got an 81 on his test, which is better than the 60 he started out with, but isn't the 87 he earned when I was "on task," shall we say.

Back in harness.

Catherine Johnson said...

Still, it's at least possible he's starting to be in the category of kid who could get some kind of C in the class without massive parental intervention.

le radical galoisien said...

I'm still thinking you can use bar models for this.