Math Problems

It has been a while since I have had to do mid-level math. That means the math that is more complicated than basic match (which one tends to use regularly) and not as difficult as really hard stuff. In this case, it was the issue of finding the surface area of a cube.

Supervising a 13 year old also involves helping them with homework. Last night most of the homework was math problems. The first set covered graphing. No problem. I have always enjoyed graphing. The second set covered finding either the surface area or the volume of a cube. I easily remembered the formula for finding the volume, but could not remember the formula for finding the surface area.

This is where my problem solving skills came in handy. I figured out the formula, or at least one of them. It involves finding the surface area of each of the three unique sides, adding them together, and multiplying the answer by two (because there are two of each of the three unique sides). It worked, and I think my "student" will be able to remember it for next time. This morning when I quizzed her, she remembered everything very well.

There wasn't time last night for much more than fixing dinner, eating, and doing homework. She has started basketball, which means the time after school previously used for homework is now spent at basketball practice. This means that homework will need to be done at home.

In addition to math, my young friend practiced her part in a play her "group" wrote at school for a project they are doing on the Nile River. I wish that I had seen the play sooner and been able to point out some basic flaws. But since they were putting it on today, there was no chance to make changes.

The story is, unfortunately, very politically correct environmentalism gibberish. The story is about a family with a cow that lives near the Nile River. A power plant is built nearby which pollutes the river and the cow becomes sick. The family goes to the plant owner and asks him to stop polluting the river, which he refuses to do with no regard for what he is doing to the river. They get half of the plant employees on their side and a toy factory is built nearby which takes away all the power plant employees. So the power plant is shut down and the owner goes somewhere else. Oh, and the cow gets well.

Although it was too late to change the story, I was able to share with her that not all power plants pollute rivers. And there are good reasons for having power plants. We also talked about what happens to human waste. I'm not sure just what they are teaching her, but she had the general impression that here in America we dump our raw sewage into our rivers. (Our conversation started when she asked me why people couldn't dump sewage somewhere besides into our rivers.) We talked about waste treatment plants and what comes out after waste is treated properly. It was a good conversation.

I can't help but wonder what other misinformation they are teaching at school. Maybe I really don't want to know. I would be too discouraged. I have a pretty good idea how bad it is without knowing all the specifics.

On a more cheerful note, yesterday's election went pretty well for conservatives. The initiative to make passing tax increases harder passed. The measure to make passing school levies easier failed. And the huge tax increase for transit failed. The one sad note was the passage of the measure to provide triple damages plus attorney fees for health insurance claims. People were voting with their hearts instead of their heads again. They don't understand what the measure really does, and I am sure the trial lawyers are rejoicing all over the state. (I called it the "guarantee attorneys get paid" measure.) I wonder if most people realize they voted themselves health insurance rate increases. I doubt it.