Errata for Everyday Mathematics
I am keeping track of the little mistakes I find as I go along.
From the parents' handbook:
"Regular polyhedron: A polyhedron with all faces the same shape and
same size. There are five regular polyhedrons:
tetrahedron: 4 faces, each formed by an equilateral triangle
cube: 6 faces, each formed by a square.
octahedron: 8 faces, each formed by an equilateral triangle.
dodecahedron: 12 faces, each formed by a regular pentagon
icosahedron: 20 faces, each formed by an equilateral triangle."
There are actually two mistakes here: first,
in this definition a bipyramid would also be a regular polyhedron,
which it is not. Second, it should say "There are five regular convex
polyhedra." The first has been fixed in the most recent edition,
but not the second. If the definition doesn't have convex in it, there are
more;
for the right classification try
wikipedia .
From an answer key: "There
are more than 75 ways of finding change for 50 cents." Actually,
there are 50 ways. Apparently,
the same incorrect answer key has been distributed for years, and the mistake
on the answer key has gotten countless parents involved with their
children's homework! Perhaps it was planted on purpose? :)
From answers to frequently asked questions: "
The learning of the algorithms of arithmetic has been, until recently,
the core of mathematics programs in elementary schools. There were
good reasons for this. It was necessary that students have reliable,
accurate methods to do arithmetic by hand, for everyday life,
business, and to support further study in mathematics and science. s
society demands more from its citizens than knowledge of basic
arithmetic skills. Our students are confronted with a world in which
mathematical proficiency is essential for success. There is general
agreement among mathematics educators that drill on paper/pencil
algorithms should receive less emphasis, and that more emphasis be
placed on areas like geometry, measurement, data analysis, probability
and problem solving, and that students be introduced to these subjects
using realistic problem contexts. The use of technology, including
calculators, does not diminish the need for basic knowledge, but does
provide children with opportunities to explore and expand their
problem solving capabilities beyond what their pencil-and-paper
arithmetic skills may allow." Actually there is a lot of debate
about this among "math educators".
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