My experiences with my kids in NY on exams and in text books for math and science questions (mostly where units of any type are used) they use both interchangeably assuming the kids know and understand both systems. They may ask a math question in meters but the next question may state something in pounds.
From: Kilopascal [mailto:kilopas...@cox.net] Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 9:06 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:53236] Re: \"Math Conversion-Metric System Help!,\" Cries a Nursing Student Mark, It is often said that American students are taught the metric system in school. Yet, I have yet find proof of it. If the metric system is taught, when is it taught and how is it taught? My understanding is that it is not taught in the same manner USC is taught. USC is ingrained in the students head and by the time metric is taught American students are fully functional in USC. Metric if and when taught is only taught by conversion. Students are taught not how to measure in metric units but are taught to convert metric to USC. A proper understanding of the metric system is never developed in Americans so when it is encountered it ends up being a panic situation. So without a background in metric is it any wonder that there is no interest in science and technology among today's teens. You may find the article of interest. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/teens-losing-interest-science-tech-100000227.html [USMA:53236] Re: "Math Conversion-Metric System Help!," Cries a Nursing Student<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=subject:%22%5BUSMA%3A53236%5D+Re%3A+%26quot%3BMath+Conversion-Metric+System+Help%21%2C%26quot%3B+Cries+a+Nursing+Student%22> Henschel Mark<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=from:%22Henschel+Mark%22> Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:54:31 -0700<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=usma@colostate.edu&q=date:20130910> Here is my contribution: The real problem here is that this student was not exposed to the Metric System in fourth grade, or fifth grade or sixth grade or basically not any time in any significant way until she got to nursing school. There the emphasis was on conversion. Of course she is confused. This does not happen in metric countries. The Metric System is not a conversion, but a complete system which, when used by itself, is extremely easy. We clearly need much more metric education in our middle schools and high schools, so students will learn to "think metric" and not think of the Metric System as something that needs to be converted from or to. Ninety six percent of doctors and nurses around the world use the Metric System only, with no use of inch-pound units at all. Body mass index is much easier in the Metric System, just take your mass in kilograms and divide by your height in meters squared. No conversions necessary. And for temperature, remember the poem : "30 is hot, 20 is nice, 10 wear a coat, 0 is ice". Much easier than all that multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting from Fahrenheit.
