It depends on how the movie portrays metric units - what is wrong with the dumb blonde with the all-American hero making a comment such as "What 120 mph" when the couple are driving up the autobahn, to which our hero displays his knowledge - "No dear, those are kilometers per hour - we are in Germany remember!".
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bernard Rachtmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 5:59 PM Subject: [USMA:37385] RE: Metric and math > Anytime Don. > > The more recent move of the USMA to write in to movie studios could > prove fruitful, as sports are somewhat difficult to influence. The mass > media plays a great influence on our society- this is doubly true for > youth. Pressuring congressman to go metric is a good start, but maybe > not grassroots enough. I'd imagine they receive many letters on policy > and agenda and metric makes up a very small portion. There is also some > monied interests which may pressure them to drag their heels. > Writing into studios and TV producers may be a good card to play. There > is no financial incentive for them to avoid metric in their > scripts....its not like sponsors will pull out if they hear > "kilometers"! Plus, I doubt if they'd receive much in the way of > anti-metric sentiments. Most people who write into these shows/movies > are fans asking about behind-the-scenes questions, so a pro-metric > letter would stand out pretty well. > > But hey, if we really want to encourage metric to teens all we need to > do is convince them their parents don't use metric and its a way to > "rebel"!....LOL > > -best regards > > On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:35:29 -0400, "Don Jordan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > said: > > Bernard, this is some good conversation. Thanks for the infomation > > don jordan, USC > > > > Dr. Don M. Jordan > > College of Arts & Sciences > > Center for Science Education > > Director: Center for South Carolina Academy of Science > > Director: USC Science & Engineering Fair > > Director: Middle / Elementary School Acad of Sci for South Carolina > > Sumwalt Room 323 > > 1212 Green Street > > University of South Carolina > > Columbia SC 29208 > > Ph: (803) 777-7007 > > Fax (803) 7774396 > > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > >>> "Bernard Rachtmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 10/19 1:04 AM >>> > > I'm not sure what the best approach is regarding math. I do notice a > > strong math-phobia, which is often satirized alongside technical > > jargon. > > Few students go far in physics or chemistry, so much of the metric > > association is with math. This could be tackled by stressing metric > > in > > other areas as well and maybe (somehow) getting more inroads with > > sports > > or pop stuff. > > > > The math phobia goes into USC satire sometimes too... you hear > > gripes/jokes about "A train leaves Chicago at 70 miles per hour > > another > > train heading 50 miles per hour..etc" If metric was part of that > > negative umbrella they would likely compound the equation as such. > > > > In truth some metric understanding is pushed in schools, but its > > limited, and, if unused is largely forgotten. Most high schoolers > > spend > > at least a year doing algebra but how many people on the street could > > figure out a graphing equation or even a simple inequality? > > I recall one teacher (he taught calculus) explaining to the class and > > asking rhetorically why metric never caught on. He then went on to > > say > > that a kilometer was longer than a mile, when asked about a race. Its > > a > > simple error, but one that can only occur from lack of usage or > > attention. > > > > I never really learned either measurement system in school. Virtually > > all of my understanding came from real-world observations and > > experience. In essence...you don't learn it without hands-on > > experience. > > > > On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:47:32 -0400, "Brij Bhushan Vij" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > > > Stan, Paul sirs: > > > >.....My point is that introducing metric system in math classes is a > > > > > >mistake. Why? Many people >suffer aversion to math. Americans in > > particular > > > >treasure math phobia, even pride in it. > > > It is unfortunate that US & anti-metric forces consider 'ichhy.....' > > in > > > using SI-incere efforts that most children want in their school > > > curriculur > > > to learn & understand the Metric System - the Le Systeme > > Internationale > > > d'Unites (SI) way. Lableing metric learning wih 'math phobia' only > > > enhanves > > > the craze to learn it right; and denying the American young their > > right > > > to > > > choose *what best holds in their learning* or its absense thereof. > > > Looking forwards & learning Metrics will only add to American > > democratic > > > way > > > of life. > > > Brij Bhushan Vij > > > (Sunday, Kali 5107-W27-00)/265+D-290 G.(Tuesday, 2006 October > > > 17H16:79(decimal) ET > > > Aa Nau Bhadra Kritvo Yantu Vishwatah -Rg Veda > > > Jan:31; Feb:29; Mar:31; Apr:30; May:31; Jun:30 > > > Jul:30; Aug:31; Sep:30; Oct:31; Nov:30; Dec:30 > > > (365th day of Year is World Day) > > > ******As per Kali V-GRhymeCalendaar***** > > > "Koi bhi cheshtha vayarth nahin hoti, purshaarth karne mein hai" > > > Contact # 001(201)675-8548 > > > > > > > > > >From: "Stan Jakuba" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > > >Subject: [USMA:37361] Metric and math > > > >Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:50:07 -0400 > > > > > > > >This is an opinion concerning the emphasis USMA members have been > > placing > > > >on writing to math teachers & their organizations in the expectation > > that > > > >it will help metricating the US. > > > > > > > >I am questioning the effectiveness of that effort. Math teachers > > tell me > > > >that they do teach metric; it is in the curriculum as any standard > > subject. > > > >They also support the vision of metric USA. And they cannot teach > > metric > > > >any more until they are told to do so. That is likely to happen only > > when > > > >the country starts going metric again. When that push starts they > > will do > > > >more regardless our prompting; but they cannot initiate the push. > > > > > > > >Notice that their teaching metric in the past failed in metricating > > the US > > > >if the metric USA was that goal (I know it was not). I believe that > > any > > > >extra effort on their part will again be wasted. Worse yet: they are > > the > > > >wrong group to teach or promote metric. > > > > > > > >My point is that introducing metric system in math classes is a > > mistake. > > > >Why? Many people suffer aversion to math. Americans in particular > > treasure > > > >math phobia, even pride in it. Fear of math is considered a virtue. > > The > > > >media delight in prizing numerical ineptitude and ridiculing the > > opposites > > > >as nerds, geeks, etc. Associating metric with math turns many pupils > > > > > >against metric. And it is the non-math types that will go into the > > > >Government policy making. > > > > > > > >Metric need not be a math subject. If I remember my childhood ed, I > > heard > > > >of the "metric system" in physics classes, not math. The Czech > > lands, being > > > >located in the center of Europe, had likely the same ed system as > > the > > > >continental countries (not England). Metric system and units weren't > > taught > > > >in math classes because there is no math in metric. Math was devoted > > to > > > >calculating. Measurements, for which one needs units, was left for > > physics. > > > >US math teachers "put" math (i.e., conversions) into the subject. > > > >Otherwise, what would they do with all those hours allocated? And > > they are > > > >used to that - conversion calculations are a must in working with > > the > > > >English system. > > > > > > > >Relegating teaching of metric units to physics in the US would take > > away > > > >the stigma of metric = math, and with it the "I am not good at it, > > see no > > > >use for it, forget it." This (majority) in the US population would > > have one > > > >less argument against metric. Introducing metric in physics or > > similar, > > > >non-math classes, on the other hand, cannot but enthuse students for > > > > > >resorting to the metric system. They see how much simpler solutions > > to > > > >problems are when using SI. Instead of aversion, they will develop a > > love > > > >of both metric AND physics. > > > > > > > >For these reasons, I question the usefulness of "working with" math > > > > > >teachers and their representatives to involve them in promoting the > > metric > > > >cause. We should instead address curriculum developers, textbook > > publishers > > > >(non-math), and other such organizations. > > > > > > > >I am not against promoting metric among math teachers or any other > > group. > > > >But recognizing the limits on the time each of us has for the > > metrication > > > >effort, I am concerned that, with this group, that time is not just > > wasted, > > > >it is counter-productive. > > > > > > > >Stan Jakuba > > > > > -- > > Bernard Rachtmann > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -- > > http://www.fastmail.fm - The way an email service should be > > > -- > Bernard Rachtmann > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- > http://www.fastmail.fm - The professional email service >
