Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 02, 2012

A whole number, maybe. Shes making it too confusing

Reminds me of the time my school switched to “New Math”.

Isn’t she in kindergarten or first grade?

awww… poor sally.

You must have been sleeping during that class, Sally. That’s one of the first things they teach you before they bring out the heavy artillery.

I dont even remember learning that stuff in math. I guess its true that they teach you stuff you never going to use in real life. I never did math like that in real life.I agree with Sally.BTW the answer is 4

That’s school stress for you…

LOL xxx

@Cookies333

I’m sure being an adult is fun…

But of course, there are disadvantages.

42!!!

They are still doing this kind of thing in school right now. Yesterday, my first grader showed me some “algebra” he was doing. It is so dumb! It may not be called “New Math”, but somebody is always coming up with some idiot idea to teach 2+2. Teaching set theory in first grade is a waste of time. Save that for college.

I’m a mathematician. I had a heck of time teaching college freshman just basic set theory, so good luck teaching it to Sally. My students asks why do we need this stuff? My answer was, you don’t, not even for algebra, but somebody is making me teaching you this stuff. But don’t worry, it’s never on the tests.

Sally, 4.

Be glad, then, that you were not taught “New Math”. If you think the real thing is difficult, then imagine trying to wrap your mind around the pseudo-concepts they were trying to push into our little brains.

@WildBill40:

Of course New Math is correct, and it may be the most elegant way of summing up most of mathematics, (though you can define binary and decimal systems and convert between them without needing to bring set theory into it.)

That doesn’t mean it works as a teaching system for young children. or that it works better than the other ways to teach.

I’m old enough to remember when New Math was introduced into my elementary school. The teachers were not happy about trying to get 9-year-olds to comprehend set theory. Perhaps they couldn’t comprehend it themselves.

I failed math when the teacher kept asking the same question over, 2+2=Y and Y is not 4 what is it? Calculator kept tellinig me it was 4, guess that’s why I went back to general math just to graduate.

These four panels succeed in succeed in summing up my entire school math experience thus far. I don’t know whether to laugh ruefully or cringe.

More Peanuts w/Snoopy, please……and by the way, “Happy Birthday!”

2+2=Y could have a couple of answers. It could be 10 in base 4 or 11 in base 3. Tom Lehrer wrote a great song called “New Math” in which the last line of the chorus is “It’s simple, so very simple, that only a child can do it!” Tom Lehrer is a mathematician and teacher as well as a singer.

I have fingers. Oh, and toes. I figure I have ‘em for a reason. If the answer is bigger than 20, I just don’t care.

I thought Sally was only in Kindergarten? How’s she supposed to know all those math problems? She should be learning her shapes, numbers, and colors.

All you need to know is, can you write a check?

In 1950, Charlie Brown looked soooo different and plain, now he’s more of a character.

Last time I checked … 2 + 2 = 22. :)

Set Theory is way beyond the concrete operations level of first grader Sally!