I get emails from parents and kids and teachers all the time, and I love them!
One teacher in York, Pennsylvania wrote to say that she uses the math challenges in her class, but they encountered a problem with Math Excursion #4. Our wording was wrong, making it impossible to solve. We are fixing it now!
As a way of thanking her class, and the fact that they - like the rest of us - are deep in the midst of an exciting presidential campaign year, I wrote a challenge to help students understand big numbers, and small numbers. And, the power of one person.
Thank you to her class, and here is your new math presidential challenge!!!!
A NewtonsWindow Presidential Math Challenge!! |
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| As you may
know, many people are afraid of math problems, especially ones in which you have to Think. Many
people are also afraid of math because big numbers are hard
for them to work with, and hard for them to understand. |
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So, they avoid thinking about big numbers, and wind up getting fooled, cheated, or swindled by people who DO understand big numbers. |
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| Elections are all about big numbers. Most folks think, therefore, that one vote
doesn't count. And that one voice doesn't count.
Especially if it's from someone who isn't even old enough to vote. |
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| Okay, let's see about that. | |
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Does
all this talk do any good? You're just one person, right? |
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 So here's the challenge. Suppose you believe in a particular candidate, and
you want him or her to win. And you don't have a car or money for an advertisement, but
you do have your mouth and your mind. You decide to tell two voters in Pennsylvania about why
your guy/gal is best. And you ask each of them to tell two people. And they ask each of
these people to tell two people. |
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If each "round" of conversations
takes fifteen minutes (1/4 of an hour), how
long would it take to reach 1 million voters, that all started with your talking to just
two people?
A "round" of conversations is just each person telling their two people.
So Round 1: you tell two people. Total: 2 people. Total time: 15 minutes (1/4th hour).
Round 2:
Each of them tells two people. Total: 4 people. Time of round: 15 more minutes, Total time
from start: 30 minutes (1/2 hour).
Round 3:
Each of these 4 people tells two people. Total: 8 people. Time of round: 15 minutes more
minutes. Total Time from start: 45 minutes (3/4 hour).
How long before the conversation you started
reaches 1 million voters? Do you think you can reach a million before election day?
Isn't math amazing?
Isn't one mouth amazing?
Think of other ways this amazing principle of numbers can be used to make some real
changes for good in the world. Can you think of ways this could be used to help people or
the planet?
Please let me know how you do on this challenge. And please let me know of other ideas you
come up with where this simple math principle can be used to really help people. When you understand big numbers, you also understand the
power of little numbers, in this case, the power of one. One person with one mouth, or one great idea.
There are a few days left before your big and important primary in which the whole country
is watching! What can you do if you have a favorite candidate?
You guessed it: START TALKING.
One million votes changes an election. And who'd
have believed it could start with one person who isn't even old enough to vote?
Apply this principle to problems around the world. Who knew that simple math could do so
much good?
You'll never say, "but I'm just one person" again.
