Back to: Module: Helping Students Do Math
Introduction
Jessica was talking with her son William, who was about to go off to Kindergarten. Billy was the first of Jessica and Sam’s kids to enter school. What Billy asked won’t surprise you!
“What,” he said, “is arithmetic?”
Challenge
What do you think Jessica said? Has anything changed in Jessica’s view of math since graduating from high school? What do you suppose is her relationship to mathematics now that she runs her own successful restaurant in their hometown and now that she worries about her children’s futures? What does she hope for her children in terms of their relationship to math?
Jessica often thinks about the path her life has taken. She wonders what has influenced her the most. And just as Tina Turner asked, Jessica wonders, “What’s math got to do with it?”