Date: Wed Oct 30 19:04:55 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Hey Angelica!
Sorry I have not been sending to you. My mistake. Thanks for sending me the correct answers to the challenge problems. That really helped, and now I unerstand.
Okay, now to start cracking the current prolblem. I'm not truly that sure, but I think its right:
a)3/4
b)1/4
Well, you see, I draw pictures to figure out my problems sometimes, so I will try to explain it as well as I can.
a) First, I drew a stilt/pole. I split it into four pieces and colored one in. This makes ,as the problem clairifys, 1/4. Then I simply divided the stilt/pole into thirds, and got the answer 3/4. It would be eaisier if I could show you on paper.
b) Easy, 1/4. After drawing the picture, I thought of it as a key to the next answer. When I had added 3/4 to the 1/4, there were 1/4 left over.
I truly think this is correct, but remember still answer me. In a couple of days I am going to try and answer the challenge problems. Thank you for your cooperation with me.
-Ragon C. Miller-
Date: Thu Oct 31 18:20:17 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Mentor Reply: Hi Ragon,
Don’t worry, we all make mistakes. You just need to be careful with the mistakes that might affect your grades in school.
I’m sorry to say but you’re answer to the IMP problem was not correct. You had the right idea. It was great that you drew a picture to start of with. Did you remember to label each section of your stilt? One section was given to you. The other two pieces were given to you in a fractional format.
Here is a hint; your answer should be in the same unit format as the section given to you.
I can’t wait to get your answer to the challenge problem. I’ll also be waiting for your new answer to the first problem.
sincerely,
Angelica
Date: Thu Oct 31 18:20:18 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Mentor Reply: Hi Ragon,
Don’t worry, we all make mistakes. You just need to be careful with the mistakes that might affect your grades in school.
I’m sorry to say but you’re answer to the IMP problem was not correct. You had the right idea. It was great that you drew a picture to start of with. Did you remember to label each section of your stilt? One section was given to you. The other two pieces were given to you in a fractional format.
Here is a hint; your answer should be in the same unit format as the section given to you.
I can’t wait to get your answer to the challenge problem. I’ll also be waiting for your new answer to the first problem.
sincerely,
Angelica
Date: Fri Nov 1 13:52:20 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Instructor Comments:
Angelica,
I think I would start the letter a bit more positively. Thank her for submitting, but don't refer back to her mention of making a mistake. After all: what mistake did she make? I think it is *fantastic* that she thanked you for your explanation (trust me, that doesn't happen very often in the life of teachers :-)
I agree with you, it is great to compliment her use of a diagram, and also her excellent description, especially given that she was trying to describe a diagram! You could even say that because her description of her thinking was so clear, you can see where she might need a bit more help. Then, I think you need to focus more specifically on exactly where her problem is. In this case, simply asking her to label the diagram might mean putting in feet or something, which is not what you mean. To help her focus on the exact problem, why not say something like "You are absolutely correct in stating that 3/4 of the pole was sticking out of the water. However, the problem states that in 2000, 1/3 of the pole that was sticking out of the water got wet, leaving 5 feet dry. Thus, in your terms, that would be 1/3 of 3/4 of the pole! So, can you use this information to tell me how many FEET of the pole were wet? Once you solve this, please also try the challenge problem."
Hope this helps Angelica. Dr. Bowers
Date: Fri Nov 1 13:54:35 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Instructor Comments:
PS: I just realized in reading over my comment that you need to say "now figure out how high the water was in 2002."
Date: Mon Nov 4 11:11:29 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Mentor Reply: Hi Ragon,
I’m glad the solution for the first IMP problems helped.
I’m sorry to say but you’re answer to the IMP problem was not correct. You had the right idea. It was great that you drew a picture to start of with. Your approach in solving the problem was very clear, but I think I can give you a hint to help you. You are absolutely correct in stating that ¾ of the pole was sticking out of the water. However, the problem states that in 2000, 1/3 of the pole that was sticking out of the water got wet, leaving 5 feet dry. That would be 1/3 of ¾ of the pole. So, can you use this information tell me how many feet of the pole were wet? Know figure out how high the water was in 2002.
Here is another hint; your answer should be in the same unit format as the section given to you.
I can’t wait to get your answer to the challenge problem. I’ll also be waiting for your new answer to the first problem.
sincerely,
Angelica
Date: Mon Nov 4 13:58:41 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Hi Angelica,
I am sorry to hear my answer was wrong, but thanks for the hints. I guess I'll try agian. From the information you gave me, I think it would be 1 1/2. I drew a picture (which you already know about) of a pole, and split it into 1/4. Then by drawing 3/4 into the one fourth of the pole, I got 1 1/2.
CHALLANGE:
Bob's stilt must have been 1/4. I sort of went backwards from my new answer to my first problem.
I have to go but I will explain tommarow.(11/5/02)
-Ragon Miller-
Date: Fri Nov 8 23:58:49 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Mentor Reply: Hi Ragon.,
I’d like to solve the problem for you to be able to explain were you might have gone wrong in your answer.
Do the problem with me:
Start by drawing a stilt pole and cut it into 4 equal parts. --You do this because you are told that ¼ of the stilt is stuck in the ground. --You are left with 3 parts which is above the ground.
You are told that in 2000, 1/3 of the stilt is under water. The measure that’s dry is 2/3 which is 5 feet. ( You are told that 5 feet is dry. ) --Look 1/3 +1/3 = 2/3 Then 2.5 + 2.5 = 5 So 2/3 = 5 and 1/3 = 2.5 --You now know that each part of the stilt that you cut equals 2.5 feet --This then tells you that the stilt is 10 feet. (2.5 +2.5 + 2.5+ 2.5 =10)
In 2002 the surge covered ¾ of the stilt that was stuck out of the ground. --7.5 feet is stuck out of the ground (2.5 +2.5 +2.5 = 7.5) --So you then need to know how much of 7.5 feet is 3/4 . --7.5(3/4) = 5.63 feet. This is the measure which is submerged in water. --5.63 feet is answer to (A)
If you know that 5.63 feet is the measure submerged in water and they want to know how many feet was left dry. --Subtract 5.63 feet from 7.5 feet and you get 1.88 feet which is the measure that’s dry. --1.88 feet is answer to (B)
Ragon, you missed the clue which was given to you that the measure of the dry stilt was 5 feet. This is how you then determine that each part (after cutting into 4 equal parts) is 2.5 feet.
Answer to challenge problem:
If Bob used stilts the same length as Andy’s stilts which were 10 feet, 40% of 10 feet is 4 feet which is the measure which is stuck in the ground in Bob’s house. This then gives us the measure of 6 feet which is above the ground. (10-4=6) You found that the storm surge o f 2002 was 5.63 feet from the IMP answer A. If Bob had 6 feet of stilt above the ground and the 2002 surge was 5.63 feet, Bob’s house did not get washed way; because 6 feet is larger then 5.63 feet. I hope this helps you understand the IMP problem.
Keep up the hard work and I’ll be waiting for you next IMP answer.
Sincerely,
Angelica
Date: Fri Nov 15 10:30:20 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Dear Angelica,
Date: Fri Nov 15 10:30:21 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Dear Angelica,
Date: Fri Nov 15 10:37:42 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Dear Angelica,
I am so sorry I have not been writing to you. You see, I said I would explain my answer tommarow. On the next day,I tried to send you my answer, but nothing showed up. I tried eight computers and still nothing worked! So now I am trying one of the schools computers and it worked! Do not worry, my teacher has been informed of the situation.
Thank you for your cooperation, and answers.
-Ragon C. Miller-
Date: Mon Nov 18 14:26:14 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Answer(or question to Mentor): Angelica,
Now I am ready to try the next problem. I think the answer for the first question is 117 11/17. I first said 4+4+9= ,the total amount of calories, and divided 17, the answer, by 2000. For the second problem I got 14 grams. How? I'm not sure this is right but, I think the problem makers are trying to confuse you because it says the total right there in the open.
Date: Tue Nov 19 01:03:56 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Mentor Reply: Hi Ragon,
I don’t think the problem makers are trying to confuse you. They illustrate the word TOTAL at the opening because it’s a very important hint.
Your answer was not correct to the IMP problem for this week. Let me give you a hint before I go over the problem.
HINT
Remember a fraction = N/D Denominator (D) is the total number of the whole and Numerator (N) is the total fraction (part) of the whole
To solve any part of the problem, you need to first find the total number of calories in the cheeseburger. Then question #1 asks you for the fraction or percent of her daily intake she has ingested. They give you the total number of calories per/day are recommended. When you find the above, use the hint to solve the problem.
Question #2 wants a to know what fraction or percent of the cheeseburger is fat. You should have the information to solve this question after answering the first problem. You can use the hint again to solve this question as well.
Don’t forget to resubmit you new answer and try to solve the challenge problem.
Sincerely,
Angelica
Date: Wed Nov 20 14:39:25 PST 2002
Student's Name: Ragon Instructor Comments: Angelica,
To begin, I think your opening could be a bit more positive. YOu could say 'Thanks for submitting your next answer, it was nice to hear from you again this week', or soemtihng more personal before you tell her that you think the problem makers were not tyring to trick her. It is hard as a teacher not to take things too personally, but remember that a warm smile goes a long way.
Here, I think your hint works OK, although it appears that her first problem is that she is not com[uting the number of acloreis correctly. I would begin by statign that her goal is to first compute teh total number of caolries in teh cheeserburger, adn then firugrte out what fraction that nuber is in relation to a 2000 calroie diet.
You also have a typo: you say 'Question #2 wants a to know what fraction ...' I htink you could be more specific here to say 'so the goal is to figure out what fraction of the total calories are fat calories.' THis will help her a great deal, but does not give it all away.
Dr. Bowers
