Date: Tue Oct 29 14:20:31 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin-
(imp problem #1)
Thanks for responding. In understanding how to solve the thunder and lightening problem why don't you try this: Draw out 32 triangles on a piece of paper. These will represent the seconds between the lightening and the thunder. Then group your triangles into groups of 5. Each group of 5 seconds will represent the thunder traveling 1 mile. Now you should have 6 groups of 5 triangles with two triangles left over. These two remaining triangles each represent 1/5th of the time that it takes the thunder to travel 1 mile. So now can you tell me how far the thunder has traveled in 32 seconds? I hope this has helped.
Celeste
Date: Wed Oct 30 19:38:54 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Answer(or question to Mentor):
I did not understand this problem at all. The part that I do not understand is how many feet is it sticking out at the beginning. I even tried drawing a picture of the pole sticking out of the ground. I just do not understand this. Austin-
Date: Thu Oct 31 15:18:02 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin-
Thanks for responding! Try thinking of the problem as just being the part of the pole that is sticking out of the ground. The 5 represtents 2/3 of the pole and the last 1/3 of the pole was the part that got submerged in the storm surge. Now that you know that 2/3 = 5 can you figure out what the 1/3 is? Add all these numbers up to get the legnth of the pole. Try figuring it out on your own from there.
Good luck!
Celeste
Date: Fri Nov 1 14:19:59 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Instructor Comments:
Celeste,
Your explanation of how to think about the last problem was OUTSTANDING. HOWEVER--- it was late and thus he didn't see it before I had to purge everything. Luckily, the program put it up front for this problem, so I hope the student saw it. It was exactly the kind of thinkign that I think would really help him. I hope that you can answer him on time for the other problems, because it appears that he is excited about asking for help, and you are doing a great job.
Now, about the current explanation: Your description is very good. Just a few small notes:
1) I would not use the word "submerged" to refer to the storm surge since the problem uses that term to describe the part of the pole under the ground.
2) you have two typos "represtents" and "legnth"
3) If you say "add all of these numbers up to get the length of the pole", I am wondering if he will forget that there is still1/4 of the pole submerged? Maybe you could say "add these lengths to get the length of the pole sticking out of the ground."
Dr. Bowers
Date: Fri Nov 1 14:22:59 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Instructor Comments: PS: I realize that I have a typo myself in the last message. I have to write 78 of these, so forgive the apparent hypocrisy!
Dr. Bowers
Date: Mon Nov 4 17:14:09 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin-
Thanks for responding! Try thinking of the problem as just being the part of the pole that is sticking out of the ground. The 5 represents 2/3 of the pole and the last 1/3 of the pole was the part that got covered by water in the storm surge. Now that you know that 2/3 = 5 can you figure out what the 1/3 is? Add all these numbers up to get the length of the pole which is sticking out of the ground. Try figuring it out on your own from there.
Good luck!
Celeste
Date: Wed Nov 6 19:10:04 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Answer(or question to Mentor): A. The storm surged seven feet in 2002. I got my answer by figuring out that 9 feet of the pole was sticking out of the ground. I got nine by adding 5 wich is what 2/3 as a fraction wich is how many feet was left dry in 2000, and then I add four wich is 1/3 as a whole number. Then I took 3/4 wich is the amount the storm surged and made it a whole number wich is 7. This is how I got my anwser
B. Two feet was left dry. I got this by subtracting 7 wich is how many feet it surged in 2002. I then subtracted 7 from 9 which is how many feet was sticking out of the ground. I then got two. That is how I got my anwser. Austin-
Date: Wed Nov 6 20:01:19 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply:
Austin-
I appreciate your clear explanation here. Your answer is incorrect but because of your explanation I can help you to fix your mistake.
I am curious as to where you got the number 4 from. You say that 4=1/3 but if 5=2/3 then how can this be? To find the 1/3 portion, I want you to think of it like this: If 5=2/3 then ½ of 5 is equal to 1/3. What is ½ of 5? Once you find this number go ahead and do exactly what you did before to get your answer. (You showed excellent thinking!) Only one thing, don’t round your numbers! This is really important. Use decimals or fractions what ever your are most comfortable with, just don’t round.
Good Luck!
Celeste
Date: Wed Nov 13 05:29:06 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Answer(or question to Mentor): I don not understand what you. This is what I dont understand that 1/2 of 5 is equal 1/3. This is what I don't understand. Austin
Date: Thu Nov 14 09:42:20 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Instructor Comments: Celeste,
This is a great opportunity for you to explain further what you mean. Please do so so that Austin can understand more fully! This is a great student-- most kids don't ask for further clarification, so I hope you know you are making a difference!
Dr. Bowers
Date: Thu Nov 14 10:23:08 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Instructor Comments: Celeste,
This is a great opportunity for you to explain further what you mean. Please do so so that Austin can understand more fully! This is a great student-- most kids don't ask for further clarification, so I hope you know you are making a difference!
Dr. Bowers
Date: Thu Nov 14 11:50:17 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin --
Thank you so much for your response. Here is what I want you to do. Take out a piece of paper, a pencil and a highlighter. Draw a line with your pencil on your paper. Now divide that line into three equal pieces. Each one of these pieces represents 1/3 of the line. In the problem it says that the storm surge covered 1/3 of the stilt leaving 5ft (which is also equal to 2/3 of the pole) dry. What I want you to do now is to highlight the part of the pole that was left dry (two of your 1/3 sections). What we are looking for is the length of the last 1/3 section that was submerged. In order to find this length what we need to do is find out what ½ the 2/3 portion of the pole (in other words ½ of 5) is equal to. Finding ½ of 2/3 of the pole will give us 1/3 of the total length of the pole. Can you see this when looking at your diagram?
I hope that I helped you in answering your question. I would really like it if you would respond back and tell me how you solved this problem from here.
Also I would definitely encourage you to try this next IMP problem. I am looking forward to your response here too, you ask great questions and have insightful responses.
-- Celeste
Date: Tue Nov 19 14:38:31 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin
I hope to hear from you soon. Good luck on the problem!
Celeste
Date: Wed Nov 20 14:58:29 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Instructor Comments: Celeste--
Good, can you say I hope to hear from you regarding the new problem about McDonald's or something like that so he knows what you mean? thanks--Dr. Bowers
Date: Wed Nov 20 17:07:40 PST 2002
Student's Name: Austin
Mentor Reply: Austin,
I hope to hear from you soon regarding the newly posted problem (Mc Donalds). Good luck!
Celeste
