Integrating Essential Skills into Training - National Adult Literacy ...

Syncrude Applied Math (SAM) / Workplace Applied Math (WAM)
The four themes of the SAM/WAM program are:
1. Numbers and Number Sense: fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios rate and
proportions.
Workplace examples include:
1. calculations of number of barrels of bitumen per year given barrels per day;
2. number of people needed to do a specific task if one person can do the task in a
specified number of hours.
2. Measurement/Geometry: imperial and metric measurement and conversions
between the two as well as geometry
Workplace examples include:
1. metric to imperial conversions
2. division of a pipe into two pieces of specified length, how much is left over after
the cutting;
3. Length of conduit needed given angles of the path it will travel
3. Graphing and Statistics:
Workplace examples include:
1. Reading graphs to assess the number of barrels of oil produced in a certain year
2. Reading projected increases in manpower needed.
4. Introduction to algebra: solving equations, transpositions of formulas and signed
fractions and decimals
Practice Question 1
The idea for this question came from the Syncrude Central Machine Shop. It is a daily
workplace task. The question itself comes from the numbers and number sense unit and
focuses on percentage application.
A CMS machinist is to allow a 1.5% tolerance on a shaft 18 feet in length. How much
tolerance is allowed? Give answer in inches.
Answer:
To teach this, instruct that all practical percentage applications have three basic parts:
Actual amount
Base (whole or original amount)
Rate (%)
Actual amount = Rate(%) x Base (whole amount) = 1.5% x18 feet = 27/100 = .27 ft.
Measurement conversion = .27 feet x12 in /1 ft = 3.24 inches