How Things Work - Doha Academy of Tertiary Studies

BOX 8.1. (cont.)
analysis and Synthesis 145
ued beyond a single day, but, as with other teachers we have observed,
not every interrupted project gets resumed. Grogan was enthused about
having such standards-based and motivating activities, and appreciated
the mathematical explanations she got from the Academy, and the curtailing
of this one started her weekend on a very bad note.
cONtiNuatiON
It is the following Tuesday. “Okay! Does everyone have a calculator?
Math notebooks should be open to the section of the page where we
were recording those numbers that you were adding and subtracting.
What I would like to do is to get the other. . . . One! Two! Monica! I am
going to give you the opportunity to check the answers you got yesterday.”
She hands out hand calculators to each student.
Bubble Yum 20, 10, 11, 7.5, 7.5, 7.5, 14.5, 14.5, 8.5, 18.5, 2
Extra 5.3, 3, 2.7, 4, 4, 4, 6.6, 7.9, 7.5, 7.7, 11.3, 6, 6.5, 3, 3
Bubblicious 5.5, 9, 10, 9, 4, 7, 8, 12, 8.5, 12, 23, 14, 7.7
Bazooka 10, 14, 11, 5, 11, 11, 2.5, 7, 7, 19
Carefree 5, 6, 7, 6, 4, 5, 5, 7, 5, 3, 2, 7, 8, 6, 8
“Yesterday you calculated the averages for the first three bubble
gums. Now, you need to do the last two.” All are quickly at work, most
using hand calculators. David asks for help. “Which are the whole numbers?”
He points to them. Roberto asks about dividing on the calculator.
“Omar, are you done with all five?” She goes back to the board and
makes the commas between all numbers more legible. There is some
consternation at one table about the contents of a water bottle, a breakout
of laughter. “Angela!”
Grogan’s red hair is even more a lion’s mane today. She tells me
that things went well yesterday. She had handed a piece of each brand of
gum, a sack to each student, had told them they had just 10 minutes to
make their measurements.
At 12:35 she says, “Okay, stop. [Pause} Okay, what was your average
for Bazooka? Lisa? She says, “9.75.” “What did you get for Care-
(cont.)