Subject:
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Re: Reasonable assignment for a third grader?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.geek
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Date:
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Thu, 12 Apr 2001 14:41:29 GMT
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Viewed:
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1531 times
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My son had a similiar assignment (2nd or third grade - he's in fourth now),
but it wasn't *exactly* 100. I don't remember the exact parameters of the
assignment, but it wasn't something frustratingly difficult - finding exact
100 pt. words is going to be difficult for an adult. It's a brute force
assignment. If I find a question to be ridiculous, I usually note it on my
son's homework (not very often, but it does happen).
Bruce
In lugnet.off-topic.geek, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> My son came home with a homework assignment today that I think is a bit tough.
>
> Here it is
>
> If you assign the letters of the alphabet numeric values with 1 == a and 26
> == z, find a word starting with each letter that sums to exactly 100. Or at
> least find 5 different ones anyway, the assignment sheet isn't totally clear.
>
> For example the value of "alphabet" is 1, 12, 16, 8, 1, 2, 5, 20 or 65
> and the value of "argument" is 99
>
> I set up a spreadsheet that aids in calculating these but it took me an hour
> to find 2 with that aid. 4 words have been apparently circulating around the
> schoolyard: turkey, pumpkin, keyboard, wednesday and we found the additional
> ones mourns and acquitted.
>
> I suspect the most effective way to solve this is brute force, write some
> perl or C++ or whatever to calculate the values for words from a
> dictionary... is that something a third grader should be able to do? He may
> have had this for a few days already but even if handed out on Monday, I
> think this is a lot of work to be due Thursday of the same week.
>
> What do you guys think? Is this too hard for a third grader? (Nik doesn't
> know perl...)
>
> (If you think this veers off into the philosophy of schooling feel free to
> FUT to .debate but right now I'm just interested in an evaluation of difficulty)
>
> Please note that I am not asking anyone to contribute words, I don't believe
> in using the internet to get homework done... besides he (sort of) has his 5
> already.
>
> ++Lar
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Reasonable assignment for a third grader?
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| (...) Just getting *over* 100 is quite easy, you just need words that have a number of late alpahabet letters. Since R, S, and T are common letters and are late in the alphabet you are all set. Like I said, ironically, "alphabet" itself is 99... so (...) (26 years ago, 12-Apr-01, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Reasonable assignment for a third grader?
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| My son came home with a homework assignment today that I think is a bit tough. Here it is If you assign the letters of the alphabet numeric values with 1 == a and 26 == z, find a word starting with each letter that sums to exactly 100. Or at least (...) (26 years ago, 12-Apr-01, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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