Re: Classifying fiction as science fiction - the Kiss of Death?

Charlton Wilbur <cwilbur@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I'm a fan of the "these four courses, then one from each column"
approaches to curricula -- it seems to me that some algebra is broadly
useful, so I'd require that, for instance, but I'd probably include
trigonometry (because it's interesting, and useful in some areas) but
not make it mandatory (because it's not broadly useful).

The American method of dividing up maths continues to bewilder me. In
New Zealand through most of school we study maths. Maths includes
arithmetic, fractions, geometry, statistics, algebra, trigonometry,
differential equations, the expansion of powers, etc etc. In the last
year or two of high school one has the option to take either
Maths-Calculus or Maths-Statistics, which probably have some differences
but are primarily code for "Maths for the smart kids" and "Maths for the
not-so-smart kids who still want to take maths". And we continue to
learn geometry, statistics, algebra, etc etc.

How exactly does it work in the US? I've had the impression that it's
something like studying geometry one year, and when you're done with
that studying algebra one year, and when you're done with that... Which
is surely unworkable, and I have a vague impression of being told once
that it wasn't like that.

Zeborah
--
Gravity is no joke.
http://www.geocities.com/zeborahnz/
rasfc FAQ: http://www.lshelby.com/rasfcFAQ.html
.

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