‘It’s offensive,’ local elementary student speaks out against Common Core math problem

[Deleted member 15428]

A Salt Lake County 4th grader is speaking up, claiming a math problem in her homework shed light on a bigger problem: young girls' body image.

"I was shocked… I was shocked, honestly," said Naomi Pacheco as she stood in front of her daughter's elementary school.

It was the last thing Naomi expected to see on her 4th-grader's homework.

"I feel like it's such an irresponsible way to teach children how to do math," Naomi said.

A math problem.

"The problems right before that talked about watermelons, and then the problem before that, a Saint Bernard," said Melissa Hamilton, the Murray City School District Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning. "So, 4th-grade student, 4th-grade problem."

But the questionable equation wasn't comparing apples and oranges.

"It was comparing girls' weights," said Naomi.

"It says, 'The table to the right shows the weight of three Grade 4 students. How much heavier is Isabell than the lightest student?" Naomi read the question aloud from a picture she had taken on her phone.

Naomi's 9-year-old daughter, Rhythm, wasn't okay with what she saw.

"She said, 'You know mom, I'm not going to answer this question, I'm not going to do it,'" Naomi recalled.

"I thought it was offensive," said Rhythm. "I didn't like that because girls shouldn't be comparing each other. I know it was a math problem… but I don't think that was really okay."

Rhythm chose not to answer the question.

"She circled [the question] and wrote, 'What! This is offensive! Sorry I won't write this it's rude!'" Naomi said as she continued to read from the photo.

Rhythm said she was concerned she would get in trouble, 'because we get graded on this.' So, she decided to write her teacher a letter in addition to the short message she wrote next to the question on her math worksheet.

"I don't want to be rude, but I think that math problem wasn't very nice, I thought that was judging people's weight. Also, the reason I didn't write a sentence is because I just didn't think that was nice," Rhythm read from the letter which she since got back from her teacher.

"Her teacher was so responsive and spoke to her about it and supported her decision," Naomi said. "This isn't about the teacher, the school, or anything — we love our school and our community. What it's about is children being taught this everywhere, that it's okay to make direct comparisons with weight."

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Full article: https://fox13now.com/2019/10/01/its...-speaks-out-against-common-core-math-problem/

 

[AlteredBeast]

I don't think the question is at all offensive in a vacuum, but in today's hyper critical world, best to leave questions like this out of the curriculum.

 

[TheCthultist]

Look, I'm all for being offended by common core math, but I'm not seeing the problem here. If the question said something like "how much fatter is Isabel than the others," sure, I might agree, but as it is it's fine.

 

[Deleted member 15428]

Now if you want offensive math questions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Reynouard

Although convicted, he was permitted to continue teaching mathematics at a Honfleur, Normandy high school until 1997, when he was suspended after he was "found to be using the school computer to file documents denying the Holocaust and the fax machine to send the writings to his followers" and "giving his students statistical equations regarding the rate of mortality in Nazi concentration camps".

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[Crow Pudding]

So we can't do weight statistics anymore? I suppose comparing heights, eye colours, etc is offfensive now too.

 

[TheCthultist]

Now if you want offensive math questions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Reynouard

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There we go, much better. That's something I can get offended by.

 

[ChrisBliss117]

Ehhhhh....Common Core sucks, but I don't really have an issue with the math problem. Maybe if there was a picture of a fat girl and a skinny girl next to each other, but with just numbers I think it's fine.

 

[Deleted member 41980]

I'd be surprised if the author of the problem meant any harm. Regardless, it's not a very fun problem compared to saint bernards and watermelons.

 

[Deleted member 8468]

The manner in which that question is written isn't problematic at all.

The little girl calling into question signaling women's weight to bein with is pretty awesome considering her age. Seems like she's getting some good parenting.

It's a nice story, but I don't know if there's any underlying evil here.

 

[Unicorn]

This isn't Common Core. Ugh!

 

[TheMadTitan]

Ehhhhh....Common Core sucks, but I don't really have an issue with the math problem. Maybe if there was a picture of a fat girl and a skinny girl next to each other, but with just numbers I think it's fine.

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You don't need pictures in order for someone's imagination to take hold. Granted, the question did absolutely nothing to my emotional state, but I can easily see where the kid and her mom are coming from.

Want to compare weights, compare weights of cars, body builders, and so on. Adjust the question so that it makes sense to compare the weights of two people.

This isn't Common Core. Ugh!

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That too.

"common core math" is just how you do math in your head anyway, just written on paper.

 

[JeTmAn]

Outrage Culture
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[Arcia]

I think its cool that the teacher was supportive.

 

[Dalek]

In before "wELL ActUAlly COmmoN cORe iS jUst sTaNdARds..."

 

[BarryFishFinger]

I wouldn't be outraged, but I would make a face when I read the question. Why compare peoples weights at all? Boys or girls. Should have been something inanimate where the potential chain of thought that stems from such a question; "How much do I weigh, is that more or less than my classmates, am I too fat/thin" etc is eliminated.

Rhythm is an.... interesting....name though.

 

[Z-Beat]

Rhythm is an.... interesting....name though.

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It's bad parenting if you ask me. That name is a gateway to pirate radio, inline skates, gangs, and graffiti in that order.

 

[Crickey]

Now this is pure outrage culture.

 

[lowmelody]

Good for her for being so aware and principled at such a young age and the teacher seemed to have handled well.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Stop saying offensive when you mean harmful.

 

[Hokey]

This outrage culture is only going to get worse if they're getting offended as young as 9.

 

[EarthPainting]

Is this one of those outrage against outrage culture articles? There's a long history of tying a woman's value to her weight, with constant reminders of pretty much everywhere. We don't math problems contributing to that. Good for the kid for knowing what's up, and the teacher for being supportive. It would have been very easy to pretend it's a thing that exists in a vacuum, and that she's just imagining things.

 

[Deleted member 8852]

People having different measurable weights is offensive, ok.

 

[Mivey]

Should just make it abstract and talk about letters. Closer to actual math anyway.

 

[Deleted member 2809]

Outrage Culture
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Now this is pure outrage culture.

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This outrage culture is only going to get worse if they're getting offended as young as 9.

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🙄

 

[Fat4all]

are people seriously crying "OUTRAGE CULTURE" over a fourth grader?

:/

 

[Kingasta]

I can't imagine living as someone easily outraged by such trivial things, has to be mentally exhausting.

 

[Deleted member 15428]

I wouldn't be outraged, but I would make a face when I read the question. Why compare peoples weights at all? Boys or girls. Should have been something inanimate where the potential chain of thought that stems from such a question; "How much do I weigh, is that more or less than my classmates, am I too fat/thin" etc is eliminated.

Rhythm is an.... interesting....name though.

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It's very common in competitive sports

As for the name, I assumed it was one of these:

https://slate.com/human-interest/20...-religious-nomenclature-used-by-puritans.html

 

[Imperfected]

And medicine. And statistics. And plenty of other reasonable and valid applications.

 

[Fat4all]

I can't imagine living as someone easily outraged by such trivial things, has to be mentally exhausting.

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how does that fourth grader even get through a day, huh

must already have a hernia

 

[Deleted member 15428]

Is this one of those outrage against outrage culture articles? There's a long history of tying a woman's value to her weight, with constant reminders of pretty much everywhere. We don't math problems contributing to that. Good for the kid for knowing what's up, and the teacher for being supportive. It would have been very easy to pretend it's a thing that exists in a vacuum, and that she's just imagining things.

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The article seemed pretty factual, no outrage that I noticed.

 

[Lentic]

What's always funny to me is the people reacting to this are far more outraged than the people in question.

One fourth grader found the question to be weird and all of a sudden it's: "What!! Everyone's so easily OUTRAGED these days!!! A bunch of snowflakes!!"

No need to be offended by a fourth grader.

 

[Hokey]

🙄

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Outraged?

 

[Deleted member 1726]

Kid is probably moody because she's called Rhythm

 

[Westbahnhof]

I'm not sure if I think that this kind of problem is (no pun intended, honestly) problematic.
I used to find it super interesting how much our weights at that age differed. There was one kid in our class that was literally twice as heavy as me, because I was a mouse-sized bag of bones, and he was an almost man-sized guy.

Of course, that doesn't really matter: I don't think there is any value in phrasing the math problem this way. If anyone is considering it offensive, I see no reason to keep it around.
Though one could argue that looking at weight and comparing it is a real world math application that's simple and not inherently harmful. So idk.

 

[Tomasdk]

If you told me this is a April 1st joke I'd believe you. But then it's October so I guess this timeline is fucked.

 

[wandering]

Outraged?

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Triggered????? Lololololol gottem

 

[Deleted member 21709]

The manner in which that question is written isn't problematic at all.

The little girl calling into question signaling women's weight to bein with is pretty awesome considering her age. Seems like she's getting some good parenting.

It's a nice story, but I don't know if there's any underlying evil here.

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The girl herself doesn't call it evil. Her point is that the school shouldn't normalize comparing girls' body weights. And she is correct.

I wouldn't be outraged, but I would make a face when I read the question. Why compare peoples weights at all? Boys or girls. Should have been something inanimate where the potential chain of thought that stems from such a question; "How much do I weigh, is that more or less than my classmates, am I too fat/thin" etc is eliminated.

Rhythm is an.... interesting....name though.

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What an interesting post.

 

[Lishi]

9 years old, I guess it's possible, but I would say that (80%) was the parents.

Of course that is separate from the point they are making.

 

[BarryFishFinger]

People having different measurable weights is offensive, ok.

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I'd say it's more that it's weight tied to gender, specifically a gender where historically (and still today to be honest) value/worth is often assigned dependant on how far the scales tip.

Given its a 4th grade maths question not a serious scientific study or a competitive women's sport they didn't have to go with how heavy the girls are as the differential. I'm not outraged I just find it a little tone deaf.

 

[Hokey]

Triggered????? Lololololol gottem

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We did it mang!!

 

[Chikor]

In before "wELL ActUAlly COmmoN cORe iS jUst sTaNdARds..."

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The fact that you used alternate case doesn't make it not true.
Though this question is not even related to what people freaked out about under Obama.

 

[Queen Calanthe]

I'd say it's more that it's weight tied to gender, specifically a gender where historically (and still today to be honest) value/worth is often assigned dependant on how far the scales tip.

Given its a 4th grade maths question not a serious scientific study or a competitive women's sport they didn't have to go with how heavy the girls are as the differential. I'm not outraged I just find it a little tone deaf.

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Lol, really? you are going to bring in the history of social gender oppression in saying a person is more heavy than another person? In a problem for 9 years old?

Goddamn, the projection you people do.

Just because something you make a correlation in your mind does not mean it's right

 

[Wackamole]

I guess it would have been less of a problem if there were boys and girls in the math problem. We all know the unhealthy standard that girls are confronted with.
On the other hand, being aware of your weight is a good thing, with morbid obesity being a thing. But that's not gender specific. I can understand the mother in this case.

A bit weird that this became an article.

 

[Goskarrr]

This is stupid.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

This is the kind of dumb shit that gives right wingers ammo. "You can't say anything these days! Vote Nazi!"

 

[lowmelody]

Of course the little girl now has to be beaten back with curiously spiteful indifference. We don't deserve the better future people like her will give us.

 

[karnage10]

In Portugal when i studied we compared weights of cars/trucks and how many of them could cross a very weird bridge that shows the weight it can support.
Its weird to compare who is fat/slim...

 

[tommy7154]

I dunno. Its nothing id be offended over. Maybe she is a bigger girl though and felt uncomfortable with it? I could see that. Good of the teacher to talk with her and support her regardless.

 

[BarryFishFinger]

Lol, really? you are going to bring in the history of social gender oppression in saying a person is more heavy than another person? In a problem for 9 years old?

Goddamn, the projection you people do.

Just because something you make a correlation in your mind does not mean it's right

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I went there dammit. If we're looking for reasons why the question might be considered offensive then you have to ask why girls and why weight when traditionally those two elements are negativity intertwined.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, I'm not that bothered by it and if it came up in my kids homework I'd roll my eyes a little and we'd answer it anyway; as I've said I just think it's tone deaf in terms of attributes we associate with girls.

 

[Queen Calanthe]

I went there dammit. If we're looking for reasons why the question might be considered offensive then you have to ask why girls and why weight when traditionally those two elements are negativity intertwined.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, I'm not that bothered by it and if it came up in my kids homework I'd roll my eyes a little and we'd answer it anyway; as I've said I just think it's tone deaf in terms of attributes we associate with girls.

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Exactly.

You said it yourself "If we're looking for reasons why the question might be considered offensive". Stop fucking looking for one, if you look for things I am sure you are going to make sure to find them.

The world is shit enough without considering a fictional female heavier character sexism