Transcript Dave at Night, An Interdisciplinary Unit

Dave At Night
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT
Math Connections:
1926 Prices
Probability
Statistics
Life in the 1920’s
How much did a
meal cost back
then?
 Does everything
increase at the
same rate?
 We will learn about
the CPI (Consumer
Price Index) and
Inflation.

Compare today’s price to 1926
Find a grocery ad from the newspaper.
How much does it cost for:



Five pound bag of flour?
Five pound bag of sugar?
1 pound can (16 ounces) of coffee?
We will compare today’s prices to
what Dave would buy in 1926!
CPI CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
Using EXCEL, you can easily organize
TODAY’S FOOD PRODUCTS. In
another column record today’s cost.
 This
Internet site will assist you
on your CPI formula in
calculating the 1926 cost.
http://minneapolisfed.org/research/data/us/
calc/
Do you think it easier to
view mathematical
information on a bar graph
or in a chart format?
Example if YOUR 2003 Price Was:
Selected Foods
Flour(5lbs)
Bread
Bacon (lb)
Butter(lb)
Eggs(doz)
milk (1/2 gal)
Oranges (doz)
Potatoes(10lbs)
Coffee(lb)
Sugar(5lb)
2003 Prices 1926 Prices
$2.00
$0.19
$1.50
$0.14
$2.59
$0.25
$1.80
$0.17
$0.99
$0.10
$1.50
$0.14
$4.00
$0.38
$5.00
$0.48
$2.50
$0.24
$2.50
$0.24
Selected Foods 2003 Prices vs. 1926
$6.00
$5.00
$4.00
$3.00
$2.00
$1.00
Fl
ou
r(
5l
bs
)
B
ac
on
(lb
)
E
gg
s(
do
O
ra
z)
ng
es
(d
oz
)
C
of
fe
e(
lb
)
$0.00
2003 Prices
1926 Prices
Your group will research,
organize, and record data
into charts and graphs so
it will be easier to present
to your classmates.
This data is easier to read as a
BAR GRAPH
Sometimes LINE GRAPHS are
better to view information.
US Price Levels 1915 to 2001, with 2001 = 100
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
World War I
1916-1918
Great
Depression
1929-1941
30
World War II
1941-1945
Vietnam War
1965-1975
20
10
0
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
At the Rent Party
Dave At Night by Gail Carson Levine P78
“Tell for you your fortune?” Solly called.
“A quarter a card,” Solly chanted.
“ A quarter! Just for a card! For a
quarter I could buy a hot dog and a
double-scoop ice cream cone and an
orangeade and a chocolate bar. A
delicious meal.” (Dave thought.)
1926 Prices vs. Today’s
1926
A delicious meal
 hotdog
 double-scoop ice
cream cone
 an orangeade
 a chocolate bar
Total Cost: $.25

Today
A delicious meal
 hotdog
 double-scoop ice
cream cone
 an orangeade
 a chocolate bar
Total Cost: ???

Finding Information From 1920s
 It’s
fun to find information on the
internet from 1926!
 Recording and using statistics can be
done in many ways.
Excel is one great way to
record data and an easy
way to see it graphed!
Example 1
 What
have you recently bought?
 Did they sell it back in 1926?
 Ask your classmates, friends,
family members what product
they recently bought?
 Write this information down.
Example 1 continued

Using EXCEL, you can list any items that
were made back in 1926 in one column.
In another column record today’s cost.
 There is an Internet site available where
you TYPE what the item costs today and it
will FIGURE OUT approximately how much
this product would have COST IN 1926.

http://www.westegg.com/inflation
You can make a bar graph to easily see the
difference in costs!
EXAMPLE 2
 DAVE
IS AN ORPHAN.
 How many orphans lived in
1926?
 Does this increase or decrease
over the years?
Is it easier to see this information
on a line graph or on a table?
This line graph shows historical
data of children like Dave who live
with neither parent.
Neither Parent
3000
2000
Neither Parent
1000
0
1900
1930
1960
1990
LATER YOU MAY BE ASKED TO RESEARCH
WHY THERE IS NO DATA FOR 1930.

At the Rent Party
 Solly,
as a fortune teller, might ask
you to pick a card, any card, from a
standard deck of 52 cards.
 How would you increase the
probability of picking out a certain
card?
We will learn about probability!
An Ace or A Red Ace?
 Would
you have the same
probability of winning if Solly
asked you to pick an ace or a red
ace?
You need to think:
 How
many red aces are there in a
deck of playing cards?
 How many aces are there in a deck
of playing cards?
 WOULD YOUR PROBABILITY
INCREASE OR STAY THE SAME ?
Probability
PROBABILITY OF WINNING
PICKING AN ACE
FOUR ACES IN A DECK
4/52
OR
1/13
52 PLAYING CARDS
Probability
PROBABILITY OF WINNING
PICKING a RED ACE
TWO
RED ACES
IN A DECK
2/52
OR
1/26
52 PLAYING CARDS
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
 Someone
caused trouble at the “rent
party.” All of the labels were taken
off the cans. NOW ALL SIX CANS
LOOKED EXACTLY ALIKE!
WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT THE COOK WILL
PICK THE CORRECT CAN?
THE COOK WANTED TO MAKE A TUNA
CASSEROLE.
What information do you need to know?
 Of
course..WHAT’S IN THE CANS!
1
2
1
1
1
CAN WAS SOUP
CANS WERE CORN
CAN WAS SALMON
CAN WAS TUNA
CAN WAS SARDINES
Assuming that the cook was equally likely
to reach for any can of food.
So what do you think that the cook
picked? Explain.
What is the PROBABILITY of picking
tuna?
1
2
1
1
1
CAN WAS SOUP
CANS WERE CORN
CAN WAS SALMON
CAN WAS TUNA
CAN WAS SARDINES
 Your
are correct if you said that the
Probability of the cook picking tuna was
 1/6 Not very good bet that it was tuna!
Perhaps the cook could make a
fish casserole. What is the
PROBABILITY of picking fish?
Probability of the cook getting
fish?








1
2
1
1
1
CAN WAS SOUP
CANS WERE CORN
CAN WAS SALMON
CAN WAS TUNA
CAN WAS SARDINES
There are 3 cans of fish:
 Salmon, tuna, sardines
The PROBABILITY of the cook
selecting a can of fish is 3/6 or ½.
The expected outcome is most likely fish!
Some ideas to think about.
1.
Would you rather live in the
past or the present? Explain.
2. Do you think students had
better math skills in 1926?
Tell why or why not?
This is The End of this presentation.
Now it your time to start your own exploration.