Coal Math

You know those cute Google logos that are gussied up for special occasions or holidays? You know, like the one above or this one for National Teacher's Day:

Well, Google is sponsoring a contest for teachers and their students in grades K-12 this year to come up with a new doodled logo around the theme, "What if...?"

Registration is free and the student who submits the winning design wins a $10,000 scholarship to a college of their choice. In addition, the school wins $25,000 toward a new or upgraded computer lab.

Registration closes in just over three weeks and entries have to be in by April 12. All the details are here.

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So the teacher working up in a backwoods classroom is working with her class on arithmetic and she calls on Johnny.

"Johnny, if coal is selling at $6 for a ton, and you pay your coal man $24, how many tons will he bring you?"

"A little over three tons, ma'am," Johnny answers promptly.

"Why, Johnny, that just isn't right," replies the teacher.

"No, ma'am, it isn't. But they all do it...."

[Andychap's The_Funnies]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job." (Donald D. Quinn)

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