[USMA:36555] Re: the preferred system

[Martin Vlietstra]

<< The problem with the schools is that they tend to teach metric in terms of science and customary in terms of every day life. >>   This of course tends to isolate scientific and technological subjects as being subjects for nerds or boffs. ----- Original Message ----- From: Phil Chernack To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: 'USMA' Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 4:56 PM Subject: [USMA:36552] Re: the preferred system I think you missed the point.  It’s not a case of multiplying and dividing by 10, it’s a case of quantifying measurements in every day life.  I don’t really care that there are 1000 meters in 1 km.  What is more relevant is that my bedroom is approx. 3.5 x 4.5 m and my parents’ house is 3 km from mine.  If people get the same type of reference points in metric that they have with customary, we would get a lot farther in converting to metric.  The problem with the schools is that they tend to teach metric in terms of science and customary in terms of every day life.  As metric does not have the everyday life connection, teachers are constantly reinforcing lessons in metric for each science class.  If metric was taught properly in terms of everyday life early on, it would be second nature to practically all students.   Phil   From: Stephen Davis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 11:41 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: USMA Subject: Re: [USMA:36549] Re: the preferred system   Phil Chernack wrote:   "Why do people keep insisting that Americans don’t understand or know metric measures.  If prodded, most Americans will admit they know how long a meter is, how much a liter is and even how much a gram “weighs”.   If Americans, or anybody else for that matter, can divide and sub-divide numbers by units of 10, they can fully understand metric.   Few things are simpler.