Buy unleaded gasoline for $3.49 per gallon with cash OR $3.59 with a credit card that gives 3% cash back?
Whichever choice you make, justify your reasoning with mathematics
8 thoughts on “Would You Rather…”
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ASKING STUDENTS TO CHOOSE A PATH AND JUSTIFY IT WITH MATH
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Wow, this would make for one heck of a classroom conversation. Very nice question. I look forward to looking through some others.
I haven’t done this one with my class yet since I do one per week, but it’s a question I wrestle with all the time. Let me know how it goes and if you have any other ideas!
I don’t currently have any classes to raise it in or even teachers I’m coaching, but this is clearly one of those “the argument you make is more important than the side you pick” questions. Those aren’t so easy to find where it’s not so contrived as to be ridiculous, at least in my experience. So I will look forward to sharing this and potentially using it with teachers and students.
Just posed this question with my class. Got some really great responses. I’d say 95% went with getting cash back. Great question.
How did you respond? Did you choose the credit & start an argument?
They all chose credit. But I absolutely played devils advocate. “I chose cash. Why might I have chosen cash over credit w. cash back?”
Did this today and had a great discussion ranging from identity theft (common at gas stations), to credit card APR’s to the fact that it’s easier to just carry a credit card rather than going to the ATM! I’m pleasantly surprised by their knowledge of finance (13 year olds). They could all calculate that by just face value, the credit card is a better deal.
Sounds like a fun day of wrestling with what math would be necessary! In fact, it sounds like something that adults may deal with when filling up at the tank. Thank you for sharing this.