Responding to a message by Sheila, to Paul on ...
SK>I remember that I had to learn this symbolic logic in my high school
SK>geometry course. I did well in it, but didn't really see how it related
SK>to the rest of the stuff, including the proofs, that we were doing. We
SK>teach symbolic logic at our high school in an elective math course for
SK>our 11th and 12th graders called "Math for Liberal Arts Students" which
SK>follows Algebra II. I don't think the instructor is real succesful with
SK>it. It's hard for the kids, they don't understand it, and they don't
SK>like it.
I remember relating to you, quite some time ago, that in New York our 
high school math curriculum abandoned the traditional progression of 
algebra, geometry, advanced algebra, trigonometry, etc. in favor of an 
integrated approach in the late 1980's.
Our high school students now study symbolic logic beginning in 9th 
grade, but focus on it quite heavily in 10th and 11th grade as parallels 
are drawn between mathematical proofs and logical proofs.  I haven't 
taught it, so can't draw the parallels very effectively myself, but I 
did watch my daughter wade through it.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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