About ANALOGIES and STORIES
  
      These analogies and stories are little senarios
      that I use to make Math more understandable and
      give the students additional information to encourage
      them to think about and remember the Math.
     
      THE DRAMATIZATION OF THE STORY OR ANALOGY PROVIDES
      SPICE AND PROVOKES THOUGHT!  ( or so I hope )
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ANALOGIES and STORIES
My students, can you identify these analogies and stories?
They can help with final exam reivew.

* Zakiyah, Nathaniel and The Best Friend
* Sarnie and the Shortest Distance
 * Delcinaya and the Oil Spill
* Erin-Ashley and the Rational Numbers
* Diamond and the Gangster Look
* The Standard Test Girl - Pythagorean Theorem 
* The Standard Test Boy - Pythagorean Theorem
* The Dogs, The Two Year Olds and Math
* Your Mother and The Irrational Numbers 
* Jim Jim and Do The Opposite 
 * The Bossy Midget Girl 
*No Gun, No Conversation
* The Headless Man
* Functions Polygamous Relationships 
* Sally Stories ( Various Stories ) 
 * Coefficient - Best Friend 
 * The Math Swear 
* Erkyl - Laura - Fractions Love 
* The House That Jack Built 
* James the Carpenter ( multiple stories) 
* The Man In The Box 
* The Man Who Wanted More Children 
* Three Derricks - Sub Numbers  


         The Story of Sarnie and The Shortest Distance

      "What is the shortest distance between two points?"

      That is the question that gave my family so much
      excitement when my nephew Sarnie was about three
      years old.  

      Here is the situation:
    
      When my nephew Sarnie was a little boy, we thought
      he was the cutest, most intelligent little boy 
      in the world.  Everything he did and said was
      simply exciting to us.
      
      One day, his father brought him before the family 
      and aked the question. Sarnie stood stand tall 
      like a little soldier and gave his 
      response.  This question and answer became a regular 
      routine for the family.  His dad would ask, 

      "Sarnie, what is the shortest distance between two points?" 

      and Sarnie would stand like a soldier with full 
      understanding and repsond.  "A straight line"

      Mathematically, this is telling us the following:
     
             In order to determine a staight line,
             we only need two points.
     
             If you have two points, you should be able
             to use that information to get the equation
             of the line.   One way to do that would
             be to plot the two points on a coordinate
             plane and connect the two points so that
             you can see the line.  Then look at the
             line and identify the slope and y-intercept
             to get the equation.

             Sample Problem:  
                Give the equation of the line that passes
                through (2,5) and (4, 6).

 
   Now, one may wonder whether Sarnie really understood the total
   implications of what he was being asked.  To us, his family, we 
   felt that he was a precocious child and that he totally understood.  
   We were boasting boasting about his charm and brilliance.  

   Now, to my students, do you understand the total implications
   of the math?  Do you really know what to do with the sample
   problem?  Can you really use the two points to get the graph
   of the line and use the graph to get the equation?
 
          Remember, if you are asked for an equation, you must 
          give an equation for the answer.  If you give anything 
          else, it will not be acceptable.

          The equation of the line is  y = mx + b.
               The letter 'm' represents the slope number.
               The letter 'b' represents the y-intercept.