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English translation: blocks (of math problems)/math problems in blocks
14:31 Feb 8, 2018
German to English translations [PRO] Science - Mathematics & Statistics
German term or phrase:Päckchen
This is a term used in a school book on mathematics (more to follow). Unfortunately I do not have much text; the word is used as a heading before a list of basic calculations (decimal number = fraction = percentage). The only other use of the word is "Stelle zu folgenden Zahlen ein weiteres Päckchen her:"
I have temporarily used "packet" but I am not at all sure whether this is correct, and Google has not helped me.
Explanation: My guess. Compare with this: "Each testing session involved an instruction and practice period followed by taking the test in which residents attempt to solve 75 simple math problems in blocks of 3 to 7 problems per block."https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699161/
It was form in my day, but they refer to "year 5", "year 6" etc. nowadays. As the Wikipedia entry says, the key stages cover more than one year. I'm going to have a few more questions in the next couple of days, but due to being a bit befuddled with Glühwein at the moment I am refraining from actual work this evening.
"However, Sarah's looking for a term designating a group of questions (to which question both links seem to remain silent)."
Yes, that was what I was aiming for; sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. They show you a "Päckchen" and ask you to answer these "questions"--nothing more. I liked "Phil's "a set of" if you need something. I wasn't trying to overthink this; I was trying to find something to confirm that it doesn't seem to involve any "education jargon," as you put it.
I'm afraid I haven't been given any information about the level this is aimed at. What I failed to mention (sorry) is that this book is Swiss, so maybe there are different terms used in Switzerland? The book covers a fair amount of basic maths, but sadly it was never my subject at school, and that was a fair few years ago, so my mathematical skills are pretty sketchy at best.
Nice find! The individual questions are called, well, questions. However, Sarah's looking for a term designating a group of questions (to which question both links seem to remain silent).
I think it would have been good to know what grade this book is for. If I understand this right, Distributivgesetz is grade 5 and 6, meaning Key Stage 2 in the UK.
I'm pretty sure that the method is pretty standard in any maths textbook. The term "Päckchen", however, doesn't seem to be used that frequently after all, and since it describes such an ubiquitous thing, I think it'd be safe to use a more descriptive term in German as well. On the other hand, I don't know enough about the jargon of English primary school math teachers to be able to tell whether they have a commonly used term for this which they would expect to appear in this context. I doubt it, though.
At the end of the day, I totally agree with you: KISS.
I realize that this may not be very helpful, but since I used to be a tutor: I'd never have learned math like this. If I understood Erik correctly, we are in agreement that this kind of "terminology" is needlessly distracting.
I agree with Phil that this isn't mathematical terminology at all. Instead, it is education jargon (even if not set in stone). I don't know if an equally common term is used in English textbooks.
This is not complex, set-in-stone mathematical terminology, just words the writer has coined to explain ways of working things out. In the other two I've looked at, about rectangles and triangles, a simple, literal translation is fine. I think "package" works here.
Merely a guess, because I am not quite sure what's going on.
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Answers
43 mins confidence:
blocks (of math problems)/math problems in blocks
Explanation: My guess. Compare with this: "Each testing session involved an instruction and practice period followed by taking the test in which residents attempt to solve 75 simple math problems in blocks of 3 to 7 problems per block."https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699161/
Michael Martin, MA United States Local time: 10:12 Native speaker of: German, English PRO pts in category: 16
Reference information: Ein "Päckchen" ist eine Gruppe ähnlicher Rechenaufgaben. Sie dienen dazu, dem Schüler durch variierende Wiederholung die zugrundeliegende Struktur des Problems nahezubringen.
Google mal nach "Rechenpäckchen", da findet sich mehr.
Erik Freitag Germany Specializes in field Native speaker of: German PRO pts in category: 44
Note to reference poster
Asker: Danke. Aber leider kann ich nichts finden, dass eine englisches Begriff gibt.
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