It seemed like a simple homework question, but this child’s father couldn’t find the answer.
An impossible exercise. The math homework, assigned to a child in second grade, has gone viral on Twitter, but has also aroused his father’s uneasiness. It seems, at first glance, like an easy exercise, even more so for the age of these students. However, his father concluded that, apparently, there is no solution.
The problem says that “There are 473 lemon trees in a park. Then, some more lemon trees were planted. Now, there are 620 Canary pine trees on the mount, how many lemon trees were planted?” The lack of data in the question only leaves two answers for the child’s father: either “some more lemon trees” or it’s an impossible exercise to solve.
«My son’s teachers got me. I can’t solve the problem and it’s for a second grader! If the solution is different from ‘some more lemon trees’, I can’t find it,” he wrote on December 9 in his Twitter account from the account identified as Victor (@VMengual), next to a photo of the homework.
The exercise couldn’t be solved, but it did generate thousands of reactions and jokes in response to Victor’s post. Users of this social network joined in to try to, unsuccessfully, answer the assignment and to give their input as to what the error in task’s approach was, reaching 481 retweets and more than 1,000 likes.
Daniel Rosselló, MD In response to @VMengual: If your child’s teacher goes through three villages, how many cities are left to solve the problem?
Sandralm In response to @VMengual: As long as they don’t cut them down with a thousand excuses to justify something dumb… let them keep planting…
Maria Cabrera Valor In response to @VMengual: Tell them on my behalf (elementary school teacher) that it doesn’t really make any sense. That in second grade, you don’t give the children boxes to fill in, instead you give them lines for them to write on and make it easier for them.
Victor, who identifies in his biography as a social worker, computer specialist and educator, commented later that his son’s teacher’s approach was just a mistake and he had no intention of harming his students with this impossible task.
«My son’s teachers got me. I can’t solve the problem and it’s for a second grader! If the solution is different from ‘some more lemon trees’, I can’t find it,” https://t.co/5P7dT9detH pic.twitter.com/AddHU9A0yi
— Victor (Wikie) (@VMengual) December 6, 2019
«My son’s teachers got me. I can’t solve the problem and it’s for a second grader! If the solution is different from ‘some more lemon trees’, I can’t find it.”
«Well, all this has gone a little wild. It’s just a funny anecdote, period. Not a serious question, not a criticism. My most sincere admiration for those teachers who survive the craziness of kids on a daily basis, ”he said.