[JoeAltmaier]

Then we can only conclude, the syllabus is teaching nonsense. They are structuring things that don't need (and shouldn't be) structured; they are instilling fake rules in plastic young minds that will take enormous effort to unlearn later.

Math is important. Teaching some witchcraft-inspired rote math is destructive to real learning.

And rectangles exist regardless of how you view them. If I approach your desk and see the rectangle from the side, its the same rectangle. Even from a corner. Even in a mirror, its the same rectangle.

[signal11]

Ironically, the person who posted the linked-to article has a another post called "Common Core is not the enemy" https://medium.com/i-math/common-core-math-is-not-the-enemy-...

Reading the BS rationalizations in the linked-to artcle and I'm beginning maybe the problem with math education is learn-by-rote teachers who won't think for themselves.

[scintill76]

Yes, the difference between length and width is only one of perception or orientation. I emphasized it because I felt like you went too far in the other direction, almost implying that which axis is which doesn't matter geometrically. A 5x3 rectangle drawn in 2D space with labeled axes is not the same as a 3x5 rectangle, even if they have equal perimeter and area. There might be some value in trying to make sure the student understands that.

[JoeAltmaier]

The act of calculating the area surely does mean they are the same rectangle. Because they can be written down in more than one way is a weakness of the notation; the math is independent of that.