Could this be indicative of the root cause for poor science trainin

For all of the list members who are involved in education, have you
noticed a decline in standards over the years?

I offer this to illustrate my question.

Teaching Math in 1950:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1960:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1970:

A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The
cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar.
Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C,"
the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than the set "M."
Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the
following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of
profits?

Teaching Math in 1980:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber of $100. His cost of production
is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: underline the number
20.

Teaching Math in 1990:

By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What
do you think of this way of making a living? What's wrong about it?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did
the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the
trees? (There are no wrong answers.)

Teaching Math in 2000:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is $120. How does Arthur Anderson determine that his
profit margin is $60? And, how many documents were shredded to
achieve this number?

Teaching Math in 2010:

El Loggero se habla with the truckero y se ponen de acuerdo con otro
driver de la conpentencia y etc....

TangoMan