Q/A with the Author

Celsius vs. Fahrenheit for Algebra in Elementary School

Q. Can children start algebra in elementary school?

A. Yes indeed - In Russia, algebra starts in the first grade.

Q: Why is it that Russia can start algebra in firstgrade , but the United States (US) starts as late as the 9th grade?

A: Russia has the Celsius scale while the US has  the Fahrenheit scale.

Q: Why is Celsius better than Fahrenheit for an early start in algebra?

A. There are two powerful reasons. First, prekindergarten children living in a Celsius environment become acculturated with negative numbers during the winter months. Furthermore their real life physical activities are guided by negatives temperature numbers, making them integer ready on the first day of kindergarten. Second, in Celsius,  zero is a critical point, just like in mathematics, separating subfreezing  (negative numbers) from non-freezing  temperatures (positive numbers).  In Fahrenheit, water freezes at 32 degrees. The number 32 has no particular significance neither in science nor in mathematics. Lack of Celsius in the US deprives young children from experiencing negative numbers at a young age. Teachers are ready to have American K-5 children learn to add, subtract, multiply and divide integers (i.e. positive and negative numbers). if given the appropriate curriculum in a Celsius environment.

Think about this: It was metric system Russia that shocked the US with Sputnik. As of now in 2017,  the US is dependent on Russia to take its astronauts to the International Space Station.

The good news is that the US has the capacity to change by investing in a phasing-in process of the metric system to facilitate Curriculum changes in K-5 mathematics and science.