Once when I was doing a lesson on reducing fractions to their lowest forms I put 1/16 to 16/16 on the chalk board. As we went through them and reduced each one one of the boys blurted out, "Hey, those are wrench sizes!" CLICK the the conversation went to drill sizes, taps, dies, bolts, cooking measurements, sewing,......None of it was in the book or would have come from a computer. These were 3rd graders. A major function of school should be to relate the learning to the students' experience and give them experience that relates to what is being taught. Sadly too many teachers have done little else than go to school.