ravinlunachick Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) You need to watch the video. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/lunch-scholars-video-reveals-students-cant-answer-basic-trivia_n_1250023.html?ref=mostpopular If there was ever a movie to make you laugh to keep from crying, it's this one. Austin, an intrepid young student-reporter, embarks on the noble mission of answering the question, "How much basic knowledge do American high school students really have?" The answer, however, may not be exactly what you want to hear. "Do you know the vice president of The United States?" Austin asks. "I don't know who it it's, it's, it's somebody....Bin Ladin," one student responds. The video continues in similar fashion, asking everything from, "In what war did America gain independence?" (which no one answered correctly without a hint) to "What countries border America?" Edited February 4, 2012 by ravinlunachick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misidawnrn Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 And I have to defend homeschooling!!!! That is funny! I think one of the late night shows like Leno or Letterman has something like this. I read somewhere that a lot of natural born Americans couldn't pass the citizenship test if they had to. That is sad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinaPagnato Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Have mercy. This is the future... :blink: :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Did that kid really say "Bin Laden" was the vice president?...So funny that many couldn't think of a country that starts with a "u" when the USA starts with a "u" :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I almost spit my drink out on the Bin Laden is the Vice President answer!!!!!!!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Name the countries that border the US..."uhhhhh Candada, no wait that's a state, nevermind". :lol: Sad. Just plain sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I like that there are 51 stars for 51 states. Honestly, when the U question came up, I immediately thought Uganda, followed by Uruguay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 :lol: My favorite was: "Canada?... No wait... that's a state." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 This is in my area. I found it because it is being posted on the online answers to an editorial asking for bond issues to pass for schools. My 9 year old knew most of the questions.... A few years ago I was shocked when I talked to a pair of 18 year olds who were raring to vote, but as I asked them a few general geography questions (name a neighbor of Israel) and history lessons (what was Prohibition), I got blank stares. All rah-rah-rah for a candidate, but no interest in the issues. It is very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 http://mynorthwest.com/646/622355/Olympia-student-video-was-made-just-for-laughs Maybe they were really just trying to be entertaining and now they're trying to save face. Who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I played that yesterday for my kids. Thankfully, they could all answer the questions. My 9th grader thought it was edited to just show the worst answers. She thought surely most ps kids could answer those questions. So, when we picked up her friends to take them to a basketball game, she asked them the questions in the car. These are twin girls who do very well in school. They couldn't answer the questions! My dd was flabbergasted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 That makes me so sad. What is this country coming to? Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I almost spit my drink out on the Bin Laden is the Vice President answer!!!!!!!:lol: I didn't watch the video, but I have to give the kid some credit (not much credit). At least it kind of sounds like Biden. When I taught, many of my students had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Horrifying. Truly. Both my kids could get most of the answers; neither could remember Joe Biden's name, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Did you see the comments? Someone said that it was a "reason to homeschool" and the answer to that was "Oh right, because we need to foster more social and cultural ignorance as well." (page 2 of the comments). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Maybe I am just naive, but I am still finding it a bit hard to believe the video was not purposely made only out of the most awkward responses. Amongst several hundreds of schoolkids they might have spoken to that day, they might have just selected the most awkward responses. Or so I like to think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravinlunachick Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 I'm sure you're probably right, Ester Maria. However, I don't doubt that the general level of ignorance is representative of our country. It saddens me a great deal. I'd bet that the "bin Laden" thing was due largely to the "Obama bin Lyin" things we saw during the '08 election. Still.....sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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