Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

[Soph the vet]

OK, I shouldn't be starting a thread at 11pm but I just cannot let this one go. I watched this show tonight (for the first and last time) and the Georgia State Superintendent of schools won a million dollars and I think she is giving it to their Dept. of Education. Good for her. Anyway, the sad thing was that the 5th graders answered the questions wrong...for example when asked "what country besides Nicaragua borders Costa Rica?" the kid's answer was Puerto Rico (and that was spelled Peurto Rico). I could see guessing some other Central American country but that was way off. The other one I remember was "who was the British General who surrendered at Yorktown in 1781?" And the kid's answer was General Potter. :001_huh: Not Cornwallis. I am just wondering how smart 5th graders are these days anyway. I have one and maybe she would've choked on the show too, I don't know.

Oh, and the million dollar question was "who was the longest reigning British monarch?" Seems just a little TOO easy for that much money.

I think I am going to find out how to get on that show!:lol:

[nakitty]

Georgia school for the deaf

Georgia school for the blind

and Atlanta school for the deaf

 

Are the three schools she is donating to....:D

 

So funny...because I *never* watch this show....but happen to be watching it right now! :lol:

 

And I agree....with the rest of what you said.

[gardening momma]

I wouldn't have known the answers to any of those questions. My husband and I used to watch the show every time it was on. Then, partway into the second season, we would just record it and fast forward to see if anyone won the million (and see what the last question was that they missed). Then we finally quit watching it.

 

But not for the reasons you choose not to watch it anymore...those kids get a lot of the answers right. I guess you'd be amazed at how many adults don't get them right.

[Amy in Orlando]

WOW someone finally won! We watch the show off and on and I find the questions to be uneven. Honestly, I don't know that my kids would know the Central American countries at the drop of a hat. We've studied it, but what they retain over the years is a mystery to me. I don't think the show is as easy as it seems when you're watching.

 

I'm floored that someone would give $1,000,000 to the government. I find that bizarre. I understand the gesture and I think her inentions were good and wonderful, but I think that it is completely and totally mental. Did she earmark how the money will be spent? (I know you don't know based on the results of the show, I'm just curious and will google it) If she didn't mark out how the money was to be spent, I think she basically flushed it.

[Soph the vet]

I wouldn't have known the answers to any of those questions. My husband and I used to watch the show every time it was on. Then, partway into the second season, we would just record it and fast forward to see if anyone won the million (and see what the last question was that they missed). Then we finally quit watching it.

 

But not for the reasons you choose not to watch it anymore...those kids get a lot of the answers right. I guess you'd be amazed at how many adults don't get them right.

I'm sure I would forget everything I knew in front of the viewing public. I just thought the questions were easy if you assume the kids studied something for the show.

[Amy in Orlando]

Georgia school for the deaf

Georgia school for the blind

and Atlanta school for the deaf

 

Are the three schools she is donating to....:D

 

So funny...because I *never* watch this show....but happen to be watching it right now! :lol:

 

And I agree....with the rest of what you said.

 

:hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray: I take back my post. These are wonderful schools that do a terrific job and need the funding. My hat is off to this woman!

 

Mea culpa.

[Soph the vet]

Georgia school for the deaf

Georgia school for the blind

and Atlanta school for the deaf

 

Are the three schools she is donating to....:D

 

So funny...because I *never* watch this show....but happen to be watching it right now! :lol:

 

And I agree....with the rest of what you said.

Oops, didn't mean to spoil the ending for you!

[hswarden]

I detest this show, because I feel like I would if I went stark naked to the grocery store. What are the people in other countries who get this broadcast thinking about America and Americans? The way the adults act like idiots--whether they are or not isn't even the point--stumbling around and hemming and hawing, and missing the most obvious questions-- it just makes me ashamed of this country. I think this makes Americans look like dolts; but then so do most of the other "reality" (gasp) programs on now.

[Perry]

I've only seen it a few times, but I have been amazed at what the 5th graders knew, and appalled at what the adults didn't.

[kokotg]

my mom called and told me to watch because she was going to be on. I, uhh, didn't anyway, but that's cool that she won and is donating the money.

[Danestress]

My children (5th graders, both) didn't know the answer to either of those questions. They do know how to look them up, which to me, is the key to an education:)

[Aggie]

But, Koko....your mom was the one who won?! Fabulous!

 

And my 6th grader wouldn't have known the answers to those questions, either. Like Dane's, though, can find the answers. :)

 

Aggie

[Carrie12345]

If I had to guess, I think my 5th grader would know the geography question, but not the history question.

 

*I* wouldn't have known either of them. *I* know nothing. No, that's not true. I know the first week of 1st grade ala WTM. ;)

[Kathleen in VA]

I just asked ds12 about the general because, even though we haven't covered that time period formally, we have talked about it casually. We are planning a trip to Williamsburg in about a week and plan to see Yorktown while we are down there. His answer? Cromwell.:D OK, we discussed him recently, too, and the name Cornwallis does have the same first letter and a similar sounding ending. Oh, well. Here's hoping our trip will help cement it.

 

I didn't bother with the geography question - we haven't gotten to Central America yet.

[Soph the vet]

OK, maybe I am being too hard on the televised 5th graders. I grew up on the East Coast and virtually all of the history we had in elementary school revolved around the Revolutionary War (no pun intended) so Cornwallis was as common as Southerners knowing Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States, KWIM?

Central America does get confusing, I'll admit that. But Puerto Rico is one of our territories. Shouldn't kids know that and not confuse it with Panama?:confused:

[Kathleen in VA]

OK, maybe I am being too hard on the televised 5th graders. I grew up on the East Coast and virtually all of the history we had in elementary school revolved around the Revolutionary War (no pun intended) so Cornwallis was as common as Southerners knowing Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States, KWIM?

Central America does get confusing, I'll admit that. But Puerto Rico is one of our territories. Shouldn't kids know that and not confuse it with Panama?:confused:

 

OK, I had to laugh at the comment about Jeff Davis. My son knew that one right off! Of course, we live in Civil War "central." ;)

[kewb]

I've watched the show every now and again. Every time I have watched all the kids have had the correct answers. A lot of the time I don't know the answer but I know how to look it up. Knowing how to locate information is important.

[cathmom]

OK, maybe I am being too hard on the televised 5th graders. I grew up on the East Coast and virtually all of the history we had in elementary school revolved around the Revolutionary War (no pun intended) so Cornwallis was as common as Southerners knowing Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States, KWIM?

Central America does get confusing, I'll admit that. But Puerto Rico is one of our territories. Shouldn't kids know that and not confuse it with Panama?:confused:

 

Besides the fact that PR is an island...

[OnTheBrink]

Well, dork that I am, I cried when she won.

 

I was just glad some deserving schools got the money.

[cathmom]

I detest this show, because I feel like I would if I went stark naked to the grocery store. What are the people in other countries who get this broadcast thinking about America and Americans? The way the adults act like idiots--whether they are or not isn't even the point--stumbling around and hemming and hawing, and missing the most obvious questions-- it just makes me ashamed of this country. I think this makes Americans look like dolts; but then so do most of the other "reality" (gasp) programs on now.

 

I agree. I watched when Clay Aiken was on, and he knew the answers to all the questions but pretended he had to think or rely on the dc. He even knew the one he didn't answer, but didn't want to risk losing 275K for his charity.