Last Thursday I watched another episode of "Are you smarter than a 5th grader". I wish the pace is a bit faster in this 1 hour program.
So one geography question is "Which ocean does France border?"
This geography question is EASY, the Atlantic, of course. I am glad the contestant can handle that. Obviously the producers may think this can be a difficult question. Although this piece of information is not a practical one for most people but I think everyone ought to know this basic fact.
As a basic minumum for geography, I think students should be able to find some major countries in the world map. If you live in USA, be able to name a few states at least.
Another question on the chart is worth half a million, a measurement question. In that show, measurement often refers to obscure British sytem that even the British people themselves have abandoned it for the metric system. How many pecks in a bushel? Ok I don't blame anyone who does not know this. After all, almost no one deal with these units.
So just what do we expect kids to learn and retain? Do we just feed them useless information and have them all forgot when they become adults? This is something to think about.
Contestants: for big money, it is worth memorizing that obsure British unit conversion chart found in good old school folders. Also, review the textbooks that typical fifth graders read. Study old stuff and learn something new (now that's an ancient Confucious proverb).
BTW, I am not afraid of ANY grade school level math questions, even 5th grade. Bring them on.
1 comment:
I can't watch the 5th grader show; the pace is way too slow, the contestants are way too dumb. I love Jeopardy, why must a great show like Jeopardy be hidden in 3:30 in the afternoon?
I like Hell's Kitchen. Inept and double crossing chefs need a good order of reality and screaming.
Growing up from TVB dramas, I expect the real work place to be fast paced, and bosses bark orders, call the shots like Hell's Kitchen. Nope, complaining and lazy people go for 2 hour lunches and sports, managers included. People come in at 10, check email, disappear for lunch and wouldn't come back until 1:30. No pressure to deliver anything. Managers ask you what you've done instead of taking notes of what was done.
Most people are too dumb to answer 5th grader questions, and it sickens me to watch.
Schools constantly ask for money in the form of property taxes. For what? what possibly can a school use money for besides the electric and heating bills? Reuse the books! use video tapes to teach biology, that way only 1 frog was ever dissected. Save money! give the money to teachers and hire only the best. Give them a decent salary - encourage more men to be teachers.
I dropped out of education school in 1992 because I can't live on 30k.
Many of my classmates had trouble with fractions - I can't work with these people, so I changed major.
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