The Amazon Kindle is a type of what?

[DMB]

Harry should recall the late Jade Goody, who came to public notice in the reality show Big Brother, displaying a truly awesome ignorance of British geography.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

But...holy crap at the other stuff she was saying. Europe a country, French spoken in Budapest, is France a country...? Someone get that woman a paint-by-colors kit and an Apple product.

What gets me is when she says that she's never heard of Budapest and then says that she knows they speak French there.

I would be surprised if Budapest popped up in many Grade 3 classes - especially in the US. The reason I say this is that I imagine much work would go into learning about US geography and history in the earlier years of school.

Regards
Caleb

[HarryT]

It's reasonable for someone not to know that Budapest is the capital of Hungary. To claim not to have even heard of Hungary, and not to know that France is a country: these indicate a disturbing level of ignorance.

[caleb72]

I would be surprised if Budapest popped up in many Grade 3 classes - especially in the US. The reason I say this is that I imagine much work would go into learning about US geography and history in the earlier years of school.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I wasn't referring to the woman's responses. I was referring to the fact that the compere calls the question a grade 3 geography question.

I was thinking that grade 3 geography in the U.S. might be more likely to concentrate on U.S. geography than European geography.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I wasn't referring to the woman's responses. I was referring to the fact that the compere calls the question a grade 3 geography question.

I was thinking that grade 3 geography in the U.S. might be more likely to concentrate on U.S. geography than European geography.

As I understand it the questions for the show are legitimately taken from grade-appropriate curricula in US public schools. Not to say every school district in the country covers all the same material.
And the kids who participate on the show are genuine 5th graders, and the kid got the right answer immediately.
Of course, even if the questions came from a curriculum that every school kid learns today, there's no reason to assume the material was covered when the CONTESTANT was in grade school.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by ApK

As I understand it the questions for the show are legitimately taken from grade-appropriate curricula in US public schools. Not to say every school district in the country covers all the same material.
And the kids who participate on the show are genuine 5th graders, and the kid got the right answer immediately.
Of course, even if the questions came from a curriculum that every school kid learns today, there's no reason to assume the material was covered when the CONTESTANT was in grade school.

I did notice how quickly the kid got the answer, but he was in the 5th grade so I'm still not sure that lends any credence to the idea that this was a 3rd grade geography question.

Additionally, I'm probably overly cynical but it does occur to me that it's likely in the interests of the show for the 5th grader to get it right while the adult looks like an idiot (admittedly in this case there didn't seem a need to try). The show would not have much appeal if the adults always knew the right answers and the child did not.

I've never actually seen the show so I'm not sure if this particular clip is representative of the series.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I did notice how quickly the kid got the answer, but he was in the 5th grade so I'm still not sure that lends any credence to the idea that this was a 3rd grade geography question.

Additionally, I'm probably overly cynical but it does occur to me that it's likely in the interests of the show for the 5th grader to get it right while the adult looks like an idiot (admittedly in this case there didn't seem a need to try). The show would not have much appeal if the adults always knew the right answers and the child did not.

I've never actually seen the show so I'm not sure if this particular clip is representative of the series.

I've watched the show 4 or 5 times. While I like Jeff Foxworthy, the show is basically ten questions stretched to half hour...very dull unless you can DVR it and skip commercials and filler. The kids are not always right, and I've never seen a contestant win all the way to the grand prize, they rarely spew ignorance like the clip. Contestants will sometimes make a show of 'working out' the ones they obviously know, I guess to fill time in the format of the show. They are probably told not to give answers too quickly and simply.
I have been stumped on some the later questions, especially in social studies like geography and history. Maybe I learned the stuff in 5th grade and forgot....

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by 1611mac

That's just sad, sad, sad....... Somebody give her an eReader with some books on it... please!

Then you'd have to teach her to read.

[maianhvk]

Originally Posted by ApK

I've watched the show 4 or 5 times. While I like Jeff Foxworthy, the show is basically ten questions stretched to half hour...very dull unless you can DVR it and skip commercials and filler. The kids are not always right, and I've never seen a contestant win all the way to the grand prize, they rarely spew ignorance like the clip. Contestants will sometimes make a show of 'working out' the ones they obviously know, I guess to fill time in the format of the show. They are probably told not to give answers too quickly and simply.
I have been stumped on some the later questions, especially in social studies like geography and history. Maybe I learned the stuff in 5th grade and forgot....

yeah, the commercials are terrible. Sometimes I'm like, "for anyone's sake, just please give us the answer and stop messing around!"

I'd rather play the "are you smarter than a 5th grader?" game app on iPhone.

yes I have difficulties with social studies questions, too! I know Budapes is a capital, but I don't know whose capital it is it's always a toss-up for me: Bungary or Hungary??

[ProfCrash]

I didn't have to take geography until the 8th grade and then it was only one semester. I try and take the time to look at maps and teach myself basic geography but it is not a top priority.

That said, I tend to ok with European, Asian, Norht American, and South American geography. I struggle with African geography but I comfort myself with the knowledge that I can always look at a map.

The Math and Science questions tend to be what gets me on that show. It sounds silly but sometimes remembering the fundamental skills we all had to master is a challenge. And grammar, if there is a grammar catagory I am screwed. (winks)

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

And grammar, if there is a grammar catagory I am screwed. (winks)

[Worldwalker]

I thought I was terrible at geography because I'm doing well to get a country in the right general region of its continent (north, middle, south, etc.) ... then I found out how bad everyone else is. At least I know if something is a country, and I can get it on the right continent. The number of people who can't do that much is utterly terrifying.

How are people in an increasingly interconnected world going to understand anything about people from other countries if they don't even know that those countries are countries?

[kiwipippa]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I wasn't referring to the woman's responses. I was referring to the fact that the compere calls the question a grade 3 geography question.

I was thinking that grade 3 geography in the U.S. might be more likely to concentrate on U.S. geography than European geography.

My daughter is in Year 3 (equivalent to Grade 3 in the US). There is no way she would know the answer. They focus on New Zealand in the early years. In my opinion, the only way a 3rd grader would know the answer is if they have rote learned capital cities for some reason - or if there had been an incident in that particular country.

And just a test for some of you - without googling - what is the capital city of New Zealand?

[Kiwimick]

I can tell you

[ApK]

I thought New Zealand was a city in Australia.

Kidding.

I had no idea what the capital was (I Googled it.). If asked, I'd have guessed Auckland, since that's pretty much the only place in NZ I could name.