Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

[OilersBaby]

Did anyone catch the show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader" on tv tonight? It was on FOX, right after Idol. I think it's on in Canada on Global. Anyways, I was watching it and could not believe how stupid the contestants were. The point of the show is to select categories such as "First grade grammer" or "Second grade Science" or "Third grade history"...etc and the hardest level of difficulty is FIFTH GRADE.

When you first start, you get to choose a kid from the class (there are about 6-8 ten year olds sitting at their desks, setup like a classroom) to be your friend.

Similar to a lot of other game shows, contestants get 3 "helps". The first one is called peek where you can peek at the answer of the 10 year old kid. The second one is called copy and that means you choose the answer chosen by the 10 year old kid you picked, and the third one is called "Save", where if you got the answer wrong, but they got it right, you will still get the answer right since you were saved by them.

So anyways, the first contestant is a UCLA graduate, major in history, who went to LAW school. He used 3 helps for the first three question and got the 4th question wrong to be eliminated. What's funny is that the 4th question was a HISTORY major, which is what he majored in undergrad at UCLA. It was so easy (if you were American and were a History major). I dont remember the question, but the answer was "The Mayflower". One of the other questions he got wrong was this:

True or False? If you were a Polar Bear, you could possibly munch on a Penguin for a Snack. It was in the category called "Third grade Animal Science"

He had to use his "copy" help for that question. OMG..i was like this shows the stupidity of some people......

Anyone else see the show? Jeff Foxworthy is the host.

[moon]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

So anyways, the first contestant is a UCLA graduate, major in history, who went to LAW school. He used 3 helps for the first three question and got the 4th question wrong to be eliminated. What's funny is that the 4th question was a HISTORY major, which is what he majored in undergrad at UCLA. It was so easy (if you were American and were a History major). I dont remember the question, but the answer was "The Mayflower".

No. The question with the Mayflower answer was for the next lady. He got who was the first President impeached.

I am not American and have never taken a US history course so I didn't know it but I would think that if you grew up with US History and then took history at an American University that you would know it.

That was probably the hardest question in my view. The other questions that they had were really easy and I was shocked to see the people not know it and have to use the lifelines.

[calgaryrocks]

yeah they certainly have learn more about the u.s. then anything else, the first 3 questions were easy tho, especially the one about the polar bears. wow some people must forget what they learn in elementary. pretty good idea for a show though. people are always entertained by seeing someone make a fool of themselves on tv

[OilersBaby]

Originally Posted by moon

No. The question with the Mayflower answer was for the next lady. He got who was the first President impeached.

I am not American and have never taken a US history course so I didn't know it but I would think that if you grew up with US History and then took history at an American University that you would know it.

That was probably the hardest question in my view. The other questions that they had were really easy and I was shocked to see the people not know it and have to use the lifelines.

you're right, it was the lady who had the mayflower question, not the UCLA dude. I've only been in the US for 7 years and I knew the answer as soon as I read the question. It doesnt take a US History MAJOR at a uni to know that one.

My husband said most people would find the triangle question to be the hardest.

[moon]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

you're right, it was the lady who had the mayflower question, not the UCLA dude. I've only been in the US for 7 years and I knew the answer as soon as I read the question. It doesnt take a US History MAJOR at a uni to know that one.

My husband said most people would find the triangle question to be the hardest.

The triangle was difficult for some I guess. I think overall the math ones would be the most difficult for the average person. The US President was obviously harder for me being from Canada.

All the other questions were easy.

[AFireInside]

It was very surprising that people had difficulty with most of those questions (being from Canada I had no idea who the first president to be impeached was).

I couldn't believe that a UCLA grad who attended law school had difficulty with those questions. Someone's daddy must have had a lot of money.... I've been told that universities in the U.S. are typically not as difficult as those in Canada and never really put much stock in that, now I'm not so sure! ;P

[moon]

Originally Posted by AFireInside

It was very surprising that people had difficulty with most of those questions (being from Canada I had no idea who the first president to be impeached was).

I couldn't believe that a UCLA grad who attended law school had difficulty with those questions. Someone's daddy must have had a lot of money.... I've been told that universities in the U.S. are typically not as difficult as those in Canada and never really put much stock in that, now I'm not so sure! ;P

I think at some universities that a very minor amount of the students are able to get by because of daddy's name/money. Also there are so many universities/colleges/community colleges that there are some where as long as you pay you get your degree, but I would imagine that overall they are the same standard as Canadian Universities.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by moon

I think at some universities that a very minor amount of the students are able to get by because of daddy's name/money. Also there are so many universities/colleges/community colleges that there are some where as long as you pay you get your degree, but I would imagine that overall they are the same standard as Canadian Universities.

Oh absolutely, I was just kidding around.

[Hack&Lube]

So what were the questions?

[ernie]

I believe the question the guy lost on was "who was the first US president to be impeached".

The answer was Andrew Johnson. I knew that based on all the scuttlebut during the Clinton impeachment. An american growing up in the american school system defninitely should have known it. Every 5th grader got it right. The contestant said Adams.

The second contestant had trouble coming up with the Mayflower (how I don't know) but eventually did. She then need to copy her 5th grader friend on "there are different stages in the sleep cycle. REM is one of these stages. What does REM stand for".

These first two contestants were/are not bright.

[kipperfan]

I would like to know how many of those questions Foxworthy could anwser....doesnt seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Sparks]

Anyone remember the triangle question?

I don't think I'd stand a chance against even Grade 5 US history questions, but it'd still be fun to try the questions out.

Actually, come to think of it, I wonder how many Canadians would have problems with Grade 5 Canadian history questions? I remember reading that Canadian adults generally do poorly when questioned about our own history. Kind of embarassing, if true.

[Ayrahb]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

The point of the show is to select categories such as "First grade grammer" or "Second grade Science" or "Third grade history"...etc and the hardest level of difficulty is FIFTH GRADE.

OMG..i was like this shows the stupidity of some people......

Sorry, I just had to point this out.

And someone asked for the triangle question--it was to find the height given the area and the base.

[Sylvanfan]

1/2*b*h=AREA of a triangle.

They gave an area of 16 square inches and a base dimension of 8". Actually pretty impressive for a 5th grader to be able to figure out that he needed to do 2 times 16 divided by 8 to get the height. I don't remember learning that until 6th grade.

Than again I went to elementary school in Cranbrook BC and 80%of the kids I went to school with were complete idiots. They probalby held the ciriculum back two years with their stupidity.

[FireFly]

This is funny! It's on right now if anyone wants to laugh at stupid people!

[SaskaBushFire]

I watched that show last night and yes I was smarter.

[calf]

This show is just painful to watch...they seem to try and make it dramatic like Deal or No Deal, but it doesn't work. It should be more lighthearted and funny, imo.

I find with some of these contestants, it's not all about remembering stuff from 20 some years ago, but having confidence in themselves.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I was using a calculator the other day when I was reminded of an old trick kids used to do in my elementary. Some of you may know it.

You type in a sequence of events about the life of some female celeb (Madona as I remember the story) and after a number of surgeries etc. the result on the calc spells "BOOBLESS"

I was trying to figure out the equations that were used to do the trick and couldn't do it. It made me think that 5th graders really are smarter then me.

[calf]

6922251 X 8

[OilersBaby]

just watched it ..soooooooooo slow.