They were Smarter than a First Grader This Week

They were Smarter than a First Grader This Week by Roxanne McDonald

Two contestants at least make it through the first grade—even the third.

Nice people, Tim Maxwell and Tracy Bowman. Good sports. And each earned a good paycheck for the hour+ they were on the show, “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”

Here are the questions they made it through this week of April 12, 2007:

Tim Maxwell’s questions

1. Third Grade U.S. Geography
What is the capitol of Massachusetts?
2. Second Grade Health
True or False: The small intestine is longer than the large intestine.
3. Third Grade Astronomy
What is another name for the North Star—Alpha Centauri, Polaris, or Sirrus?
4. Third Grade Social Studies
Five of the U.S. federal holidays always fall on what day of the week?
5. First Grade Animal Science

What is the largest animal in the world?
6. Second Grade Social Studies
According to the United States Constitution, the president is part of which of the three branches of government?
7. Fourth Grade Math
The supplementary angle of a forty-degree angle has how many degrees?

Tracy Bowman’s questions

8. Fourth Grade Math
What is the reciprocal of ¾?
9. First Grade Spelling
How many words for the numbers one through ten have five letters?
10.Third Grade U.S. History
In what U.S. state was the Battle of Gettysburg fought?
11.First Grade Earth Science
The period of daylight savings time includes what season?
12.Second Grade Health
Typical people have how many baby teeth as kids—20, 24, or 28?
13.Second Grade Measurements
How many meters in a kilometer?

Here are the answers as the fifth graders and contestants [tried to] answer them:

1. Boston (both Tim and Alana right)
2. True (both right)
3. Polaris (Tim copies Kyle, who is right)
4. Monday (Tim right)

5. [Blue] Whale (Tim saved by Laura, who is right)
6. Executive (Tim right)
7. 140 degrees (Tim loses, as Spencer says 40 degrees)
8. 4/3 (both Tracy and Spencer right)
9. Three (Tracy right)
10. Pennsylvania (Tracy peeks at Kyle’s paper; Kyle is right)
11. Summer (Kyle is right, and Tracy copies)
12. Twenty (Tracy is saved by Laura, who is right)
13. 1,000 (Tracy guessed 100, and having used all her helps, has to tell the people she concedes to not being smarter than a fifth grader.)

I am so bummed I missed last week’s “Are You Smarter…,” as I watch East Coast times for “Survivor” and/or “Earl” and “The Office,” and save West Coast times for “Are You Smarter…;” and the latter was not on at 8 p.m. last week. So if anybody has the questions, I would love to see them.

SirLinksAlot Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader links

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