The show consists of a contestant answering questions that can be answered by a class of 5th graders who are on the same stage. So far I've been impressed by these kids, but I know that they are a select group of the smartest in their classes and don't accurately reflect the population as a whole. Hopefully the contestants on the show don't reflect the population either.
The first contestant was a UCLA grad who walked away from the game very early. His questions were:
- What month is Columbus Day in?
and
- True or False: Polar bears eat penguins.
He didn't know either and had to use his "lifelines" (it's pretty much a copy of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" with easy questions) which were having the 5th grader answer the question for him. I left the room for a minute so I didn't see how he lost, but the next woman was a little smarter.
Her first question: What ship did the Pilgrims sail to America on? The answer is obviously The Mayflower. It took her forever but she eventually guessed and got it right.
Her second question: What does REM stand for? She didn't know. RAPID EYE MOVEMENT!!! The 5th grader got the answer for her. Then, thankfully, the show ended.
Why can't people answer these simple questions? Does the show pick the stupidest people they can find? I don't think so. I mean, the first guy did graduate from UCLA. But these are basic facts. I guarantee that everyone who reads this can answer those questions. I bet the President can't get them all right.
This show is trashy, yes, but it also reveals just how clueless Americans can be sometimes. The election of 2004 showed that. Something has to be done and I don't know what the answer to that is. More days of school and few vacations? Japan does it. Many Europeans are ahead of us too. It's time for America to step up. Obviously the contestants on that show weren't in school while "No Child Left Behind" was set up (they looked to be about 40-years-old), but I can only imagine what these upcoming graduates will be putting up with.
I see it everyday at my high school. Today, for example, I was asked if F.D.R. was an Independent. I was completely shocked. We were learning about F.D.R., and had been learning about him for the past few weeks, and they didn't know what political party he was in? This was a college class (Advanced Placement)! Next they'll ask me how Reagan defeated the Communists.
I don't support more testing because it takes more class time that could be used to teach more subjects. Everyone knows that after the test that the subject is tossed out of the mind forever anyway. The best way to test, in my opinion, is to have comprehensive testing. Instead of taking more tests, just put the new subjects on there along with the ones that you've already had tests over. This works wonderfully in the math classes that I'm taking. Our tests cover subjects from the past two years and I still remember how to do all of it. I've never gotten higher grades in math. The teacher limits the number of questions on older topics to one and has three or four of each new topic. The test isn't too lengthy and can easily be finished in one class. This wouldn't work for all subjects, but it should be done in some classes.
This is all my opinion but from my place as a senior in high school I know that something drastic has to be done. If you've ever seen the movie "Idiocracy" you'll know why.
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