I used to know all of the USA state capitals and a majority of the capitals of the world. It was sort of my effort at world domination! Or perhaps my subconscious effort to pack in as much trivia in my head so I could excel on Jeopardy. More than likely, it was part of my education of world geography that I was exposed to in school and at home. One thing I can do that I saw Al Franken do on TV during an election evening is to actually draw the US out state by state. I do that for my (5th grade) kids each year during elections.
Sadly, it is a rare student who even can name all states, or even a handful of capitals. The only reason they know that Annapolis is the capital of Maryland is because it is ground into them in 4th grade. But even then, many say it is Baltimore or Washington, DC. UGHHH!
Today, when we returned from our spring break, I had a discussion with the kids about what they did and where they went. Several kids said they went overseas -- to Honduras, Viet Nam, Ethiopia, Canada, and France. Once they exhausted the volunteer answers, I cheerfully and expectantly asked if anyone else got a chance to go to another country. My excitement quickly vanished when the first person who raised their hand said they visited another country: Ocean City (Maryland). Double UGGG! New York, Disney World (Florida), and Texas all ensued.
Well, at least Texas has the right to become a separate country, if it was so moved.
4 comments:
This reminds me of an email that made the rounds of Kelly Pickler on "I'm Smarter than a 5th Grader"...have you seen it? Something's up when you are in your 20s and don't know France is a country :)
OMG! How can anyone be that dumb. At least, if you know you don't know, you should just not say anything!
My policy is: Sometimes the less said, the better.
-and-
It is better to be thought a fool than to open up your mouth and remove all doubt.
For a great way to remember the capitals to all 50 states check out the flash cards at:
http://www.rightbrainedlearner.com
They use funny cartoon picture associations that you'll never forget. Check it out.
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