So, you think you're smart, eh?

I’m a big fan of the Fox’s new game show "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

I must confess that this might make me somewhat of a hypocrite. As you may know, I’m one of the first to speak out when people are being unfairly ridiculed or insulted by others. Still, I can’t help but laugh at some of the contestants on this show.

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, it’s a cross between "Jeopardy" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" with a touch of YTV for added entertainment value. Host Jeff Foxworthy ("You might be a redneck…") poses as the teacher of a Fifth grade class, complete with five 10-year olds who answer questions along with the contestants. Contestants must answer a series of ten questions — taken from actual school curriculum, ranging from first to fifth grade levels — on a variety of topics to win incremental amounts up to 1 million dollars.

The 10-year olds are there for two reasons: first is to be available to assist the contestants, who can "cheat" off of them; second is to prove that the questions being asked can be answered by real fifth graders. Perhaps a third reason is to watch the looks on their faces when adults are unable to answer a Third grade Spelling question.

That’s where the fun begins. The show’s producers are in very little danger of having to ever pay-out the million bucks in prize money. The most I’ve seen anyone walk away with has been $300,000.

I don’t find that the questions are difficult, but the contestants sure do! They just don’t seem to be able to answer them, at least not without help from the kids. Many use up one of their three "cheats" on the first question.

I have heard some people argue that the curriculum is much tougher now than it was "back in our day," and that kids are now studying topics in elementary school that we didn’t take until high school. While I agree that kids are introduced to more complex topics earlier than they have been over the past decade or so, I still insist that adults should be able to answer the questions handily enough.

I’ve also heard a number of people say they don’t like the show. I’ve read blog comments of people who say the show "insults their intelligence." I’m not sure if that’s because they find the concept ludicrous, or if they are unable to answer the questions themselves!

Scott McLeod, PhD, doesn’t like "Fifth Grader." It is his belief that schools are becoming irrelevant in terms of adequately preparing students for a digital future.

On his Dangerously Irrelevant web blog, McLeod writes, "So now we’re not only spending all this time in school making kids memorize stuff that literally can be found in mere seconds, we’re actually making game shows out of it…. Let’s be honest here: when is the last time you really needed to know the names of all five Great Lakes, whether or not animal cells have cell walls, or who invented peanut butter?" [http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/03/are_you_smarter.html]

McLeod makes a good point: a lot of this information is not crucial to our existence, and could be looked-up, either digitally or in a book (remember those?). But that’s not the point of a quiz show.

Neither is the point of education simply to teach children how to look-up information, whether at the library or on the web. Admittedly, it is an important skill, but having a foundation of knowledge upon which to draw is an essential starting point.

Perhaps the real point is to exercise the brain. Studies have shown that the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of senile dementia can be delayed by remaining mentally active. By challenging ourselves through learning new skills or languages, playing a musical instrument, or engaging in activities like puzzles or reading, the brain produces new synaptic connections, which enables better storage and retrieval of information.

Meanwhile, "Fifth Grader" is a hit, and I will admit that I find it quite funny watching adults drop out and admit that they "are not Smarter than a Fifth Grader."

For fun, here’s five questions to try and answer.

1. Geography: What is the name of the imaginary line at zero degrees latitude?
2. Literature: Where did JK Rowling do her writing?
3. Math: which is bigger, 3/5 or 2/3?
4. Science: True or False — sound is a physical force.
5. History: Who was Alfred the Great?

Good luck. I promise I won’t laugh.