don't know much about geography...

September 28, 2004 5:48 AM

Can You Pass the Third Grade? (Flash)
posted by konolia (30 comments total)

Yes. I rule. [very difficult with trackball mouse, however]
posted by psmealey at 5:55 AM on September 28, 2004

Um, no, apparently I can't.

[Goes and gets on the short bus]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:58 AM on September 28, 2004

me needer.
posted by glenwood at 6:17 AM on September 28, 2004

Yes. Can the authors? Apparently Michigan gave up the Upper Peninsula and never told us.
posted by yerfatma at 6:18 AM on September 28, 2004

Canada's slow but steady takeover starts with Michigan.

It took me four tries, but yes, I know where all my states go, and I'm Canadian. Can any Americans tell me where all the provinces are? Geospy
posted by ashbury at 6:34 AM on September 28, 2004

Hey, I passed the test twice (not very hard. IMHO, for an American with a regular mouse). Where's my positive reinforcement?

I'd like to see a version of this with, say, the Mexican states, or even better, the provinces of Iraq. Unfortunately, there's only ten Canadian provinces, but maybe if the territories were included, it would be slightly more challenging ("is that the Yukon or Nunavut?").

On preview: Thanks, ashbury!
posted by skoosh at 6:36 AM on September 28, 2004

Double Post.
posted by banished at 6:43 AM on September 28, 2004

there's only ten Canadian provinces, but maybe if the territories were included, it would be slightly more challenging

In an informal poll of all of the customers my sister sees while selling time shares in Mexico, approximately 0% of americans know what the hell Prince Edward Island is.
posted by Space Coyote at 6:57 AM on September 28, 2004

It's buggy. After I solved it, I just got the first splash screen again, then it jumped to the "you lose" screen.
posted by jpoulos at 7:00 AM on September 28, 2004

I could totally do Canada. Lemme at'em!
posted by jpoulos at 7:01 AM on September 28, 2004

I grew up in Alabama, I only had to know cities and states of SEC Football universities.
posted by Stan Chin at 7:16 AM on September 28, 2004

Can any Americans tell me where all the provinces are?

Yup.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:16 AM on September 28, 2004

In an informal poll of all of the customers my sister sees while selling time shares in Mexico, approximately 0% of americans know what the hell Prince Edward Island is.

Who are these sad, sad individuals who never read "Anne of Green Gables"?? And more on topic, I call shenanigans- my son is in fifth grade and is just now memorizing the states and capitals. As I recall, third grade was learning to write in cursive...
posted by headspace at 7:20 AM on September 28, 2004

It was unhappy when I tried to drag the Michigan label to the UP, but otherwise, it was pretty easy.
posted by briank at 7:45 AM on September 28, 2004

Third grade? When I did grade nine geography in Atlanta GA this is what we were covering. I failed it then too... although we only had to list them.. nothing tricky like having to know where they were. Followed by the provinces of Canada and the countries of Central and South America. For the rest of the world we did the Oceans and Continents. I assume we must have covered other stuff cause I passed the class.

Would have passed this test if partial marks were given for general region. "New Hampsire... it's one of those little states near the top right... well no, I don't know /which/ one exactly." "Kansas.. somewhere in the middle isn't it? "
posted by adamt at 8:49 AM on September 28, 2004

Placing the countries of Africa would be a helluva challenge. I swear they've almost all changed name three times over since I was a kid.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:16 AM on September 28, 2004

I'd have gotten it if I could've gotten it to recognize that I was indeed putting Delaware in the right place. Apparently 47/48 is still failing in third grade.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 9:22 AM on September 28, 2004

Boy do I suck at the countries of South America...
posted by kaibutsu at 10:24 AM on September 28, 2004

Trackball mouse makes it very hard, but yes.
posted by Tholian at 11:16 AM on September 28, 2004

Can any Americans tell me where all the provinces are?

Would you believe I got all 13 provinces and territories right, eh? I'm also the only kid on my block who's been to Saskatchewan (and knows how to pronounce it properly).

Whoo! Pass me a Molson Canadian!
posted by chuq at 12:36 PM on September 28, 2004

Dumb Brit! Only 14 on my first go - but I am getting 48 now - which I guess is the real point of the game.
posted by nthdegx at 2:06 PM on September 28, 2004

If you know anyone with a green card (or at least one that was issued in the mid-90s), take a look at the back of the card. There's an outline of all of the US with all of the state borders on it. The only thing left off is the UP of Michigan. Apparently they used the same cartographer.
posted by mzanatta at 2:58 PM on September 28, 2004

I can pass! I can pass!

The countries in Africa would be really tough. So would all the former Soviet republics and other Eastern Bloc countries. The map of that area looks very different now than it did when I was learning geography.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:18 PM on September 28, 2004

I don't get it. I completed it and then it started over. How many times do I need to do it to pass the 3rd grade?
posted by AstroGuy at 4:27 PM on September 28, 2004

Speaking of which...

Test your knowledge of any region of the world here.

I did well with Canada but I sucked majorly at Asia.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:29 PM on September 28, 2004

I got 'em all on the states one (though I had a little difficulty with some of the smaller northeast states—I've never been up there is part of the problem). I'm embarassed to admit that I only got 8/13 on the Canadian provinces one. Back when I was married to a Canadian, I knew all the provinces and territories. But I've not been paying attention since then and I've forgotten some. And one has changed.

But I got PEI correct.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:31 PM on September 28, 2004

I'd like to point out that knowing the location of each of the states is not part of 3rd grade curriculum (in California, at least). This would be a fifth grade test.

And I would fail.
posted by dogwelder at 10:30 PM on September 28, 2004

All the states.

All the provinces.

All the countries in Europe.

This is what I'm doing instead of homework.
posted by oaf at 1:46 AM on September 29, 2004

When I was in 3rd grade, this was standard, like the multiplication tables. (it was 40 years ago when I was in 3rd grade, have education standards gone down that much?)
My younger son did a map of the world when he was in pre-school. How is this 5th grade stuff?
posted by kamylyon at 7:20 AM on September 29, 2004

I passed this along to my staff (all college graduates, they), and only one of eight passed. Although, interestingly, most of them have been obsessing about making it to 48/48 ever since.

I'm thinking of getting them a physical put-the-state-where-it-goes USA puzzle, to help them out.

Many thanks, konolia!
posted by Guy Smiley at 12:04 AM on September 30, 2004