The TV program “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” first aired in 2007. The show quickly became a cultural phenomenon by challenging adult contestants to answer elementary-school-level questions from subjects like math, science, history, and language arts. 

The show captured the nostalgia and humor of forgetting simple grade-school questions that brought back the feeling of being a kid in class again.

Today, the concept of the show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” still lives on through TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. People all across the internet get quizzed on seemingly simple questions that somehow stump the general public. 

This week, GCSU students were put to the test to determine whether or not the student body is really smarter than a fifth grader. All questions featured were borrowed from Season 1, Episode 25 of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”.

Jayla Beasley, a freshman mass communication\ major, chose the category “First Grade Grammar.” Her question was: How many nouns in the following sentence begin with the letter p?: “Jeff and Polly played poker with a purple platypus.”

“It’s three, right?” Beasley said. “There are four nouns in total, but only three start with p.” 

She was correct: the answer was three. This student was smarter than a fifth grader, but it was yet to be determined whether the same could be said for the rest of the student body.  

Josef Lopez, a freshman management information systems major, chose “Second Grade Math” as his category. His question was: Steven has $100 in pennies. How many pennies does he have? 

“It’s either 1,000 or 10,000, I think,” Lopez said. “My final answer is 100,000 pennies.” 

The correct answer was 10,000 pennies, so Lopez’s final answer was incorrect. However, Lopez mentioned how his university experience relates to primary education. 

“Basic math questions like that can be confusing off the top of my head, but I think it’s interesting how learning concepts like that as a kid helps me to understand the math I do in college,” Lopez said.

Val Pelaez, a freshman political science major, selected the category “Second Grade Earth Science.” Her question was: In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in what month?

“Am I supposed to know this?” Pelaez asked. “Wait, I’m embarrassed. Is that when the time changes? I’ve heard people talk about this in the summer era, so I’m going to go with August.”

Close, but the correct answer was June. The summer solstice occurs on the longest day of the year. 

“I think it would be more important for students to know when the time change happens,” Pelaez said. “It always confuses me every year.” 

Ben Brown, a freshman biology major, chose “Fourth Grade Social Studies” as his category. His question was: An American citizen must be at least how old to serve as a congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives?

“Oh, I know this,” Brown said. “The answer is 35, right?”

The correct answer was 25. 

“Social studies was always one of my best subjects in high school,” Brown said. “I think knowing how our government functions is one of the most important subjects to teach kids. I know 35 would be the correct answer for the presidency at least.” 

Abby Lowrey, a freshman biology major, took up the challenge of “First Grade Animal Science.” Her question was: True or False: A salamander is a lizard. 

“Wait, it’s not,” Lowrey said. “The answer is false.”

She was correct. Salamanders are a type of amphibian.

“My brother owned a Gecko for a bit, so I know Reptiles are usually more dry than amphibians,” Lowrey said. 

GCSU students might not always ace elementary grade trivia, but they still have knowledge that goes beyond the classroom. What they have retained from childhood reflects their experiences and shapes their perspectives and growth over time.