Why I'll Never Be Smarter Than a Fifth Grader (Southern Ocean)

gstelmack · 10-11-2009, 10:34 AM

First, it was the removal of Pluto as a planet. Now, thanks to my daughter in first grade, I've learned that they've formalized the "Southern Ocean" (or Antarctic) as a formal ocean, taking us from four to five oceans. Apparently this occurred in 2000 thanks to Wikipedia:

If they keep changing the facts, how am I ever supposed to win "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?"

spleen1015 · 10-11-2009, 10:41 AM

Yeah, I call BS on this.

Next, 2+2=5 and we're all fucked.

Swaggs · 10-11-2009, 10:45 AM

I didn't know that either.

Young Drachma · 10-11-2009, 11:02 AM

I missed this memo too. According to wiki though, it wasn't a consensus choice, either and they debate where it begins.

Southern Ocean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

LoneStarGirl · 10-11-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gstelmack

First, it was the removal of Pluto as a planet. Now, thanks to my daughter in first grade, I've learned that they've formalized the "Southern Ocean" (or Antarctic) as a formal ocean, taking us from four to five oceans. Apparently this occurred in 2000 thanks to Wikipedia:

If they keep changing the facts, how am I ever supposed to win "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?"

I graduated high school in 2002 and I knew that. 7 continents and 5 oceans. I never knew anything about the Southern Ocean or that people thought there were only 4 oceans.

Lathum · 10-11-2009, 11:09 AM

They need to have a public vote or something before they start changing this shit.

ColtCrazy · 10-11-2009, 11:26 AM

Yeah, the Southern Ocean has caught me by surprise as well. When I moved to fifth grade, one of our focuses is geography of the US and some basic geography of the world. Most of my new materials have the Southern Ocean on it. Definitely odd since a lot of our history books still don't have it in there.

But, as a fifth grade teacher, I've always wanted to get on that show. Surely the fifth grade teachers would have an edge, right? Well, some anyway.

Alan T · 10-11-2009, 11:31 AM

Weird.. when I was in elementary school (early 1980s), we knew that ocean as the Antarctic Ocean, and we were taught of five oceans (the same five, just with it called as the Antarctic ocean and not Southern ocean).

larrymcg421 · 10-11-2009, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan T

Weird.. when I was in elementary school (early 1980s), we knew that ocean as the Antarctic Ocean, and we were taught of five oceans (the same five, just with it called as the Antarctic ocean and not Southern ocean).

Same here.

Mustang · 10-11-2009, 11:50 AM

Never heard of it until now.

JonInMiddleGA · 10-11-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

Never heard of it until now.

+1

Vince, Pt. II · 10-11-2009, 12:24 PM

Count me in with the majority that didn't know about the change, but knew it as the Antarctic Ocean and the 5th Ocean. High School Class of '99.

Izulde · 10-11-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan T

Weird.. when I was in elementary school (early 1980s), we knew that ocean as the Antarctic Ocean, and we were taught of five oceans (the same five, just with it called as the Antarctic ocean and not Southern ocean).

Ditto.

Logan · 10-11-2009, 01:10 PM

NJ high school class of 2001. Four oceans.

cuervo72 · 10-11-2009, 01:10 PM

Saw this on a paper of my 2nd grade daughter the other day as well. Came as news to us (and interestingly to my 4th grade son, who apparently hadn't been taught this yet).

Greyroofoo · 10-11-2009, 01:14 PM

I've been saying this for years, but my elementary schools teachers never believed me.

Wolfpack · 10-11-2009, 02:26 PM

I vaguely remember first learning there were five oceans with the Antarctic being the fifth, then later learning that there were just four, which to some degree made more sense because (as the Wiki article points out) there isn't a good definite boundary for the Southern Ocean so it's somewhat arbitrary. Then again, where do you define the seas that lie below Australia, for example?

JediKooter · 10-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Arctic, Antarctic, Indian, Pacific, Atlantic, those are the ones I was taught in school from the mid 70's thru the 80's.

Never heard of the Southern ocean.

terpkristin · 10-11-2009, 04:46 PM

Howard County Public School System (Maryland) in mid-80's through late 90's taught me 5 oceans.

/tk

rjolley · 10-11-2009, 05:08 PM

I'm in the mid-70's through the 80's group in NW Indiana with 5 oceans as listed by JK and others.

MikeVic · 10-11-2009, 05:15 PM

I'm from Canada and we learned of 8 oceans.

ISiddiqui · 10-11-2009, 05:20 PM

Must be the exchange rate

Glengoyne · 10-11-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan T

Weird.. when I was in elementary school (early 1980s), we knew that ocean as the Antarctic Ocean, and we were taught of five oceans (the same five, just with it called as the Antarctic ocean and not Southern ocean).

Yeah. I'm thinking. The didn't add an Ocean. They changed the name.

So does Antarctic insult anyone? Were the arctic regions upset? They already have an Ocean.

I don't get this. I'm getting all sorts of readings on my political correctness gone awry radar....but I'm not smart enough to figure them out, so I'm going to run with calling them false positives.

<----I'm using this smiley, because my five year old likes it.

Mustang · 10-11-2009, 05:30 PM

I blame Hollywood and George Clooney. He keeps adding a Ocean every few years.

Autumn · 10-11-2009, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I blame Hollywood and George Clooney. He keeps adding a Ocean every few years.

Damn, I wish I had thought of this one.

MikeVic · 10-11-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

I blame Hollywood and George Clooney. He keeps adding a Ocean every few years.

I think a 5th grader would know to say "an Ocean."

Pumpy Tudors · 10-11-2009, 08:17 PM

Nobody ever said there were five oceans. Everyone here who says they learned of five oceans is just making stuff up to impress us. If you want to impress this crowd, you'd tell us that Lily Allen has fat ankles and you're meeting up with other FOFCers in Buffalo.

Welcome to Hollywood.

Autumn · 10-11-2009, 08:18 PM

See, I would have done it right.

kcchief19 · 10-11-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lathum

They need to have a public vote or something before they start changing this shit.

Uh, I think I'll let scientists and geographers decide stuff like this before we put it in the same hands who decide what we watch on TV.

It's just expanding knowledge and understanding. We can't vote every time we find a new moon around Jupiter or we figure out how the world works.

I'm fine with all of it. Especially Pluto. Little dirtbag piece of rock. No way that crap hole ever should have been a planet.

Karlifornia · 10-11-2009, 08:48 PM

Get out of my dreams,
get into my texbook.

Lathum · 10-11-2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Uh, I think I'll let scientists and geographers decide stuff like this before we put it in the same hands who decide what we watch on TV.

It's just expanding knowledge and understanding. We can't vote every time we find a new moon around Jupiter or we figure out how the world works.

I'm fine with all of it. Especially Pluto. Little dirtbag piece of rock. No way that crap hole ever should have been a planet.

I think we need to vote on whether or not you know what sarcasm is.

Logan · 10-11-2009, 09:20 PM

I vote no.

Lathum · 10-11-2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

I vote no.

+1

JediKooter · 10-11-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Nobody ever said there were five oceans. Everyone here who says they learned of five oceans is just making stuff up to impress us. If you want to impress this crowd, you'd tell us that Lily Allen has fat ankles and you're meeting up with other FOFCers in Buffalo.

Welcome to Hollywood.

There's an ocean in Buffalo???

Maybe they are confusing all of these oceans with the one and only Billy Ocean?

kcchief19 · 10-11-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lathum

I think we need to vote on whether or not you know what sarcasm is.

I think we need to vote on whether or not you know what irony is.

Lathum · 10-11-2009, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcchief19

I think we need to vote on whether or not you know what irony is.

vote yes

I have no idea how any of this is ironic

Logan · 10-11-2009, 10:22 PM

Maybe in that Alanis sort of way.

Vince, Pt. II · 10-11-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Get out of my dreams,
get into my texbook.

I approve of this Billy Ocean reference.

stevew · 10-11-2009, 11:13 PM

I think we referred to it as the antarctic sea or somesuch when I was in school. Then again, they taught Eurasia as a continent, instead of Europe and Asia.

JeeberD · 10-12-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lathum

vote yes

I have no idea how any of this is ironic

Probably because he was being sarcastic as well...

cuervo72 · 10-12-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

I think we referred to it as the antarctic sea or somesuch when I was in school. Then again, they taught Eurasia as a continent, instead of Europe and Asia.

Don't feel bad - back when Bucc was in school they didn't teach about Eurasia, Europe, or Asia. He learned about Pangea.

Surtt · 10-12-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Yeah, I call BS on this.

Next, 2+2=5 and we're all fucked.

1 + 1 = 10

gstelmack · 10-12-2009, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surtt

1 + 1 = 10

There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

gstelmack · 10-12-2009, 12:28 PM

Also, don't forget that 3 + 4 = 5.

flere-imsaho · 10-13-2009, 08:57 AM

As I read the first few posts in the thread I started to feel really old, so thanks for that, Greg.

And then as I read the last few posts I felt really mathematically incompetent, so thanks again Greg, you jerk.

I'm going to go flame you in one of the political threads now.

Racer · 10-13-2009, 09:07 AM

I don't remember how many oceans I was taught there were while in elementary school.

gstelmack · 10-13-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

As I read the first few posts in the thread I started to feel really old, so thanks for that, Greg.

And then as I read the last few posts I felt really mathematically incompetent, so thanks again Greg, you jerk.

I'm going to go flame you in one of the political threads now.

Hehe. For the last one, just think "pythagorean theorem". That's vector addition, when the vectors are at right angles to each other.

flere-imsaho · 10-13-2009, 09:28 AM

Pythagorean theorem? Vector addition? Look pal, I've got a degree in history here!

10-11-2009, 10:41 AM	#2
spleen1015 Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2003	Yeah, I call BS on this. Next, 2+2=5 and we're all fucked. __________________ Why choose failure when success is an option?

10-11-2009, 10:45 AM	#3
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	I didn't know that either. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

10-11-2009, 11:26 AM	#7
ColtCrazy College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Midwest	Yeah, the Southern Ocean has caught me by surprise as well. When I moved to fifth grade, one of our focuses is geography of the US and some basic geography of the world. Most of my new materials have the Southern Ocean on it. Definitely odd since a lot of our history books still don't have it in there. But, as a fifth grade teacher, I've always wanted to get on that show. Surely the fifth grade teachers would have an edge, right? Well, some anyway. __________________ The Field Generals and Statis Pro Basketball Super League

10-11-2009, 11:31 AM	#8
Alan T Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mass.	Weird.. when I was in elementary school (early 1980s), we knew that ocean as the Antarctic Ocean, and we were taught of five oceans (the same five, just with it called as the Antarctic ocean and not Southern ocean). __________________ Couch to ??k - From the couch to a Marathon in roughly 18 months.

10-11-2009, 11:50 AM	#10
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	Never heard of it until now. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

10-11-2009, 11:02 AM	#4
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	I missed this memo too. According to wiki though, it wasn't a consensus choice, either and they debate where it begins. Southern Ocean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

10-11-2009, 11:09 AM	#6
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	They need to have a public vote or something before they start changing this shit.

10-11-2009, 12:24 PM	#12
Vince, Pt. II Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Somewhere More Familiar	Count me in with the majority that didn't know about the change, but knew it as the Antarctic Ocean and the 5th Ocean. High School Class of '99.

10-11-2009, 01:10 PM	#14
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	NJ high school class of 2001. Four oceans.

10-11-2009, 01:10 PM	#15
cuervo72 Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maryland	Saw this on a paper of my 2nd grade daughter the other day as well. Came as news to us (and interestingly to my 4th grade son, who apparently hadn't been taught this yet). __________________ null

10-11-2009, 01:14 PM	#16
Greyroofoo Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alabama	I've been saying this for years, but my elementary schools teachers never believed me.

10-11-2009, 02:26 PM	#17
Wolfpack Pro Rookie Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Raleigh, NC	I vaguely remember first learning there were five oceans with the Antarctic being the fifth, then later learning that there were just four, which to some degree made more sense because (as the Wiki article points out) there isn't a good definite boundary for the Southern Ocean so it's somewhat arbitrary. Then again, where do you define the seas that lie below Australia, for example?

10-11-2009, 04:45 PM	#18
JediKooter Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego via Sausalito via San Jose via San Diego	Arctic, Antarctic, Indian, Pacific, Atlantic, those are the ones I was taught in school from the mid 70's thru the 80's. Never heard of the Southern ocean. __________________ I'm no longer a Chargers fan, they are dead to me Coming this summer to a movie theater near you: The Adventures of Jedikooter: Part 4

10-11-2009, 04:46 PM	#19
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	Howard County Public School System (Maryland) in mid-80's through late 90's taught me 5 oceans. /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

10-11-2009, 05:08 PM	#20
rjolley College Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Roseville, CA	I'm in the mid-70's through the 80's group in NW Indiana with 5 oceans as listed by JK and others.

10-11-2009, 05:15 PM	#21
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	I'm from Canada and we learned of 8 oceans.

10-11-2009, 05:20 PM	#22
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	Must be the exchange rate __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

10-11-2009, 05:30 PM	#24
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	I blame Hollywood and George Clooney. He keeps adding a Ocean every few years. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

10-11-2009, 08:17 PM	#27
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	Nobody ever said there were five oceans. Everyone here who says they learned of five oceans is just making stuff up to impress us. If you want to impress this crowd, you'd tell us that Lily Allen has fat ankles and you're meeting up with other FOFCers in Buffalo. Welcome to Hollywood. __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

10-11-2009, 08:18 PM	#28
Autumn Head Coach Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bath, ME	See, I would have done it right.

10-11-2009, 08:48 PM	#30
Karlifornia Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: San Jose, CA	Get out of my dreams, get into my texbook. __________________ Look into the mind of a crazy man (NSFW) http://www.whitepowerupdate.wordpress.com

10-11-2009, 09:20 PM	#32
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	I vote no.

10-11-2009, 10:22 PM	#37
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	Maybe in that Alanis sort of way.

10-11-2009, 11:13 PM	#39
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	I think we referred to it as the antarctic sea or somesuch when I was in school. Then again, they taught Eurasia as a continent, instead of Europe and Asia.

10-12-2009, 12:28 PM	#44
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	Also, don't forget that 3 + 4 = 5. __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

10-13-2009, 08:57 AM	#45
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	As I read the first few posts in the thread I started to feel really old, so thanks for that, Greg. And then as I read the last few posts I felt really mathematically incompetent, so thanks again Greg, you jerk. I'm going to go flame you in one of the political threads now.

10-13-2009, 09:07 AM	#46
Racer College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana	I don't remember how many oceans I was taught there were while in elementary school.

10-13-2009, 09:28 AM	#48
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	Pythagorean theorem? Vector addition? Look pal, I've got a degree in history here!

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