Just the facts, ma'am!

[Cookin4Love]

I'm trying to think of a handful of factual statements that wouldn't be too far out there for my 7th graders to understand, but at the same time, are things they wouldn't be completely positive about. (I'm doing a lesson on supporting your opinions with well thought out details, and want to lead them in a discussion of what kinds of support they would need to be convinced.)

So, throw 'em out here--what slightly wacky facts do you know?

[Cookin4Love]

I found some. I don't know why I didn't think of googling first!

The King of Hearts is the only king without a moustache in a standard deck of playing cards.

There are 18 different shapes in a regular box of animal crackers.

In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes.

When glass breaks, the cracks move at a rate of 3000 miles per hour.

No piece of square dry paper can be folded more than 7 times in half.

Those should stump them!

[doggerham]

Cool! What was your google search? Something like "little known facts"?

Here are some chicken LKF http://www.vfr.net/~tbruce/facts.html

[Cookin4Love]

Cool! What was your google search? Something like "little known facts"?

Here are some chicken LKF http://www.vfr.net/~tbruce/facts.html

I think I just put in "Strange Facts." And who even knew there COULD be nine yolks in one egg???? :eek:

Thanks.

[Escher]

I'm trying to think of a handful of factual statements that wouldn't be too far out there for my 7th graders to understand, but at the same time, are things they wouldn't be completely positive about. (I'm doing a lesson on supporting your opinions with well thought out details, and want to lead them in a discussion of what kinds of support they would need to be convinced.)

So, throw 'em out here--what slightly wacky facts do you know?

Heavy and light objects fall at the same speed (constant accelleration)

The three wealthiest people (and their families) in the world have more assets than the combined wealth of the 48 poorest countries

There are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's - a total of 15,946, including branches

[donleyk]

There are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's - a total of 15,946, including branches

I would have never guessed this and am having trouble believing it, actually.

[MISSINDI]

The space between your wrist to your elbow is the size of your foot.

[Escher]

I would have never guessed this and am having trouble believing it, actually.

Well, maybe not in Ohio.... :p

But nationwide.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042705dnnatlibrary.4e49e1d4.html

here's another reporting on same:
http://rss.dced.utah.gov/ee/index.php/library_main/utahs_public_libraries_are_a_great_value/

SOURCE: American Library Association; mcdonalds.com

[SueK]

The space between your wrist to your elbow is the size of your foot.
Okay, I just measured this and my foot is about 4" shorter than the length from my wrist to my elbow. Either I have little feet or monster forearms! :eek:

[HejazSunKat]

There are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's - a total of 15,946, including branches

I sure hope this is true, it gives me hope for civilization. :)

[jking323]

There are 42 dots on a standard pair of dice.
(Except when I shoot craps, then there are apparently only two.)

Wilbur Wright discovered the key to aircraft stability while watching a pigeon one day.
(This was in Ohio, Escher...)

[little_bopeep]

The average lightning bolt is only 2 inches wide.

[MISSINDI]

Okay, I just measured this and my foot is about 4" shorter than the length from my wrist to my elbow. Either I have little feet or monster forearms! :eek:

Sorry - should be the crook of your arm (inside)... does that measure right?

[stacy7272]

There are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's - a total of 15,946, including branches
Maybe someday there will actually be McDonalds in libraries! Well, I'm sure Starbucks will beat them to it. :D

[mcgeiger]

Here are some animal facts:
A cow does not have four stomachs--it has one true stomach and three forestomachs.

Camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas) have a three compartment stomach (two forestomachs and one true stomach.

Cheetahs are so inbred it is believed that tissue transplation could be performed from any one cat to another.

Walking on your foot from toes to heel is called plantigrade--and the only animals that do this are monkey, bears and humans.

Poinsettias are not poisonous (as produced today) to animals. Lillies are far more poisonous--especially to cats.

Chihuahuas and giraffes have the same number of cervical vertebra (7).

Horses can't vomit.

More to come later...

[Gecko]

Being 7th graders I thought they might appreciate these bodily facts :D

A sneeze zooms out of your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.

A single cold virus can have 16 million offspring within 24 hours

The average human blinks his eyes 6,205,000 times each year

Every two thousand frowns :creates one wrinkle

50,000 of the cells in your body will die and be replaced with :new cells, all while you have been reading this sentence!


The average human produces a quart of saliva a day or 10,000 gallons in a lifetime

The tooth is the only part of the human body that can't repair itself.

More facts here (http://www.meaningoflife.i12.com/body.htm)

[HejazSunKat]

Maybe someday there will actually be McDonalds in libraries! Well, I'm sure Starbucks will beat them to it. :D

Well, either that or libraries will have sponsors like sporting arenas do now. shudder. :rolleyes: :)