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Three Stooges Rule
August 30, 2006
Our task is the help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages, and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture.
-Loris Malaguzzi
-Loris Malaguzzi
In a 1998 survey, more U.S. teens could name the Three Stooges (59%) than the three branches of the federal government (41%). While these findings created quite a stir at the time, they seemingly failed to result in any changes. In an America Online survey (The Washington Times, August 15, 2006) released this summer...
- 77 percent of American adults could identify two of the Seven Dwarfs, but only 24 percent could name two Supreme Court justices;
- 74 percent were able to name Moe, Larry, and Curly as the Stooges, but only 42 percent knew that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches made up the federal government;
- 60 percent knew Krypton as Superman's home planet, but only 40 percent knew that Mercury was the closest planet to the sun.
Syracuse University communications professor Robert Thomson, who designed the questions on the America Online poll, observed, "These results are not about how 'dumb' Americans are, but how much more effective popular culture information is communicated and retained by citizens than many of the messages that come from government, educational institutions, and the media. There are important lessons to be learned here."
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsUnited States
It appears messages are relayed to our children through books and cartoons; then we need to adjust our teaching prospectives. There should be more memorable cartoon like messages to teach our children about American Government instead of waiting till High School to teach them. Our future as a nation may depend upon it.
Johnson & Wales University
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
I remember in junior high, the biology teacher provided us with this mnemonic "Momma Eats Potatos But Papa Hangs High Over Notre Dame". I learned the organic gases that way!
What did Delaware? I'm not sure I'll
Alaska. I think it was a New Jersey!
Learning the names of the states with
humor!
It makes you think about how we learn!
Good article!
"Dr. Bill"
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