How Smart Are You About Jacksonville, Florida?

[williamjackson]

How Smart Are You About Jacksonville, Florida?
by William Jackson, @wmjackson Twitter
#MyQuesttoTeach

These are questions I ask the participants at
a recent STEAM and STEM workshop that I gave.
Most students know most of the answers, the
interaction is great in answering and continued
discussion.
Take the time to try and answer these questions and
ask you children and family members.
Modify questions to your geographic location and community.

1. What city are we in?
Ans. Jacksonville
2. What river flows through our city?
Ans. St. Johns River
3. What is unique / different about our river
and the way if flows?
Ans. It flows North
4. What is our state capital?
Ans. Tallahassee
5. What is the nations capital?
Ans. Washington D.C.
6. What do the letters D.C. mean in our national capital?
Ans. District of Columbia
7. What body of water will you come to if you drive east?
Ans. Atlantic Ocean
8. What body of water will you come to if you drive
west for about 4 hours?
Ans. Gulf of Mexico
9. What body of water will you come to if you drive
west across country?
Ans. Pacific Ocean
10. Florida is what type of land mass?
Ans.Peninsula
11. What is the deepest part of the ocean called and
what ocean is it in?
Marians Trench - Pacific Ocean
12. What continent are we on?
North American
13. What three countries makeup our continent?
Canada United States Mexico
14. What country is attached to our south?
Ans. Mexico
15. What country is attached to our north?
Ans.Canada
16. What country is attached to our west?
Ans.None
17. How many bridges are in Jacksonville?
Ans. 7
18. What is special about the Blue Bridge in Jacksonville?
Ans. It goes up for water traffic
19. What is the oldest city in our state?
Ans. St. Augustine
20. Name the museums in Jacksonville by proper name?
Ans. MOCA MOSH CUMMER RITZ
21. Name the theaters in Jacksonville by proper name, not movies
but the theater?
Ans.Florida Theater and Ritz Theater Alhambra Dinner Theater
22. What road makes a complete circle around Jacksonville Florida?
Ans. I295
23. What southern city in Florida had a Renaissance
like the Harlem Renaissance?
Ans. Jacksonville
24. Where was James Weldon Johnson born?
What song did he and his brother write celebrating Blacks?
Ans.Jacksonville, Florida "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
25. Name three schools named after Black Civil Rights participants
or leaders?
James Weldon Johnson - Mary McCloud Bethune - Martin Luther King -
Carter G. Woodson
26. What road will take you from Jacksonville to
California if you drove?
Ans. I10
27. What road will take you from Jacksonville to Maine?
Ans. I95
28. What state is to the North of Florida?
Ans. Georgia
29. What state is to the West of Florida?
Ans. Alabama
30 What is the name of the area at the southern
part of Florida called?
Ans. Key West
31. Who was the first African American Mayor of Jacksonville Florida?
Ans. Alvin Brown
32. What do the letters NAACP stand for?
Ans. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
33. Name three Black authors that are from Jacksonville?
Ans. Marsha Dean Phelts, Rodney Hurst, Brenda Jackson
34. Who wrote "It Was Never About A Hotdog and a Coke?"
Ans. Rodney Hurst
35. Who wrote "American Beach for African Americans" and
lives at American Beach?
Ans. Marsha Dean Phelts
36. What author was a member of Duval County Public Schools, a
school board member and continues to write books?
Ans.Brenda Jackson
37. What African American male author books are named after a
type of bread and thousands of children love to read them?
Cornbread - Vincent Taylor
38. What do the letters HBCU mean?
Historic Black Colleges and Universities
39. What is the oldest HBCU in Florida?
Edward Waters College 1866
40. What do the letters STEM, STEAM, STREAM, CSTEAM, STEMsquared
mean?
Science Technology Engineering Math
Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics
Science Technology Reading Engineering Arts Mathematics
Computers Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics
Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics and Medicine

[Adam White]

There is nothing particularly unique about a river flowing north. It's just one of this 'fun facts' about Jax that is repeated over and over by people who can't be bothered to do the research.

[Jim]

There is nothing particularly unique about a river flowing north. It's just one of this 'fun facts' about Jax that is repeated over and over by people who can't be bothered to do the research.

Actually, that's a very rare occurrence for a major river to have a predominantly northward flow in the northern hemisphere.   Plenty of rivers have portions that flow north or laterally but very few are equitable to the St Johns.

Similar to that point, we have far more than 7 bridges so the question may want to state "over the St Johns River".

Fun fact: The National Bridge Inventory tallies over 1,100 bridges in Jax.  Granted that includes all types of bridges, not just large water crossings.

[Adam White]

There is nothing particularly unique about a river flowing north. It's just one of this 'fun facts' about Jax that is repeated over and over by people who can't be bothered to do the research.

Actually, that's a very rare occurrence for a major river to have a predominantly northward flow in the northern hemisphere.   Plenty of rivers have portions that flow north or laterally but very few are equitable to the St Johns.

Similar to that point, we have far more than 7 bridges so the question may want to state "over the St Johns River".

Fun fact: The National Bridge Inventory tallies over 1,100 bridges in Jax.  Granted that includes all types of bridges, not just large water crossings.

It's not unique, which is what the question asked (nor does it qualify it as being a "major" river - not to mention there was nothing restricting it to the northern hemisphere). While we're at it, it's the only river in Florida that flows north for (most of) its entire course!

Anyway - there's also the issue of North America consisting of more than just Canada, the USA and Mexico!

[Captain Zissou]

21. Name the theaters in Jacksonville by proper name, not movies
but the theater?
Ans.Florida Theater and Ritz Theater Alhambra Dinner Theater

What about Theatre Jacksonville, Players by the Sea, ABET, 5 and Dime.....?

[Captain Zissou]

30 What is the name of the area at the southern
part of Florida called?
Ans. Key West

That would be The Florida Keys.  Key West is one island out of over 1,700. 

[acme54321]

30 What is the name of the area at the southern
part of Florida called?
Ans. Key West

That would be The Florida Keys.  Key West is one island out of over 1,700.

Or the everglades.  Or Miami.  Bad question all around.

[Snaketoz]

#8 I don't think you would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico by driving west, at least from Jacksonville.  You would have to drive S/W.

[thelakelander]

If kids are actually being graded on this, you may want to give them some leeway on a few of the questions.  For example...

#8. This one is kind of debatable. If you're in the Argyle/Mandarin area, Destin is due west as the crow flies.  Anywhere else from Jax and you're hitting a bay or river in the Panhandle.

#17. How many bridges are in Jacksonville?  Ans. 7

Assuming this is about bridges specifically over the St. Johns River, then 8.  Most overlook the oldest river crossing in town because it's for trains.


#23. What southern city in Florida had a Renaissance like the Harlem Renaissance?
Ans. Jacksonville

Umm....Miami (Overtown), Tampa (Central Park), Orlando (Parramore), Tallahassee (Frenchtown), etc.  Basically any city that had a decent sized African-American population or district during the early 20th century.

[Snaketoz]

Can't always drive "as the crow flies".

[williamjackson]

OMG that is amazing, thanks everyone I learned something from all of you.

This is just a way to engage students in discussion, it is not intended to grade because
some will have different answers like the Gulf of Mexico by going Southwest and the
bridges 8 and a few other ones which I will add to my list.

The ultimate goal is to ask and see what the students are thinking or not thinking.

Wm