Because of the abysmal science education in the lower grades here (Tesfa planted a seed. As far as I can tell, there has been no other mention of science her entire kindergarten year), we told Tesfa that she was going to start asking questions and we’d find the answers, roughly one question a day for the past few weeks, in the hopes of encouraging interest in the natural world, or at least trick her into developing an inquiring mind. The questions are so Tesfa – dinosaur questions and animal questions mainly. Here they are:

1. How many bones in a baby chicken?
2. How many eggs does a goldfish lay?
3. Why is a platypus a mammal that lays eggs?
4. Why do dragons fly?
5. Why does the earth spin round?
6. Which sea animals that lived with the dinosaurs are still alive today?
7. Why did the dinosaurs die before humans evolved?
8. Why do birds fly?
9. Why is seven called “seven”?
10. Why are owls active at night?
11. Where does the word “bleachers” come from?
12. Why are icicles shiny?
13. What is paper made out of?
14. Why do snakes slither?
15. Why is “is” a tricky word?
16. Are angelfishes vegetarian?
17. What type of jellyfish do angelfish eat?
18. Why do the numbers never stop?
19. How do spiders lay their eggs? Wouldn’t the eggs stick to their webs?
20. Are pigs vegetarian?
21. Are there stars bigger than the sun?
22. Why do fish swim?
23. How do walruses eat? Do their tusks get in the way?
24. Where does the word “antenna” come from?
25. Why is a giraffe’s neck so long?
26. How can owls turn their necks and heads all around?
27. Why do flowers grow?
28. Are monsters real?
29. What makes rocketships go fast?
30. Why don’t penguins fly?
31. Why can some squirrels fly?
32. Why can turtles swim but tortoises can’t?
33. Why does popcorn start out as a seed?
34. Why do volcanoes explode?
35. What is the fastest butterfly?
36. Why can you see your face in the mirror?
37. How do electric drills work?
38. What is wood made out of?
39. What bird is the strongest?
40. Why are cats soft?
41. Why are grown-up shows not like kids’ shows?
42. What are planets made out of?
43. Where does the word “chipmunk” come from?
44. Why do kangaroos hop?
45. Why is fire hot?
46. Why do horses eat oats?
47. What is the longest-necked dinosaur?
48. What do worms eat?
49. Why are non-fiction books real?
50. Why are bees small?
51. Why is Pluto not a planet?

I need that “The More You Know” ding to end this post.