Are sharks real?

Second year always provides rich material for a complete reappraisal of the point of anything.

Among my most favourite questions from students in second year:

"Are sharks real?"

"You know the people from the Bronze Age? Where are they now?"

Wednesday was reading day. We have a crate full of really cool history books: excellent graphics, an interesting variety of material, readable and, most importantly, not textbooks. Each student eventually gravitates towards a favourite.

For Adam this was the 1001 Horrible Facts (the history section) ...

from which he constantly asks me questions in a manner that is pleasantly boastful of his newly acquired fact, such as "Did you know that a chicken was once put on trial for laying an unusual egg?" or " Did you know that they used to crop peoples' ears off as a punishment?"

So, one day, he asks "Do you know who the first man on the moon was?" Normally I'd plead ignorance to allow him to get one over on me, but I was doing the Moon Landings with the senior students that week, so I said I did, and that he was Neil Armstrong.

Clare butts in with "Was Neil Armstrong the man who discovered the moon?" Adam puts his head in his hands. "Oh my God she's so stupid!" 

Stoic as ever, I correct her mild mistake "No, Clare, not the man who discovered it. Neil Armstrong was the first person to stand on the moon".

Mary, who has become increasingly interested in the exchange, cannot contain her annoyance.

"Stand on the moon?! And how could he stand on the moon? Haven't you seen the size of the thing?"

Adam is corpsing. His face is on the desk, which is shaking as much as he is.

I dig deep.

"Well, Mary, the moon is the size of Africa."

Her face is blank.

"It only seems small because it's so far away."

She is 14 years old.