Are you Smarter Than These 7th Graders?

The Northwest Valley Math Club recently successfully competed in 11th Annual Estimation Golf Tournament Competition at St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley and Florissant Valley Community College.

The 7th Grade Estimation Golf team from Northwest Valley, which included Kaitlyn Ashwell, Liz Lueken and Tyler Warren finished first among the 20 teams at its grade level.

Answers to the estimation questions could not be obtained by using calculators, pper of pencils. Presumably fingers and toes were OK. Points are awarded based on the number of guesses it takes for a team to estimate the answer within a certain boundary. Overall fewest guess wins.

Here are three questions from a previous year's 7th grade level test. Try you luck at answering them. And remember, no calculators.

1.   In the movie 127 Hours, the rock climber was trapped for 127 hours.  If his ordeal began at 10 a.m. on Saturday, when did his ordeal end?

• A.  Wednesday, 5 PM
• B.  Thursday, 5 PM
• C.  Wednesday, 7 PM
• D.  Thursday, 7 PM
• E.   None of These

2.   According to the movie Facebook, Eduardo’s share of the company was reduced from 34% to 0.03%.  What is 0.03% of $25 billion dollars?

• A.  $7.5 million
• B.  $7500
• C.  $750,000
• D.  $75 million
• E.   $750 million

3.   This is part of a Mother Goose rhyme:

          As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives;
     Every wife had seven sacks; Every sack had seven cats;
     Every cat had seven kits.

What is the total number of wives, sacks, cats, and kits that this person met?

• A.  154
• B.  2400
• C.  2408
• D.  2800
• E.  2801

ANSWERS at the end of this article.

This year is the third time the Northwest Valley team has won an award and its second overall championship

Answers:  1. B, 2. A, 3. B