Fun Facts on New York for the Fifth Grade
- New York is known around the world as being home to yellow cabs. Even so, a lot of people do not know about their origin. Start a discussion with the fifth graders, asking whether they know why New York cabs are yellow when cabs in other countries are not. After the discussion, tell them the fun fact: that New York's cabs are yellow because John Hertz, who founded the Yellow Cab Company, was informed by a study that yellow was the easiest color for the eye to spot. He rationalized that yellow would stand out to passersby, making it easier and quicker for them to flag down cabs.
- In the summer all New Yorkers know it gets very hot and humid, with average temperatures of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Although this itself is not particularly interesting, fifth graders may find the temperature of the pavements surprising and fun. Get the kids to guess how hot the city's pavements become. They will be surprised to know that the average temperature of New York City's pavements on a hot summer day is 150 degrees F.
- Some fifth graders may be interested in watching movies but may not know where they are made and how many are shot in New York City. According to "Scene by Laurie," a New York-based website, more than 250 feature films are shot in New York each year. The kids will enjoy trying to name some they have seen and will create a great discussion.
- According to "New York," a website offering facts about the city, it takes about 75,000 trees to print all the Sunday editions of "The New York Times." This fun fact would be a great starting point for an environmental discussion or a discussion of recycling. Fifth graders, at 10 to 11 years old, may have started to read the newspaper or know people who do. They will be interested in knowing the vast number of trees cut down.
