Everything you think you know is wrong!
That’s what John Lloyd and John Mitchinson (2006) claim in their
Book of General IGNORANCE!
Using really comprehensive language they proved (to me at least) that all I have so far thought of as “general knowledge or common sense” is actually nothing but distorted versions of ‘knowledge’, common sense misconceptions, and misunderstandings.
Try to answer the following questions ….for yourself …or ask your students.
Which is the driest place on Earth?
Which bird lays the smallest egg for its size?
What man-made artifacts can be seen from the moon?
Who invented the phone?
How many senses does a human being have?
What’s the normal state of glass?
How many moons does the Earth have?
What colour is the Universe?
You will be surprised to see that everybody (unless they have read the book) will give you similar but wrong answers.
I have found that this book cannot only serve as a source of enlightening entertainment but as an educational tool for EFL classes.
Before the class ends, write a question on the board such as the ones above. Call on students to answer the questions. Write their answers up on the board, then assign students to research this topic. You can direct them to specific websites that contain the answers, or let them find the information themselves. In the next class, tell students to let you know or/and write what information they found. Have a class discussion about the answer.
This book will make you and your students feel proud of knowing the truth at last!
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