Where does the Mississippi flow to?

**Labontet** · 02-14-2011, 03:36 PM

My 2nd grade grandson told me that he had a geography test today on rivers. One of the rivers was the Mississippi.

So I asked him where the Mississippi River flowed/ran to. He said he did not know. (Not acceptable!!) I told him to go look at the globe and come back and tell me where it ran to. He came out and told me that it ran to Buffalo.

Uh, No!

I told him to sit down and find what large body of water the Mississippi flowed to. Answer: The Atlantic

One more time..... Where does the Mississippi flow to? If you do not get the correct answer you will not get to eat a snack this afternoon. No snack?... you got it, no snack. After a few minutes he said Baton Rouge.

After the famous "Look" that I can give, he finally pointed to the water and said, The Gulf of Mexico. I wonder what question was on his test. Hmmmmmmm.

Lord, help me....

**frugalfranny** · 02-14-2011, 03:50 PM

Makes you wonder huh?, Labon.

I am just glad to hear SOMEONE say that they are still teaching geog. in schools. (though I hated it when I was in school)

The big debate in Idaho now is cutting out kindergarten..........to save money, of course!! WHAT????

**mauimagic** · 02-14-2011, 03:53 PM

Money spent in early childhood education comes back many times its initial value in later years. Build a strong base and the learning will soar!!

**Jamauk** · 02-14-2011, 04:08 PM

THIS is why I homeschool!!

**madhen** · 02-14-2011, 04:08 PM

I know that it starts in Minnesota, but only because of my love for the "Indigo Girls". ("And the Mississippi's mighty, but it starts in Minnesota, at a place where you can walk across with five steps down. And I guess that's you started, like a pinprick to my heart, but at this point you rush right through me and I start to drown.")

So much for education.

**akolb** · 02-14-2011, 04:15 PM

Can't tell you haw many times ADULTS have sat in our hotel bar and asked "what river is that?"
We are in Baton Rouge and LITERALLY ON the river! Practically under one of the iconic bridges!

*sigh*

**MomToTwoBoys** · 02-14-2011, 04:20 PM

People wonder why the school system in the US is so bad?

Here's another one for you:

Most people don't even know the capital of Canada. I bet if you asked people what the capital of a particular state is, they couldn't tell you without looking it up. Heck, I don't even remember getting any geography lessons about Canada at all and I grew up in Upstate NY.

And no, Toronto is not the capital of Canada.

DH had someone ask him what state Alberta was in when he was staying with me in NY.

**Nishu** · 02-14-2011, 04:39 PM

Lolz. The Gulf of Mexico is part of the Atlantic Ocean, so that answer was technically correct.

**Labontet** · 02-14-2011, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Nishu

Lolz. The Gulf of Mexico is part of the Atlantic Ocean, so that answer was technically correct.

Oh, small technicality, small technicality Nishu.

Poof, I have now officially made the Gulf of Mexico "NOT" a part of the Atlantic.

**monkeywrangler71** · 02-14-2011, 05:07 PM

"We fired our guns, but the British kept a comin'..."

Johnny Horton is the only reason I know where the Mississippi goes.

**Nishu** · 02-14-2011, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Labontet

Oh, small technicality, small technicality Nishu.

Poof, I have now officially made the Gulf of Mexico "NOT" a part of the Atlantic.

If you can do that, I see no reason why your grandson can't 'poof' it into ending in Buffalo.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 02-14-2011, 05:26 PM

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America.[3][4] About 2,320 miles (3,730 km) long,[5] the river originates at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, and flows slowly southwards in sweeping meanders, terminating 95 miles (153 km) by river below New Orleans, where it begins to flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Along with its major tributary, the Missouri River, the river drains all or parts of 31 U.S. states stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Canada–US border on the north, including most of the Great Plains, and is the fourth longest river in the world and the tenth most powerful river in the world.

Courtesy of Wikipedia.

**shp1055** · 02-14-2011, 05:45 PM

sitting in my office right now; looking out the window at the "Mighty Muddy" a/k/a the Mississippi that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It's literally less than a block away...just across the street. It's 3.2 miles from my house to my office...and one mile of that is the Natchez bridge, I live in Louisiana, work in Mississippi and when the river rises in the spring we get extreme seepage in the yard.

**madhen** · 02-14-2011, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by monkeywrangler71

"We fired our guns, but the British kept a comin'..."

Johnny Horton is the only reason I know where the Mississippi goes.

My father had that song on a cassette tape (remember those?) and he used to play it all the time.

For the uninitiated:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxB42cjHTGg]YouTube - Johnny Horton The battle of New Orleans lyrics[/ame]

(Ignore all the misspellings!)