--- title: Myths — a course of Mova's primary school, with trees and pragmatics description: The myths children believe and what is really true: what happens to swallowed gum, the brain and the senses, colds and the weather, swimming after eating, growing, pets and farm animals, wild animals and tall tales, creepy crawlies, birds and sea creatures. Each lesson sets a myth beside the fact. 3 --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / Myths # Myths The myths children believe and what is really true: what happens to swallowed gum, the brain and the senses, colds and the weather, swimming after eating, growing, pets and farm animals, wild animals and tall tales, creepy crawlies, birds and sea creatures. Each lesson sets a myth beside the fact. The myths course of Mova's primary school: 37 lessons, 640 sentences, each sentence with its syntax tree and pragmatics. Licence: [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) (Mova corpus 0.4). - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/1-what-really-happens-to-things-you-swallow/) — What really happens to things you swallow — 17 sentences · Jake leans in at break, dead serious: "Swallow your gum and it sits in your tummy for SEVEN YEARS. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/2-your-amazing-brain-and-senses/) — Your amazing brain and senses — 17 sentences · Dramatic music, a glowing brain on screen, a YouTuber whispering: "You only use TEN PERCENT of your brain. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/3-eyes-and-ears/) — Eyes and ears — 19 sentences · Grandma pushes the carrots across the table: "Eat up, they'll help you see in the dark!" She heard it as a c… - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/4-colds-coughs-and-the-weather/) — Colds, coughs and the weather — 17 sentences · "Coat ON, or you'll catch your death!" shouts Nan from the door, and half the country has heard it every win… - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/5-moving-swimming-and-sport/) — Moving, swimming and sport — 16 sentences · The beach, a hot day, a packed lunch, and Grandma checking her watch: "Not one toe in the sea for a whole HO… - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/6-growing-skin-hair-and-food/) — Growing, skin, hair and food — 17 sentences · The party is over, there is cake on the ceiling, and Mum groans: "No more sweets, they're bouncing off the w… - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/7-pets-and-farm-animals/) — Pets and farm animals — 15 sentences · Poppy hugs her new bunny and announces: "Snowy's getting a carrot every single day, because rabbits LOVE car… - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/8-wild-animals-and-tall-tales/) — Wild animals and tall tales — 17 sentences · Picture it: an ostrich, terrified, plunges its head into the sand and stays there, bottom in the air, thinki… - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/9-small-creatures-and-creepy-crawlies/) — Small creatures and creepy-crawlies — 15 sentences · Charlie stands in the garden with a spade, grinning: "Cut a worm in half and you get TWO worms. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/10-birds-and-baby-animals/) — Birds and baby animals — 16 sentences · A fluffy chick hops about on the pavement and Molly flings out her arms: "Don't TOUCH it! - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/11-animals-in-the-sea-and-the-river/) — Animals in the sea and the river — 14 sentences · At the fair, Aunt Sue hands over a goldfish in a bag: "Don't worry, love, they've got a three-second memory,… - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/12-cats-dogs-and-animal-facts-at-home/) — Cats, dogs and animal 'facts' at home — 16 sentences · Cats do have a brilliant twist called the righting reflex that turns them feet-down in the air, but they sti… - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/13-earth-from-space/) — Earth from space — 16 sentences · Mr Hughes taps the board, very sure: "The Great Wall of China is the ONLY man-made thing you can see from sp… - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/14-the-moon-the-planets-and-the-stars/) — The Moon, the planets and the stars — 17 sentences · A film voice booms: "The DARK side of the Moon, where sunlight never falls..." Spooky music, a cold black wo… - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/15-weather-lightning-and-storms/) — Weather, lightning and storms — 17 sentences · Thunder cracks over the house and Grandad pats your hand: "Don't worry, lightning never strikes the same pla… - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land/) — Water, deserts and the shape of the land — 19 sentences · "Mate, in Australia the toilet flushes the OTHER way round. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/17-magnets-compasses-and-big-earth-facts/) — Magnets, compasses and big Earth facts — 16 sentences · That's just two big clouds bumping their heads, love," says Grandad, the way his own grandad told him. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/18-vikings-knights-and-the-middle-ages/) — Vikings, knights and the Middle Ages — 18 sentences · Ned bursts into the classroom in his plastic helmet with two huge horns, roaring "Vikings wore these so enem… - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/19-kings-queens-and-emperors/) — Kings, queens and emperors — 18 sentences · Ruby is sure Napoleon was tiny and bossy because of it, Henry swears Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and the… - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/20-explorers-scientists-and-inventors/) — Explorers, scientists and inventors — 18 sentences · We love a story with one lone hero and one magic moment: an apple bonks Newton on the head, Edison alone lig… - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/21-ancient-times-and-famous-stories/) — Ancient times and famous stories — 19 sentences · Isaac is sure the pyramids were built by whipped slaves, Leila knows thumbs down meant death in the arena, a… - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/22-food-on-the-floor-and-kitchen-rules/) — Food on the floor and kitchen rules — 12 sentences · Ollie's crisp hits the floor and he snatches it up shouting "Five-second rule!" Germs, sadly, do not own a s… - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/23-petrol-stations-pools-and-things-that-go-bang/) — Petrol stations, pools and things that go bang — 18 sentences · Dad snaps "Phone off!" at the petrol pump, your big cousin swears the pool water turns red if you wee, and E… - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/24-school-legends/) — School legends — 18 sentences · Oscar swears a kid at his cousin's school skipped a whole year and nobody noticed. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/25-viral-facts-and-chain-messages/) — Viral facts and chain messages — 17 sentences · "Send this to 10 people in 10 minutes or you'll have bad luck for 10 years!" Your thumb hovers over Forward,… - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/26-sleepovers-and-spooky-stories/) — Sleepovers and spooky stories — 16 sentences · Torch under the chin, someone whispers: "Say Bloody Mary three times in the mirror in the dark and she appea… - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/27-everyday-sayings-and-grown-ups-rules/) — Everyday sayings and grown-ups' rules — 17 sentences · "Turn it off and on again!" says Nan, and the telly works. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/28-where-did-you-read-that-checking-sources/) — Where did you read that? Checking sources — 19 sentences · Finn holds up his tablet: "It says on a website, so it MUST be true!" Isla waves Grandad's old encyclopaedia… - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/29-let-s-test-it-experiments-and-fair-tests/) — Let's test it! Experiments and fair tests — 18 sentences · Ava's gran chats to her tomatoes every morning and swears they grow faster for it. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/30-how-would-we-know-asking-experts-and-spotting-tricks/) — How would we know? Asking experts and spotting tricks — 19 sentences · Some claims you can't test with two seed trays in the kitchen: whether MSG is safe, whether a bridge is soun… - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/31-friends-who-cling-to-a-legend/) — Friends who cling to a legend — 17 sentences · Arguments about facts are rarely only about facts. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/32-siblings-cousins-grandparents-and-the-whole-playground/) — Siblings, cousins, grandparents — and the whole playground — 18 sentences · At Christmas dinner Uncle Mike says "Bulls hate red!" for the tenth year running, and half the family groans. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/) — When the teacher gets it wrong — 19 sentences · Teachers know a lot, but they are people, and some of them learned myths at school too: "glass is a liquid",… - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/34-teachers-who-listen-teachers-who-get-cross-and-when-the-teacher-is-right-after-all/) — Teachers who listen, teachers who get cross — and when the teacher is right after all — 20 sentences · A pupil once told Mr Ellis, "Sir, you're wrong, tomatoes are vegetables!" He wasn't wrong. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/35-i-was-wrong-changing-your-mind/) — I was wrong: changing your mind — 21 sentences · Last week I told the whole class, "Bulls go mad for red, I'd bet my life on it!" Then I read a zoo website:… - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/36-olympiad-which-claim-is-true/) — Olympiad: which claim is true? ★★★ — 18 sentences · This olympiad block mixes the whole course into puzzles: four friends, four claims, and usually only one of… - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/37-olympiad-how-could-you-check-it/) — Olympiad: how could you check it? ★★★ — 19 sentences · The last olympiad puzzles of the course don't ask "true or false?" but the harder question: how could you fi… - ← previous: [Money](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/money/) - next →: [Physics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/physics/) - ↑ back to [the school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/)