315 Middle School Trivia Questions and Answers!

Need a boredom-buster for study hall, youth group, or family game night?

Dip into this mega list of middle-school-approved trivia that mixes brainpower with giggles.

From planets to pop stars, everyone will learn something new and feel like a quiz-show champ by the final bell, ringing across lockers and hallways.

Science & Nature

• Question: What gas do plants absorb for photosynthesis? Answer: Carbon dioxide
• Question: Which planet is known for its rings? Answer: Saturn
• Question: What is the process of liquid water turning into vapor called? Answer: Evaporation
• Question: How many bones are in the adult human body? Answer: 206
• Question: What force keeps us anchored to Earth? Answer: Gravity
• Question: What is the largest mammal on Earth? Answer: Blue whale
• Question: Which part of the plant conducts photosynthesis? Answer: Leaf
• Question: What type of animal is a Komodo dragon? Answer: Lizard
• Question: What gas do animals breathe in to survive? Answer: Oxygen
• Question: What is the center of an atom called? Answer: Nucleus
• Question: Which organ pumps blood through the body? Answer: Heart
• Question: What do you call molten rock beneath Earth’s surface? Answer: Magma
• Question: Which planet is nicknamed the Red Planet? Answer: Mars
• Question: What organ do fish use to breathe? Answer: Gills
• Question: What kind of animal is known for its black-and-white stripes? Answer: Zebra
• Question: What phenomenon creates a spectrum of colors after rain? Answer: Rainbow
• Question: Which bird is famous for imitating sounds and speech? Answer: Parrot
• Question: What is the study of weather called? Answer: Meteorology
• Question: What part of the eye controls the amount of light that enters? Answer: Pupil
• Question: What science deals with the study of matter and its properties? Answer: Chemistry
• Question: What type of energy comes from the sun? Answer: Solar energy
• Question: What is the hardest natural substance on Earth? Answer: Diamond
• Question: What planet is closest to the sun? Answer: Mercury
• Question: What are animals that eat both plants and meat called? Answer: Omnivores
• Question: What gas is most abundant in Earth’s atmosphere? Answer: Nitrogen
• Question: Which layer of Earth lies just below the crust? Answer: Mantle
• Question: What do you call a scientist who studies fossils? Answer: Paleontologist
• Question: What unit do we use to measure electrical current? Answer: Ampere
• Question: Which insect has beautifully colored wings and begins as a caterpillar? Answer: Butterfly
• Question: What organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell? Answer: Mitochondria
• Question: What constellation is known as “The Great Bear”? Answer: Ursa Major
• Question: What phenomenon causes the tides on Earth? Answer: Gravitational pull of the moon
• Question: Which planet has the largest moon in the solar system? Answer: Jupiter
• Question: What is the scientific term for water freezing into ice? Answer: Solidification
• Question: What do you call a baby frog? Answer: Tadpole

History & Social Studies

• Question: Who was the first President of the United States? Answer: George Washington
• Question: In what year did the Titanic sink? Answer: 1912
• Question: What ancient civilization built the pyramids at Giza? Answer: Egyptians
• Question: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Answer: Thomas Jefferson
• Question: Which war was fought between the North and South regions of the United States? Answer: The American Civil War
• Question: What wall divided a famous German city until 1989? Answer: The Berlin Wall
• Question: Who was the famous nurse known as the “Lady with the Lamp”? Answer: Florence Nightingale
• Question: Which U.S. holiday honors those who fought in all American wars? Answer: Veterans Day
• Question: What ancient city was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE? Answer: Pompeii
• Question: Who was known as the “Maid of Orléans”? Answer: Joan of Arc
• Question: What document begins with “We the People”? Answer: The United States Constitution
• Question: Which empire was ruled by Julius Caesar? Answer: The Roman Empire
• Question: What trail did pioneers travel to reach the American West in the 1800s? Answer: The Oregon Trail
• Question: Who was the civil-rights leader famous for his “I Have a Dream” speech? Answer: Martin Luther King Jr.
• Question: Which ship carried the Pilgrims to North America in 1620? Answer: Mayflower
• Question: What country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States? Answer: France
• Question: Who invented the light bulb commonly credited in history? Answer: Thomas Edison
• Question: What was the main language of the Inca Empire? Answer: Quechua
• Question: Which Chinese dynasty built most of the Great Wall? Answer: Ming Dynasty
• Question: Who was the first human to walk on the Moon? Answer: Neil Armstrong
• Question: What event started on October 29, 1929, also called Black Tuesday? Answer: The Stock Market Crash
• Question: Which U.S. state was the last to join the Union in 1959? Answer: Hawaii
• Question: Who wrote the famous diary while hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam? Answer: Anne Frank
• Question: What peaceful protest method did Gandhi famously use against British rule? Answer: Nonviolent civil disobedience
• Question: Which empire was led by Genghis Khan? Answer: The Mongol Empire
• Question: What ancient writing system used pictures or symbols in Egypt? Answer: Hieroglyphics
• Question: Which battle in 1066 changed English history? Answer: The Battle of Hastings
• Question: Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean? Answer: Amelia Earhart
• Question: What global organization was founded in 1945 to maintain peace? Answer: The United Nations
• Question: Which U.S. landmark was completed in 1869 linking the east and west coasts by rail? Answer: The Transcontinental Railroad
• Question: What ancient Greek city-state was known for its warriors and rivaled Athens? Answer: Sparta
• Question: Who delivered the Gettysburg Address? Answer: Abraham Lincoln
• Question: Which revolution beginning in 1775 led to American independence? Answer: The American Revolution
• Question: What was the name of the trade route connecting China to the Mediterranean? Answer: The Silk Road
• Question: Which Polynesian navigators settled the islands of Hawaii around 600-1100 CE? Answer: Polynesians from the Marquesas or Tahiti

Geography

• Question: What is the longest river in the world? Answer: The Nile River
• Question: Which continent has the most countries? Answer: Africa
• Question: What is the capital city of Canada? Answer: Ottawa
• Question: Which U.S. state has the Grand Canyon? Answer: Arizona
• Question: What ocean borders the east coast of the United States? Answer: Atlantic Ocean
• Question: Mount Everest is located in which mountain range? Answer: The Himalayas
• Question: What is the smallest country in the world by land area? Answer: Vatican City
• Question: Which desert covers much of northern Africa? Answer: The Sahara
• Question: What country is known as the Land of the Rising Sun? Answer: Japan
• Question: Which two continents are located entirely in the Western Hemisphere? Answer: North America and South America
• Question: What is the capital of Australia? Answer: Canberra
• Question: Which European city has canals instead of streets? Answer: Venice
• Question: What imaginary line divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Answer: The Equator
• Question: Which U.S. state is famous for its geyser Old Faithful? Answer: Wyoming
• Question: What is the largest lake in Africa? Answer: Lake Victoria
• Question: Which island nation is southeast of India? Answer: Sri Lanka
• Question: The Great Barrier Reef lies off the coast of which country? Answer: Australia
• Question: What is the official language of Brazil? Answer: Portuguese
• Question: Which country shares the longest land border with the United States? Answer: Canada
• Question: What is the deepest known part of the world’s oceans? Answer: The Mariana Trench
• Question: Which country has the city of Marrakech? Answer: Morocco
• Question: What large sea is bordered by Europe, Asia, and Africa? Answer: The Mediterranean Sea
• Question: Which U.S. state is nicknamed the “Sunshine State”? Answer: Florida
• Question: What is the tallest mountain in Africa? Answer: Mount Kilimanjaro
• Question: Which river flows through Paris? Answer: The Seine
• Question: In which country would you find the ancient city of Machu Picchu? Answer: Peru
• Question: What is the capital city of South Korea? Answer: Seoul
• Question: Which continent is known as “Down Under”? Answer: Australia
• Question: What volcanic mountain destroyed Pompeii? Answer: Mount Vesuvius
• Question: Which strait separates Alaska and Russia? Answer: The Bering Strait
• Question: The city of Istanbul straddles which two continents? Answer: Europe and Asia
• Question: What is the national flower of Japan that’s celebrated each spring? Answer: Cherry blossom
• Question: Which country’s flag features a red maple leaf? Answer: Canada
• Question: What is the world’s largest island that is not a continent? Answer: Greenland
• Question: Which African country has pyramids older than Egypt’s? Answer: Sudan

Literature & Language

• Question: Who wrote the play “Romeo and Juliet”? Answer: William Shakespeare
• Question: What is the term for a word that imitates a sound, like “buzz”? Answer: Onomatopoeia
• Question: Which book series features a boy wizard named Harry? Answer: Harry Potter
• Question: In literature, what do we call the person who tells the story? Answer: Narrator
• Question: What is the plural of “cactus”? Answer: Cacti
• Question: Who wrote the novel “The Hobbit”? Answer: J.R.R. Tolkien
• Question: What figure of speech compares two things using “like” or “as”? Answer: Simile
• Question: Which American poet wrote “The Raven”? Answer: Edgar Allan Poe
• Question: What is the opposite of a synonym? Answer: Antonym
• Question: What type of literature is meant to be performed on stage? Answer: Drama
• Question: Who created the characters Thing 1 and Thing 2? Answer: Dr. Seuss
• Question: What is the main character in a story called? Answer: Protagonist
• Question: Which book begins with the line “Call me Ishmael”? Answer: Moby-Dick
• Question: What is the term for a story that explains how something in nature came to be? Answer: Myth
• Question: Who wrote “Charlotte’s Web”? Answer: E.B. White
• Question: What is the name of Sherlock Holmes’s loyal friend and doctor? Answer: Dr. John Watson
• Question: Which punctuation mark is used to show possession? Answer: Apostrophe
• Question: What is the study of word origins called? Answer: Etymology
• Question: Which fairy tale features a girl with very long hair in a tower? Answer: Rapunzel
• Question: What genre of books includes spaceships and aliens? Answer: Science fiction
• Question: Who is the author of “The Lightning Thief”? Answer: Rick Riordan
• Question: What language was the original “The Little Prince” written in? Answer: French
• Question: What do we call a humorous five-line poem with an AABBA rhyme scheme? Answer: Limerick
• Question: What’s the term for giving human traits to non-human things? Answer: Personification
• Question: Who wrote “Anne of Green Gables”? Answer: Lucy Maud Montgomery
• Question: What punctuation ends an interrogative sentence? Answer: Question mark
• Question: In literature, what is a struggle between opposing forces called? Answer: Conflict
• Question: Which novel starts in the fantasy land of Narnia? Answer: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Question: Who created the wizarding sport Quidditch? Answer: J.K. Rowling
• Question: What part of speech describes a noun? Answer: Adjective
• Question: What is the term for a comparison saying one thing IS another? Answer: Metaphor
• Question: In comic books, what is the space that contains a character’s words called? Answer: Speech bubble
• Question: Which Shakespeare play features the characters Puck and Oberon? Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Question: What is the collection of letters called that a word uses? Answer: Alphabet

Math & Logic

• Question: What is the value of pi rounded to two decimal places? Answer: 3.14
• Question: How many degrees are in a right angle? Answer: 90
• Question: What is 12 × 8? Answer: 96
• Question: What is the perimeter of a square with side length 5 cm? Answer: 20 cm
• Question: What is the term for a number that can only be divided by 1 and itself? Answer: Prime number
• Question: What is the top number of a fraction called? Answer: Numerator
• Question: What shape has exactly three sides of equal length? Answer: Equilateral triangle
• Question: What is 9² (nine squared)? Answer: 81
• Question: How many edges does a cube have? Answer: 12
• Question: What is the answer to 45 ÷ 5? Answer: 9
• Question: If a triangle’s angles add up to 180°, how many degrees are left if two angles are 60° each? Answer: 60°
• Question: What is the place value of the 7 in 7,532? Answer: Thousands
• Question: What do we call the distance around a circle? Answer: Circumference
• Question: What is 0.5 expressed as a fraction? Answer: ½
• Question: What type of graph uses bars to show data? Answer: Bar graph
• Question: What is the next prime number after 17? Answer: 19
• Question: How many lines of symmetry does a rectangle have? Answer: 2
• Question: What is the smallest even prime number? Answer: 2
• Question: If you flip a fair coin, what is the probability of landing heads? Answer: ½
• Question: What is the ratio of 4 to 8 in simplest form? Answer: 1:2
• Question: What do you call a six-sided polygon? Answer: Hexagon
• Question: What is 15% of 200? Answer: 30
• Question: If an angle measures 120°, what type of angle is it? Answer: Obtuse
• Question: What is the median of the numbers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11? Answer: 7
• Question: What is the value of 10³? Answer: 1,000
• Question: How many millimeters are in a centimeter? Answer: 10
• Question: What is the opposite of multiplication? Answer: Division
• Question: What is the term for the answer to an addition problem? Answer: Sum
• Question: What is ⅔ of 30? Answer: 20
• Question: How many vertices does a triangular prism have? Answer: 6
• Question: What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 18? Answer: 6
• Question: What kind of number is the square root of 16? Answer: Whole number (4)
• Question: What do we call a graph that shows parts of a whole in slices? Answer: Pie chart
• Question: What is 7 less than 100? Answer: 93
• Question: If a book costs $12 and you have $50, how many books can you buy without tax? Answer: 4

Pop Culture & Entertainment

• Question: Which movie features a talking snowman named Olaf? Answer: Frozen
• Question: What video game world includes the mobs Creeper and Enderman? Answer: Minecraft
• Question: Who is the superhero with a shield made of vibranium? Answer: Captain America
• Question: Which singer's fans are called “Swifties”? Answer: Taylor Swift
• Question: What animated TV show follows the adventures of a boy and his stretchy dog in the Land of Ooo? Answer: Adventure Time
• Question: Which wizarding house at Hogwarts values bravery? Answer: Gryffindor
• Question: In the Star Wars universe, what species is Yoda? Answer: Unknown (unnamed species)
• Question: What popular app lets you create short music-based videos and challenges? Answer: TikTok
• Question: Which Pixar movie centers on emotions named Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust? Answer: Inside Out
• Question: What is the name of the park filled with living dinosaurs in the movie franchise? Answer: Jurassic Park
• Question: Which blue video-game hedgehog is famous for his speed? Answer: Sonic
• Question: What 1990 Christmas movie features Kevin McCallister defending his house? Answer: Home Alone
• Question: Which Disney princess has a pet tiger named Rajah? Answer: Jasmine
• Question: What platform originally streamed the series “Stranger Things”? Answer: Netflix
• Question: What is the name of the block-building toy company founded in Denmark? Answer: LEGO
• Question: Who is the main character in the Pokémon franchise? Answer: Ash Ketchum
• Question: Which rapper released the hit song “Old Town Road”? Answer: Lil Nas X
• Question: What original Avenger carries a hammer named Mjölnir? Answer: Thor
• Question: Which book and movie series features tributes competing in deadly games? Answer: The Hunger Games
• Question: What is Mario’s dinosaur sidekick called? Answer: Yoshi
• Question: Which Marvel super-team includes Rocket Raccoon and Groot? Answer: Guardians of the Galaxy
• Question: In which country was anime style of animation created? Answer: Japan
• Question: What wizard in “The Lord of the Rings” is known for saying “You shall not pass!”? Answer: Gandalf
• Question: Which popular dance video-game series tracks players’ moves with colorful on-screen silhouettes? Answer: Just Dance
• Question: What is the fictional city protected by Batman? Answer: Gotham City
• Question: Which streaming service uses a curvy green logo and focuses on music? Answer: Spotify
• Question: What long-running TV show features mysterious creatures called Pokémon? Answer: Pokémon
• Question: Which Disney+ series follows a bounty hunter and a small green child known as Grogu? Answer: The Mandalorian
• Question: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Answer: SpongeBob SquarePants
• Question: Which musical features the song “Let It Go”? Answer: Frozen
• Question: Which handheld Nintendo system uses dual screens? Answer: Nintendo DS
• Question: Which film’s soundtrack features the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”? Answer: Encanto
• Question: What yellow Pokémon can only say its own name and uses electric attacks? Answer: Pikachu
• Question: Which superhero family includes Elastigirl and Dash? Answer: The Incredibles
• Question: What spell in Hogwarts is used to disarm an opponent? Answer: Expelliarmus

Sports & Games

• Question: How many players are on the field for one soccer team during play? Answer: 11
• Question: In basketball, how many points is a free throw worth? Answer: 1
• Question: What sport uses a puck and is played on ice? Answer: Ice hockey
• Question: Which board game features Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum? Answer: Clue
• Question: How many strikes make an out in baseball? Answer: 3
• Question: In chess, which piece can move in an L-shape? Answer: Knight
• Question: What Olympic sport combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting? Answer: Biathlon
• Question: Which sport is known as “the king of sports” worldwide? Answer: Soccer
• Question: What color flag signals the end of a NASCAR race? Answer: Checkered flag
• Question: In volleyball, what is it called when you score directly from a serve? Answer: Ace
• Question: Which sport uses the terms “love” and “deuce”? Answer: Tennis
• Question: What is the only U.S. state with two Major League Baseball teams named after it rather than cities? Answer: Florida (Marlins and Rays)
• Question: In football, how many yards are gained for a first down? Answer: 10
• Question: What board game has you build words with letter tiles on a grid? Answer: Scrabble
• Question: Which country invented the sport of table tennis? Answer: England
• Question: In swimming, which stroke is typically the fastest? Answer: Freestyle
• Question: What piece is between the handlebars and seat on a bicycle to hold your feet? Answer: There isn’t one; feet rest on pedals
• Question: Which card suit has a picture of royalty holding scepters and swords? Answer: Kings, Queens, Jacks in any suit
• Question: What sport uses a shuttlecock? Answer: Badminton
• Question: In softball, what is the maximum number of outs in one half-inning? Answer: 3
• Question: Which sport’s playing area is called a “pitch” in many countries? Answer: Cricket or Soccer
• Question: What is the name of the trophy awarded to the NBA champions? Answer: Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy
• Question: What is the term for scoring three goals in one hockey game? Answer: Hat trick
• Question: Which board game has pieces shaped like a Battleship, a racecar, and a thimble? Answer: Monopoly
• Question: In gymnastics, what event uses two swinging bars of uneven height? Answer: Uneven bars
• Question: Which Olympic running event is exactly 26.2 miles? Answer: Marathon
• Question: In bowling, knocking down all pins with the first ball is called? Answer: Strike
• Question: What is the highest hand in poker? Answer: Royal flush
• Question: Which sport played on horseback uses mallets to hit a ball? Answer: Polo
• Question: In video game “Fortnite”, what color rarity is higher than Rare (blue)? Answer: Epic (purple)
• Question: Which country won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019? Answer: United States
• Question: In baseball, what is it called when a batter hits a home run with the bases loaded? Answer: Grand slam
• Question: What strategic board game is played on a 19×19 grid with black and white stones? Answer: Go
• Question: How many rings are on the Olympic flag? Answer: 5
• Question: What is the lightest weight boxing class called? Answer: Flyweight

Technology & Inventions

• Question: Who is credited with inventing the telephone? Answer: Alexander Graham Bell
• Question: What device do we use to navigate around a computer screen? Answer: Mouse
• Question: Which company created the iPhone? Answer: Apple
• Question: What does “URL” stand for? Answer: Uniform Resource Locator
• Question: Which invention allowed people to see moving pictures before television? Answer: Film projector
• Question: What is the name of NASA’s famous space telescope launched in 1990? Answer: Hubble Space Telescope
• Question: What year did the first email get sent (to the closest decade)? Answer: 1970s
• Question: What video-sharing website was bought by Google in 2006? Answer: YouTube
• Question: Who developed the theory of relativity? Answer: Albert Einstein
• Question: What does “AI” stand for in technology? Answer: Artificial Intelligence
• Question: Which renewable energy uses moving air to create electricity? Answer: Wind power
• Question: What is the name for small robots used to clean floors automatically? Answer: Robot vacuums (e.g., Roomba)
• Question: Which planet-exploring rover landed on Mars in 2021? Answer: Perseverance
• Question: What invention revolutionized book production in the 15th century? Answer: Printing press
• Question: Which game console introduced motion-sensing remotes in 2006? Answer: Nintendo Wii
• Question: What is the term for a self-driving car technology? Answer: Autonomous vehicle
• Question: Which computer language is known for a coffee-cup logo? Answer: Java
• Question: What portable music player did Apple release in 2001? Answer: iPod
• Question: Who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen? Answer: Bill Gates
• Question: What does “HTTP” stand for? Answer: HyperText Transfer Protocol
• Question: Which energy source is created by splitting atoms? Answer: Nuclear power
• Question: What type of phone screen technology is flexible and can fold? Answer: OLED/Foldable display
• Question: Which spacecraft was the first to land humans on the Moon? Answer: Apollo 11
• Question: What social media platform uses a ghost logo? Answer: Snapchat
• Question: Which tech giant’s search-engine mascot appears as Blinky in Pac-Man doodles? Answer: Google
• Question: Which invention allows wireless connection over short distances, named after a Viking king? Answer:Bluetooth
• Question: What is the name of the first widely used web browser, released in 1993? Answer: Mosaic
• Question: Which programming language is often used to build web pages and stands for HyperText Markup Language? Answer: HTML
• Question: What is the common term for malicious software? Answer: Malware
• Question: Which company created the voice assistant Alexa? Answer: Amazon
• Question: What is the term for realistic 3-D computer-generated environments you can explore with a headset? Answer: Virtual Reality
• Question: Which energy-saving light-bulb technology uses less power than incandescent bulbs? Answer: LED
• Question: What does “USB” stand for? Answer: Universal Serial Bus
• Question: What famous British computer scientist is known as the father of computing? Answer: Alan Turing
• Question: Which device measures steps and heart rate worn on your wrist? Answer: Fitness tracker

Random Fun Facts

• Question: What is the only mammal capable of true flight? Answer: Bat
• Question: Which fruit was once called a “love apple”? Answer: Tomato
• Question: What color are the stars on the American flag? Answer: White
• Question: What is the tallest breed of dog? Answer: Great Dane
• Question: Which candy has the slogan “Taste the Rainbow”? Answer: Skittles
• Question: What natural disaster is measured with the Richter scale? Answer: Earthquake
• Question: Which animal can rotate its head around almost 270 degrees? Answer: Owl
• Question: What is the largest internal organ in the human body? Answer: Liver
• Question: Which planet spins on its side, making its rings vertical? Answer: Uranus
• Question: How many hearts does an octopus have? Answer: Three
• Question: Which two letters are worth the most points in Scrabble? Answer: Q and Z
• Question: What element’s chemical symbol is “Au”? Answer: Gold
• Question: Which bird is the fastest runner? Answer: Ostrich
• Question: What vegetable was the first to be planted in space? Answer: Potato
• Question: Which month has an extra day during leap years? Answer: February
• Question: What is the only continent without reptiles or snakes? Answer: Antarctica
• Question: Which insect produces honey? Answer: Bee
• Question: What musical instrument has 88 keys? Answer: Piano
• Question: Which language is written from right to left and is spoken in Israel? Answer: Hebrew
• Question: What is the world’s most widely spoken language? Answer: English
• Question: Which animal’s fingerprints are almost identical to humans'? Answer: Koala
• Question: What is the hardest rock, used in jewelry? Answer: Diamond
• Question: Which country invented pizza as we know it today? Answer: Italy
• Question: How many stripes are on the American flag? Answer: 13
• Question: What is the name of the fairy in Peter Pan? Answer: Tinker Bell
• Question: Which planet in our solar system has no moons? Answer: Mercury
• Question: What does a carnivore eat? Answer: Meat
• Question: What sport’s ball is made of 32 panels? Answer: Soccer ball
• Question: Which holiday celebrates Ireland’s patron saint on March 17? Answer: St. Patrick's Day
• Question: What animal is known as the “ship of the desert”? Answer: Camel
• Question: Which cartoon cat never speaks and chases a clever mouse? Answer: Tom from Tom and Jerry
• Question: What does NASA stand for? Answer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Question: Which metal is liquid at room temperature? Answer: Mercury
• Question: What is the baby of a kangaroo called? Answer: Joey