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Yes, but…
I don't know whether a teacher told the kids what questions to ask, I'm assuming not. Terms like dark matter are bandied around quite frequently in the science section of the media, usually surrounded by an aura of "cutting edge" and "final frontier". Kids (those that don't let themselves be stupefied by TV series and computer games) pick up on those vibes and want to know more.
I don't think a fair answer to a "way out there" question would be "learn the basics first!", instead we should try to put in simple terms what the buzz is all about. It's not about them understanding the physics of dark matter (who does?) but about keeping them interested and asking questions.
When I was a teen (past primary school age obviously) I devoured all manner of physics book and thought I had the world of particle physics basically figured out. Then I lost sleep over the assertion that there is something like weak symmetry. It just didn't fit my gut feel about how nature should be organised and felt to me like a crutch invented to make the maths come out. I didn't understand the maths at the time and thus had no way of truly understanding what was being postulated. However, I don't believe thinking about things that were way over my head hurt me or my development. I also don't believe learning has to happen in sequential order. In fact, I reckon learning by jumping ahead and going back to revisit an earlier understanding is far more effective and rewarding.
Cheers
Steffen.
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