erynthered Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895 --Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal. 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS -1895 Grammar (Time, one hour) 1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters. 2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications. 3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph 4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of"lie,""play," and "run." 5. Define case; Illustrate each case. 6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation. 7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar. Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours) 1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic. 2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold? 3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare? 4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals? 5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton. 6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent. 7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre? 8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent. 9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods? 10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt. U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes) 1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided. 2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus. 3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War. 4. Show the territorial growth of the United States. 5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas. 6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion. 7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe? 8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865. Orthography (Time, one hour) 1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication 2. What are elementary sounds? How classified? 3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals 4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' 5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule. 6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each. 7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup. 8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last. 9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays. 10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication. Geography (Time, one hour) 1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend? 2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas? 3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean? 4. Describe the mountains of North America 5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco. 6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. 7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each. 8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude? 9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers. 10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth. Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?!
IDBillzFan Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Holy crap. 1895. That was like a whole century ago.
Dan Gross Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Holy crap. 1895. That was like a whole century ago. 475759[/snapback] Two by VABills math.
KD in CA Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895 --Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal. 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS -1895 Who needs to know nonsense like Math or History when we have calculators and the internet? Geography? Hello.....ever heard of MapQuest??
Puhonix Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 The dumbing down of our nation. Id be surprised to find an 8th grader that can name the first 5 presidents, but I bet they can name the starting 5 Lakers.
The Tomcat Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 . Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic. Isn't it Kirk > Picard?
erynthered Posted October 14, 2005 Author Posted October 14, 2005 . Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.Isn't it Kirk > Picard? 475774[/snapback]
kasper13 Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Monroe are the starting 5 for the Lakers. I would have looked at that exam, picked up my musket, walked out the door and headed to Deadwood for some whiskey and hookers.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays. Most of the people here would get that one wrong, I'm sure. Given that most of the people here can't use "their", "there", or "they're" correctly.
Movinon Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Most of the people here would get that one wrong, I'm sure. Given that most of the people here can't use "their", "there", or "they're" correctly. 475863[/snapback] Grammar Nazi
ofiba Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 The only reason it seems harder than we expect it to is because none of us were in that specific class the whole year to be familiar with it. Get a copy of a current 8th grade final and I bet we'd have the same problem thinking of specific answers to questions we haven't been asked in quite some time.
Movinon Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 The only reason it seems harder than we expect it to is because none of us were in that specific class the whole year to be familiar with it. Get a copy of a current 8th grade final and I bet we'd have the same problem thinking of specific answers to questions we haven't been asked in quite some time. 475881[/snapback] Um, yeah
The Dean Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Do you think an 8th grader in 1895 could pass a comptehensive 8th grade test today? No way, Jose.
Movinon Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Do you think an 8th grader in 1895 could pass a comptehensive 8th grade test today? No way, Jose. 475898[/snapback] I'm not so sure you could pass a comprehensive 8th grade test today
The Dean Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 I'm not so sure you could pass a comprehensive 8th grade test today 475907[/snapback] Me neither! I could, on the other hand, easily pass comprehensive MA or PhD exams in a few subjects (well, maybe not easily).
KD in CA Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Do you think an 8th grader in 1895 could pass a comptehensive 8th grade test today? No way, Jose. 475898[/snapback] They still have comprehensive tests? Is that the one where everyone gets a passing grade so their feelings aren't hurt?
erynthered Posted October 14, 2005 Author Posted October 14, 2005 They still have comprehensive tests?Is that the one where everyone gets a passing grade so their feelings aren't hurt? 475912[/snapback] Good point. Back then I'd say corporal punishment was a daily occurrence. They'd beat that learnin into ya. BTW, Don't use RED marker to correct the papers either.
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Do you think an 8th grader in 1895 could pass a comptehensive 8th grade test today? No way, Jose. 475898[/snapback] Good point Deano. The question is interesting just as comparing sports figures across diffferent eras. Technological advances have made some of those questions obsolete. That doesn't mean they are not important to know. Most's survival in Kansas 110 years ago was hinged to some of these questions. It does make interesting reading and brings up interesting questions. Variation of feign, fane, fain... Was tough though, probably because we don't use it much or it is British??? I cite you for speeding. I am going to the work site. I am hiding in plain sight. I am going to the fane to pray. (Cheated on this one... ... It is archaic) Fain... Don't know... (Can't even cheat, since my dictionary doesn't have it) I want to say it means nice. I feign being sick. I fixed the weather vane on the barn. I will not die in vain. There was a vein of gold one mile long directly under the mine shaft. They will raze that building tommorrow. The crane will raise the I-beam in place tommorrow. The rays of sun were coming in through the window. Most of my mistakes are because I don't proof read and type tends to be rushed... When I do proof, I ususlly see why you guys can become dumbfounded. I tend to get hooked on on spelling or one thought and just through it out there. This place has me being more aware of accept and except. People tend to write like they speak.
Dan Gross Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 Most of the people here would get that one wrong, I'm sure. Given that most of the people here can't use "their", "there", or "they're" correctly. 475863[/snapback] Or friggin' "through" and "threw."
drnykterstein Posted October 14, 2005 Posted October 14, 2005 what is a bushel? are they serious? anyways that test was way too americanized. we have a global economy now. was foreign language a part of their curriculum? did they know what a meter was? did they know the french had a revolution? are they able to locate the alps? the dead sea? can they even locate germany? i'm glad our educators realized along the way that there is land/water and people outside of the good ol' U.S. of A. i also notice there is no biology among those tests either. i had to learn biology in middle school. so no i can't answer every question on that test, an no i don't feel like they knew more than i do. thanks for pointing that test out though, it was interesting to look at.
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