8th grade education

[chrisb691]

Just received this today via email, and it's a real eye opener with respect to our education system today. Seems that we might be worse off now, than in 1895.

Grade 8 Graduation in 1895!

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 , 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 hour 15 minutes)
　

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 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 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 6,720 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.' (HUH?)
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?

Also shows you how poor our education system has become!

[jimbur]

The amazing thing is that many Americans nowadays would have problems picking out countries on a map - even ones they have invaded. Perhaps I'm being unfair and presidential hopefuls aren't typical.
Cheers,
Jim

[Poppa]

With the use of Excel and google I reckon I could at least pass that exam, provided they'd let me type my answers in Word because my handwriting is just about illegible.

What's that you say, no internet or computers in those days??? Then I guess I'd fail...

[Manuka Jock]

The amazing thing is that many Americans nowadays would have problems picking out countries on a map - even ones they have invaded. Perhaps I'm being unfair and presidential hopefuls aren't typical.
Cheers,
Jim

go Jimbo

[Woodwould]

Hands up any Americans who comprehend understand all the questions.

[Sparhawk]

Snopes has a great reply:snopes.com: 1895 Exam

[Manuka Jock]

Fair play to Snopes

[Dave50]

yeah! I thought that when I seen this ..."What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?"""

$20 per metre? didn't sit right!!!

[switt775]

Good to remember that passing an exam consists mainly of memorising a bunch of facts, or in the case of maths, understanding how to solve a problem. So predictably the maths questions are based on scenarios most kids today wouldn't identify with but the skills to solve them are the same as today. Substitute questions based on ebay purchases or number of text messages, and they'd work it out.

As for the fact based questions, it's true most kids (adults too) would have trouble with them, but only because they weren't taught these particular facts.

For me the more interesting point is seeing how much that was considered important 100+ years ago is deemed irrelevant today.

[Manuka Jock]

yeah! I thought that when I seen this ..."What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?"""

$20 per metre? didn't sit right!!!

The original has $20 per inch .
In 1895 .... I wonder what sort of wood it was ?

[AlexS]

Maybe it's an indication of my age, but I was taught most of those things apart from the American history, and reckon I could still take a fair stab at them.

[snowyskiesau]

The amazing thing is that many Americans nowadays would have problems picking out countries on a map - even ones they have invaded. Perhaps I'm being unfair and presidential hopefuls aren't typical.
Cheers,
Jim

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

[artme]

Well may we poke fun at our American cousins, but I dare say that many Australians are in the same boat!

Still, it does make you wonder when in New York an American asks what the name of that there Beautiful building is -- referring to that most beautiful of all Art Deco buildings, The Chrysler Building!!!!

[Carry Pine]

Maybe it's an indication of my age, but I was taught most of those things apart from the American history, and reckon I could still take a fair stab at them.

Alex,

Then why the comma before the conjunctions (but) (and)?

(Please don't kick me off the Forum for being picky!)

Graham

[chrisb691]

Alex,

Then why the comma before the conjunctions (but) (and)?

(Please don't kick me off the Forum for being picky!)

Graham

Add a comma after 'apart' and the other comma is correct (I think).