![Thanks](https://www.renovateforums.com.au/dbtech/thanks/images/thanks.png)
![Likes](https://www.renovateforums.com.au/dbtech/thanks/images/likes.png)
![Needs Pictures](https://www.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/happy/photo4.gif)
![Picture(s) thanks](https://www.ubeaut.biz/wave.gif)
Results 1 to 15 of 51
Thread: 8th grade education
-
19th August 2010, 12:25 PM #1
8th grade education
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!Chris
========================================
Life isn't always fair
....................but it's better than the alternative.
-
19th August 2010, 01:20 PM #2
Jim
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- Victoria
- Posts
- 596
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
-
19th August 2010, 01:31 PM #3
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...Bob C.
Never give up.
-
19th August 2010, 02:24 PM #4
Banned
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Otautahi , Te Wa'hi Pounamu ( The Mainland) , NZ
- Age
- 69
- Posts
- 0
-
19th August 2010, 02:44 PM #5
Hands up any Americans who
comprehendunderstand all the questions..
I know you believe you understand what you think I wrote, but I'm not sure you realize that what you just read is not what I meant.
Regards, Woodwould.
-
19th August 2010, 03:03 PM #6
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 19
Snopes has a great reply:snopes.com: 1895 Exam
-
19th August 2010, 03:09 PM #7
Banned
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Otautahi , Te Wa'hi Pounamu ( The Mainland) , NZ
- Age
- 69
- Posts
- 0
Fair play to Snopes
-
19th August 2010, 04:07 PM #8
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!!!
-
19th August 2010, 04:51 PM #9
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.
-
19th August 2010, 05:10 PM #10
Banned
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Otautahi , Te Wa'hi Pounamu ( The Mainland) , NZ
- Age
- 69
- Posts
- 0
-
19th August 2010, 06:49 PM #11
-
19th August 2010, 06:55 PM #12
GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jul 2006
- Location
- Port Huon
- Posts
- 373
-
19th August 2010, 07:57 PM #13
Skwair2rownd
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Dundowran Beach
- Age
- 76
- Posts
- 0
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!!!!
-
19th August 2010, 10:27 PM #14
GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Location
- Bowral, NSW, Australia
- Age
- 74
- Posts
- 28
-
19th August 2010, 11:21 PM #15
Similar Threads
-
Finishing Education Required
By John G in forum FINISHINGReplies: 13Last Post: 1st September 2002, 10:03 PM