School?

For anything that doesn't fit the other forums.

Moderator: TMAX

Post Reply
Rudy
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Strangeweather, Mo.

School?

Post by Rudy »

1895 8th grade final exam

Take this test and pass it on to your more literate friends..




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)
[Do we even know what this is??]
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. 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 and,
NO, I don't have the answers!

=
Got love? Give love.
User avatar
Dennis The Bus Dweller
Seasoned Nomadicista
Posts: 1874
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:33 am
Location: Southold N.Y.
Contact:

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

:roll:
Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.
User avatar
ezrablu
Posts: 961
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:40 am
Contact:

Post by ezrablu »

It's called "Dumbing Down Americans".
ezrablu
1991 Bluebird International
360 DT - 6 Speed
TMAX
Officer Hormel
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:35 pm
Location: Bellflower, California
Contact:

Post by TMAX »

Interesting... when my father retired, there was a Cadillac in the driveway and a swimming pool in the backyard (he had an 8th grade education). Today, 8th grade education means you might be able to speak english.
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

TMAX wrote:Today, 8th grade education means you might be able to speak english.
But not Spanish, German or French. :roll:
Bob
Posts: 410
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:39 am
Location: The Road
Contact:

Post by Bob »

I guess I is dumb :?
Wherever I am...I am home.
User avatar
Dennis The Bus Dweller
Seasoned Nomadicista
Posts: 1874
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:33 am
Location: Southold N.Y.
Contact:

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

English will soon be our second language :wink:
Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.
User avatar
somewhereinusa
Posts: 323
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:44 pm
Location: Andrews, Indiana
Contact:

Post by somewhereinusa »

Dennis The Bus Dweller wrote:English will soon be our second language :wink:
In some parts of the country, it's not even understood. :x
Jones'n4chrome
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:10 pm

Post by Jones'n4chrome »

somewhereinusa wrote:
Dennis The Bus Dweller wrote:English will soon be our second language :wink:
In some parts of the country, it's not even understood. :x
Yeah, like in my own neighborhood.
User avatar
Headache
Posts: 544
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Western Mass for now

Post by Headache »

My ancestral language is only known by a few and even then they don't know much vocabulary in comparison to before contact. =(

I'd like to see that test updated and used!
User avatar
yugogypsy
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:22 pm
Location: Cobble Hill, B.C. Canada
Contact:

School?

Post by yugogypsy »

I wouldn't like that exam, but my Dad had to complete one like it to finish his Grade 8 and his sisters went on to high school. I shudder to think how hard that would be, I'd rather learn at my own speed thanks

Lois
Bash On Regardless!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests