1895 8TH GRADE EDUCATION
(Copied off email)
Things sure have changed !
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, 1 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.
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 and, NO, I don't have the answers
Things sure have changed !
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, 1 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.
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 and, NO, I don't have the answers
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Replies
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I have a Masters Degree and dont know what 98.9% of that stuff is....LOL0
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I have a Masters Degree and dont know what 98.9% of that stuff is....LOL
Same here! lol0 -
Our education system has sharply declined, and now is being vilified in politics as "indoctrination camps" and unnecessary spending. We have had the wealth and resources to be the best in the world, but we haven't done that. Shame on us!0
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I'm reading English so the orthography/grammar stuff is a piece of cake but OH GOD THE NON-METRIC MEASURES ARE KILLING ME
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I have a Masters Degree and dont know what 98.9% of that stuff is....LOL
Me too! Haha0 -
So there was a time when something was expected of students beyond showing up? What a concept.0
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What can you expect? Things have changed dramatically in the last 117 years. Some for the better. Some for the worse.
Scientifically, what was taught then is no longer valid or is better understood now than then.
Linguistically, the advent of modern day communication (texting, tweeting, FB, email, etc.) has dumbed up America. Most communication is not grammatically correct and most of this generation can't even punctuate correctly. Forget about spelling. We don't have time to deal with it. We're too busy LOLing and LMFAOing to worry about grammar.
Attention span of the technologically savvy is seriously crippled. How can you pay attention to what's going on around you if you are constantly dropping your gaze to your lap where you are receiving and sending out critical text messages.
Lord knows that my day isn't complete if I don't hear about Donna's morning Latte.0 -
Notice the math section, it actually has to do with there real life! They weren't wasting time teaching pointless math that no one uses! I can't tell you how many of my classmates didn't know how to write a check by the time they started college! But i'd just like to say, I do know the answer to U.S. History question 7, just sayin'
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Now I want to go look up all the answers...*sigh*0
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Also need to take into account Current Events
Kids now are learning of WTC, terrorism, war in Middle east
Population increase, amount of "grades"
Lack of taking it upon ourselves to watch the history channel
I totally 2nd "theroaddog" -- technology is making life much simpler and we lose our "english" skills as well. But look at years of studying and development to get to the point where I can now deposit my bank check through my phone...0 -
But look at years of studying and development to get to the point where I can now deposit my bank check through my phone...
And.....unfortunately, make it easier for the tech thief to intercept your deposit through the internet. Even our criminals are getting lazier.0 -
I was a 3.3 GPA student, with only a business degree and I can do most of that. I graduated from high school in 1996. It's changed considerably even since then.
JM0 -
My son is in the 8th grade and is busting his butt studying for the US and Illinois Constitution. His math is a LOT more difficult than when I was in school!!0
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Respect for my Elders has increased! Thanks for sharing.
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For your consideration: http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.asp
Also, this:What can you expect? Things have changed dramatically in the last 117 years. Some for the better. Some for the worse.
Scientifically, what was taught then is no longer valid or is better understood now than then.
Linguistically, the advent of modern day communication (texting, tweeting, FB, email, etc.) has dumbed up America. Most communication is not grammatically correct and most of this generation can't even punctuate correctly. Forget about spelling. We don't have time to deal with it. We're too busy LOLing and LMFAOing to worry about grammar.
Attention span of the technologically savvy is seriously crippled. How can you pay attention to what's going on around you if you are constantly dropping your gaze to your lap where you are receiving and sending out critical text messages.0 -
I agree with the comments about the math. I really like how this is directed towards real world uses. I have 1st and 4th graders at home and can't believe how fast they push math thru these kids. They don't have time to learn something before they have move onto something else.0
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What can you expect? Things have changed dramatically in the last 117 years. Some for the better. Some for the worse.
Scientifically, what was taught then is no longer valid or is better understood now than then.
Linguistically, the advent of modern day communication (texting, tweeting, FB, email, etc.) has dumbed up America. Most communication is not grammatically correct and most of this generation can't even punctuate correctly. Forget about spelling. We don't have time to deal with it. We're too busy LOLing and LMFAOing to worry about grammar.
Attention span of the technologically savvy is seriously crippled. How can you pay attention to what's going on around you if you are constantly dropping your gaze to your lap where you are receiving and sending out critical text messages.
Lord knows that my day isn't complete if I don't hear about Donna's morning Latte.
I adore you.0 -
But look at years of studying and development to get to the point where I can now deposit my bank check through my phone...
And.....unfortunately, make it easier for the tech thief to intercept your deposit through the internet. Even our criminals are getting lazier.
Still got to be smart to hack
but yesssss -- i should start running to the bank -- well actually I do sometimes ha0 -
I don't see what is so difficult about this exam. Sure, we don't know a lot of this stuff; some of it is useless and outdated, so we weren't taught it. I'm sure if we spent 8 years learning it, it would be easy enough to pick up. And a lot of it is stuff that you just don't remember after school. If you aren't particularly interested in history, you probably don't remember the significance of dates and so forth. That doesn't mean we didn't know it in 8th grade when we were learning it.0
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I'm guessing Orthography has to do with the proper oral pronunciation of the English language? You're hard pressed to find a person under 25 that can speak it properly now...0
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The History, Orthography and Geography questions are very, very simple. The english and math...less so.0
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Are you serious here? I was doing algebra in 8th grade. This is really basic.0
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Linguistically, the advent of modern day communication (texting, tweeting, FB, email, etc.) has dumbed up America. Most communication is not grammatically correct and most of this generation can't even punctuate correctly. Forget about spelling. We don't have time to deal with it. We're too busy LOLing and LMFAOing to worry about grammar.
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I'm guessing Orthography has to do with the proper oral pronunciation of the English language? You're hard pressed to find a person under 25 that can speak it properly now...
As I understand it orthography has to do with standard spellings of words and representations of sounds.
And as for speaking English "properly" - languages evolve. I'm one of those people who cringes at the misuse of your/you're, their/there/they're, etc. but I try to suppress those grammar freak issues of mine (mostly unsuccessfully lol) Language rules change over time and the English language looks and sounds different than it did even a hundred years ago; it will continue to change. I, for one, think the changes are really interesting and a study of why/how language evolution takes place is more productive than getting bent out of shape about using improper dialect; the latter seems to be an imperialistic impulse *gets off soapbox 0 -
Are you serious here? I was doing algebra in 8th grade. This is really basic.
As were most of us. But I would rather my kids be learning math like this in 8th grade and worry about the specialized stuff later.
I think kids need to learn how to live in the world before they can learn how to rule it.0 -
I was talking to the person who said the math wasn't simple. This is much simpler than what I learned in 8th grade.Are you serious here? I was doing algebra in 8th grade. This is really basic.
As were most of us. But I would rather my kids be learning math like this in 8th grade and worry about the specialized stuff later.
I think kids need to learn how to live in the world before they can learn how to rule it.
Why would you want your kids learning easy crap like this when they should already know it by 8th grade? Algebra is NOT too hard for 14-year-olds.0 -
This is mainly just an example of how I would like them taught. I just think by the time they are in 8th grade, they should take some time and learn how to use all the math they learned in the real day to day world.0
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There is another very large component to the change in education that everyone here seems to be overlooking- the incredible changes in technology that has occurred (cars, flight, space travel, computers) and the amount of history itself ( multiple wars, World Wars, rise and fall of former Soviet Union, Middle East events) . This was 117 yrs ago. There is so much more information that must be taught to students to allow them to be employable today that if the teachers focused on this information then school would have to expand to 15+ yrs instead of 12. At some point there has to be a decision to replace less important information with more important information. Kids are still doing those types of math problems because it is relevant. Having an understanding of that level of grammar rules is certainly impressive but not nearly as important as understanding how to use a computer.
In those days very few people went to college, including teachers. Now, if you need that level of information you learn it in college. Otherwise, you focus on what will likely allow you to be employable at some level (i.e. literate and able to handle basic math).0 -
This is mainly just an example of how I would like them taught. I just think by the time they are in 8th grade, they should take some time and learn how to use all the math they learned in the real day to day world.
There must be a big difference between public schools- my 9 yr old is learning this type of math now and my 13 yr old in 8th grade can do this in her sleep.0 -
I have just added another layer of respect for my paternal grandparents, both graduated from COLLEGE in 1902 and worked as educators most of their lives. I remember them both as being extremely brilliant (though I lost them at a young age).0
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