Beat The Eighth Grader!

[Dob]

This test has been offered as an example of how far our educational standards have fallen in 100 years. While I think that's a bit unfair, as some of the terminology used here is simply unfamiliar to us, I think it's safe to say that discipline and rigor were much more strictly enforced back then.

On a personal note, as the parent of a (public) grade school age child, I am appalled at the spelling and grammar of my son's teachers, let alone the students.

*8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas – April 13 1895*

*It was taken from the original document on file at the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, Kansas and reprinted by the Salina Journal.*

*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 do, lie, lay 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 50 cents per 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 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 inch?

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 around 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, and 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, super.

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 N.A.

5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,

Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.

6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.

7. Name all the republics of Europe and give 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 inclination of the earth.

[Patrick M]

http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.htm

[Rspaight]

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.

I love that one.

Here's some more on this:

http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.htm

Though they label it as "false," they never really claim that it's a fake. Still an interesting take.

Ryan

[Rspaight]

Damn, Patrick, you scare me sometimes.

Ryan

[Patrick M]

You're so damn slow, Ryan.

[Dob]

Though they label it as "false," they never really claim that it's a fake. Still an interesting take.

Yeah...for a second I thought I was taken in by a hoax, then I saw that their only argument was with the implications of the test. And I do agree somewhat (as I posted before).

But I stand by my statement about rigor and discipline. I get the strong impression that, back in 1895, educated people were genuinely embarassed by a misspelled word or poor grammar. Now, it's considered bad form to correct a child ("oh come on, you know what he meant. Don't belittle him!), and some even consider such errors charming and "down to earth" (as opposed to the person striving for correctness, who is seen as cold and arrogant).

I once worked with an HR manager who had the absolute worst penmanship - totally illegible. When I expressed a bit of frustration with trying to read her "chicken scratching" (I didn't say that, but I sure wanted to), she laughed and replied "Yes, my penmanship is as bad as a doctor's on a prescription". How special, comparing herself with a doctor. Guess that sounds better than "Yes, a retarded chimpanzee has better penmanship than I do".

[Rspaight]

If nothing else, you can just listen to a network news broadcast from thirty years ago, and then one from today. The definition of "dumbed down" becomes abundantly clear.

Re: grammar, my wife and I have amusing arguments about this. I tend more toward Dob's view that dammit, proper grammar matters. If you can't be bothered to say something correctly and clearly, then shut the hell up.

My wife, on the other hand, has a master's in linguistics and patiently tries to explain to me that languages *evolve*, variations are a normal part of the process, and some things that are considered errors today will in the future be considered correct, and that I should just chill out and let the language manage itself.

So, my compromise position is to recognize that I'm fighting a losing battle but still bitch and moan about it anyway.

Ryan

[Patrick M]

Now, it's considered bad form to correct a child ("oh come on, you know what he meant. Don't belittle him!), and some even consider such errors charming and "down to earth" (as opposed to the person striving for correctness, who is seen as cold and arrogant).

You're missing a quotation mark there.

I once worked with an HR manager who had the absolute worst penmanship - totally illegible.

http://essayinfo.com/sguides/dash.php

When I expressed a bit of frustration with trying to read her "chicken scratching" (I didn't say that, but I sure wanted to), she laughed and replied "Yes, my penmanship is as bad as a doctor's on a prescription". How special, comparing herself with a doctor. Guess that sounds better than "Yes, a retarded chimpanzee has better penmanship than I do".

http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/r/a/r ... on%20Marks

[Dob]

You're missing a quotation mark there.

Yes...but it doesn't matter, as I would have put it in the wrong place anyway. Doctors have problems with quotation mark usage too.

I think I do pretty well for someone who once worked at Staples...

[Dob]

http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.htm

I take it that you agree with their assessment?

[Patrick M]

I think I do pretty well for someone who once worked at Staples...

Did you ever know a guy who worked as a PC technician and had an unusual fascination with this guy?

[Patrick M]

http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.htm

I take it that you agree with their assessment?

I didn't read the whole thing.

I'm loath to make any sweeping generalizations here. From what I've heard in this state, KERA sucks and the high school I attended has watered down its curriculum considerably in the last decade.

[Dob]

From what I've heard in this state, KERA sucks...

KERA = Kentucky Educational Reform Act?

So you're saying that the assessment tests don't do a good job of being the school system's "report card"?

[Dob]

Did you ever know a guy who worked as a PC technician and had an unusual fascination with this guy?

Well, actually I worked as a PC technician. Seeing Grimace's picture brings back a lot of bittersweet memories for me. It wasn't a "fascination", it was just a simple friendship. If you must know, though, we are no longer on speaking terms ever since he was the cause of my getting fired at Staples. But that's a long story...

[Patrick M]

KERA = Kentucky Educational Reform Act?

Yep.

So you're saying that the assessment tests don't do a good job of being the school system's "report card"?

Not sure about that, but I do know a lot of schools just wind up teaching the test anyway.

The specific part of KERA I've heard a lot about is the portfolio requirements, which are horrible and useless.