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These are examples of questions eighth grade students were asked in 1910 in an Olympia, Washington, school district. Keep in mind, they needed to pass this exam to move on to high school.
Would you be able to pass?
Name three different ways in which a noun may be used in the nominative case, and three ways in which a noun may be used in the objective case.
Mark diacritically the vowels in the following: banana, admire, golden, ticket, lunch.
Spell 30 words including emblematic, declension, pernicious, laudanum and soliloquy.
What has made the names of each of the following historical? Alexander Hamilton, U.S. Grant, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Cyrus W. Field, Clara Barton.
How do you distinguish between the terms Puritans, Pilgrims, and Separatists?
(a) State briefly the causes of the War of 1812. (b) Name two engagements. (c) Two prominent American Commanders.
Name five important cities and five products of Canada.
What and where are the following? Liverpool, Panama, Suez, Ural, Liberia, Quebec, Pikes Peak, Yosemite, Danube, San Diego.
Divide 304487 by 931.
Find the square root of 95.6484.
Find the sum of 5/9, 5/6, 3/4, 11/36.
What number diminished by 33 1/3 percent of itself equals 38?
Quote two stanzas of “America.”
Name five American poets, and give a quotation from each.
Female students in science class, early 20th century
Female students in science class, early 20th century
Trace a drop of blood from the time it enters the left ventricle, until it returns to its starting point, and name the different valves and principal arteries and veins through which it passes.
Explain why health depends largely upon habit.
Locate the thoracic duct.
Give some good reasons why boys should not smoke cigarettes.
What do you understand about the germ theory of disease?
If you succeed in obtaining an eighth-grade diploma, do you expect to attend school next term? Where?
There is a stereotype that our ancestors were not as intelligent as we are, but judging from these test questions, the opposite certainly seems true. They were highly educated and at a young age.
Eighth graders are, after all, 13 and 14 years old.
How many eighth graders today do you think would pass? Do you think the educational system has improved or declined since 1910? Leave your comments below.
My father grew up in a hick town in a hick state in the early 20th century. He learned Latin and Greek in elementary school. He was still reading his many books written in Greek well into his older years.
He could add a grocery bill, looking at it upside down, faster than the clerk could add it on pencil and paper. This was before crutches such as adding machines which, among other things, helped dumb down the general populace.
Most of these aren't difficult, and shouldn't be, for kids who had just completed the courses of study the questions are based on. The one thing that stands out here, is that they used to teach anatomy and physiology in junior high. Now they don't teach it anywhere in school, except possibly as a HS elective, in some schools. I think it should be required, at some point.
I have known many, many people that are highly intelligent that did not go to college. But maybe our definition is different. Honestly it has occurred to me many times that the more "book smart" a person is only makes them good at facts and figures. But I am frequently left scratching my head at their work projects or life choices. I get that book smarts is deemed intelligent in academia. But my experience has been that type of person is considerably less wise. Not deep thinkers, lazy, poor problem solving and exercise poor judgement. ...but they sure know a lot of stuff!
In my own highering practices I have discovered wisdom seems to offset the "book smarts". They tend to work harder too.
Frankly it seems these days we are replacing wisdom with intelligence.
Personally, I have no college degree and my wage is in the top 15% of the country. So nope, I don't put too much credence in it.
How many "smart" people have you met that didn't have the brains to get in out of the rain? They were/are academically smart, but can't function in the real world to figure out how doors work, how to drive a car, literally, how to replace a light bulb.
I ran an institutional trading desk for many years. Block trades. Millions of dollars involved on any given trade. The people handling these trades were risking a LOT of money and had to be on top of their game. Smart.
The best traders were not the most educated, but the people with the most smarts. Intelligence. Street smarts. Guys who had intuition. Guys who could read emotion and personalities. Guys who came in from the street where every day people were trying to take advantage of them, and they learned how to survive. How to be 'street smart'.
I would put those guys up against any academically trained individual to do the job we asked of them
I have a masters. When interviewing, I used to tell people it is a handicap which I have overcome. People 'got it' and understood what I was saying, and more often than not, asked me to join with them.
Most of these aren't difficult, and shouldn't be, for kids who had just completed the courses of study the questions are based on. The one thing that stands out here, is that they used to teach anatomy and physiology in junior high. Now they don't teach it anywhere in school, except possibly as a HS elective, in some schools. I think it should be required, at some point.
Agreed the questions aren't really difficult if you've been studying that stuff. I sort of recall my kids learning a little anat and phys in middle school. I could be wrong though, that was about 20 years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
How many "smart" people have you met that didn't have the brains to get in out of the rain? They were/are academically smart, but can't function in the real world to figure out how doors work, how to drive a car, literally, how to replace a light bulb.
I ran an institutional trading desk for many years. Block trades. Millions of dollars involved on any given trade. The people handling these trades were risking a LOT of money and had to be on top of their game. Smart.
The best traders were not the most educated, but the people with the most smarts. Intelligence. Street smarts. Guys who had intuition. Guys who could read emotion and personalities. Guys who came in from the street where every day people were trying to take advantage of them, and they learned how to survive. How to be 'street smart'.
I would put those guys up against any academically trained individual to do the job we asked of them
I have a masters. When interviewing, I used to tell people it is a handicap which I have overcome. People 'got it' and understood what I was saying, and more often than not, asked me to join with them.
None. None at all. My husband has a PhD and when we were dating we hung out with a lot of the people in his group. None of them fit that description. Many of them, including DH, are very "handy". I have continued to find that to be the case throughout my journey through life. In my "illustrious" (/s) nursing career, I worked as a public health nurse. I met lots of people from all walks of life. IME, the more educated people were, the more functional they were as well.
Some educated people tend to veer outside their area of expertise. I worked as a project manager at a medical school/research university, where the standing joke was, "Are you a real doctor, or an MD?" A large part of my job was blocking Ph.D.s and MDs who would walk in and start giving contractors ridiculous and ignorant directions that would ruin the project budget.
None. None at all. My husband has a PhD and when we were dating we hung out with a lot of the people in his group. None of them fit that description. Many of them, including DH, are very "handy". I have continued to find that to be the case throughout my journey through life. In my "illustrious" (/s) nursing career, I worked as a public health nurse. I met lots of people from all walks of life. IME, the more educated people were, the more functional they were as well.
It's too bad you don't appreciate your education.
Thank you for saying that, because I was about to say it too! Whenever this subject is discussed, there is ALWAYS one person who chimes in with "college-educated people have no practical knowledge" blah blah. And yet I don't know anyone who is that clueless, regardless of their education, unless maybe they have an actual intellectual disability. Even then it would be rare.
In reality, there is no blanket answer to this question. Of course there are smart people without degrees, and some are even smarter than those with multiple degrees... but to make any correlations between education and practical skills/knowledge is just hyperbole, plus it's assuming everyone with a formal education is/was "privileged." But there are still people who work and fight (obstacles) their way through school, and even the more privileged can still gain practical life skills along the way. I would fit in the latter category, for the record.
Thank you for saying that, because I was about to say it too! Whenever this subject is discussed, there is ALWAYS one person who chimes in with "college-educated people have no practical knowledge" blah blah. And yet I don't know anyone who is that clueless, regardless of their education, unless maybe they have an actual intellectual disability. Even then it would be rare.
In reality, there is no blanket answer to this question. Of course there are smart people without degrees, and some are even smarter than those with multiple degrees... but to make any correlations between education and practical skills/knowledge is just hyperbole, plus it's assuming everyone with a formal education is/was "privileged." But there are still people who work and fight (obstacles) their way through school, and even the more privileged can still gain practical life skills along the way. I would fit in the latter category, for the record.
Well, I've got a bachelor's degree, but I've overhauled automobile engines, I've been building my own computers since the early 80s, I can hang a door, set a toilet, solder copper pipe, install a water heater, repair a washing machine, hang drywall, frame a room, pour concrete, install a basement egress window, be a single parent, deliver pizza, plan an SR-71 reconnaissance mission, survive in a jungle, bake a cake, scramble an egg, write a novel, write a technical instruction, finish a century ride, and just yesterday impressed my wife.
Outside of high SAT scores and high GPAs do you measure intelligence in any other way?
When I was in school and college my classmates were obsessed into a frenzy about scores and GPAs. But are there other types of intelligence that are relevant outside of the ivory towers?
IQ scores are used to measure native intelligence, however, students from upper income families tend to score better.
A GPA, is a Grade Point Average, usually referencing grades in higher education, college. They measure academic performance during a a particular semester, year, or academic career. They have little to do witth intellect.
Among the "elite", upper income, a GPA of "2.00" or a "C", has long been called a "Gentlema's C". Are all students who have mediocre averages, are mediocre intellectually.
"SAT" stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test. It is used to measure a students readiness and ability to master college and university level material. In the Midwest and South, the "ACT" - American College Test - is used more frequently. Neither, measure intelligence, per, se; but the ability to to perform at the college level.
I hold a masters degree. I have worked as a roofer - slate, hot tar, shingle, a house painter, a mechanic, a plumber assistant and a carpenter. With the exception of roofing, I still maintain my own home, and vehicles, when needed.
Well, I've got a bachelor's degree, but I've overhauled automobile engines, I've been building my own computers since the early 80s, I can hang a door, set a toilet, solder copper pipe, install a water heater, repair a washing machine, hang drywall, frame a room, pour concrete, install a basement egress window, be a single parent, deliver pizza, plan an SR-71 reconnaissance mission, survive in a jungle, bake a cake, scramble an egg, write a novel, write a technical instruction, finish a century ride, and just yesterday impressed my wife.
And quote Heinlein.
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