Are you smarter than an 8th grader (from 100yrs ago) (revolution, speech)

[Dreamweavers]

If ever you had a question as to whether or not we are being "dumbed down", just try to pass this test :

8thgrade 08/09/2006 02:36 AM
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1895 TEST
This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 from Salina, Kansas. 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.
8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 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 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 cts. per bu, 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
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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?
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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.
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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.
http://www.jordanmaxwell.com/articles/8th%20Grade%20Test.pdf (broken link)

[Hawkeye48]

I see your point, but it's really comparing apples and oranges. One hundred years ago students learned to read, write and do math. Today with the advances in technology students learn a lot of science and other subjects students one hundred years ago didn't.

Basically students one hundred years ago learned a lot about a very small number of school subjects. Today, students learn a small amount of a very large number of subjects.

[lexi]

Originally Posted by Dreamweavers

If ever you had a question as to whether or not we are being "dumbed down", just try to pass this test :

This is scary!

[ElkHunter]

It ain't scary at all. Our kids are sharper and smarter. They have to take drivers tests (didn't have cars then) they have to figure how to program and upload their IPOD'S. Let's see one of those 8th graders in 1895 do that. They have to learn how to store address' and names and numbers in the cell phone. They have to be very selective and thoughtful on which ring tone they want for each person. That's not an easy task. Putting them in the phone is easy, but convincing mom and dad that you really really need them at $ .99 each is the tough part. back then they waltzed. Now, the kids have to learn 384 different dance moves. Heck, look at the controls in the sportscar you bought them.

And finally. They have to remember to say, "Do you want fry's with that burger?" And remember, they get a bonus on their check if they sold the most "Hot apple pies".