1895 Eighth Grade Test!

Note to MODs; The following came from a site with no copywrite. Found the test interesting... just slightly more complex than the questions I was acustom to answering on tests in grade school and junior high.


8th Grade Test from 1895




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 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.

Imagine a college student who went to public school trying to pass this test, even if the few outdated questions were modernized. Imagine their professors even being able to pass the 8th Grade. Can Americans, student and professor alike, get back up to the 8th Grade level of 1895?

I seriously doubt there is anyone in America who could pass this simple test. Some professors could pass the subjects they have a doctorate in, but they would fail the rest. This is absolute proof that the New World Odor Gang has succeeded in dumbing down the American people. Is it no wonder few Americans realize they are being led to the slaughter?

Click Here for the Answers

I wonder the same.

 

["I wonder the same" is the only comment by this poster. Got any other barbs?]

Don't wrest with me....... I've got nostalgic PMS!

 

Ain't it funny........ how quickly some of you stepped into it too.......

I've been humored more by these reactions!:tongue3:

 

Okay.......

I promise I'll try to behave now......



Teacher threw me into the corner with my nose to the wall....

 

I'm sorry about posting the test in the News and Current Events Section. I really had forgotten that it's been here before and just happened across it in my searches.

Some of the subsequent postings I made under that same subject were an effort to 'save face' for which I also apologize to you, admitting to my foolish pride.

Though my last postings imply that I set up the members on this board..... that was not my intention either.

Please forgive me. As difficult as reading must be for bad eyes... I should be more careful and thoughtful and SINCERE when posting.

Please forgive me.

 

There was nothing about it to believe except I found it strikingly familiar to the tests I had in grade school and junior high.... and posted it because it was interesting ..... to me any way.... and wondered how it might compare to today.

Of course very few children will experience the 'back to basics' life style of a few generations ago which required them to know what a bushel and a peck was, or board feet for lumber.

I have some questions regarding the answers posted at that site also... but I guess I've done too much damage already... got to go post some more 'eat my hat' referances..... Credibility is important to me.... but sometimes I guess I jump the gun.