1895 8th Grade Exam

[rkmsuf]

Ok this pwned me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 1895

Is this a hoax or not? Some say maybe, but it is not, after further research. For details of its provenance, read footnotes on page here.


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.

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 50cts. 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.

The top of the test states > "EXAMINATION GRADUATION QUESTIONS OF SALINE COUNTY, KANSAS
April 13, 1895 J.W. Armstrong, County Superintendent.Examinations at Salina, New Cambria, Gypsum City, Assaria, Falun, Bavaria, and District No. 74 (in Glendale Twp.)"

According to the Smoky Valley Genealogy Society, Salina, Kansas "this test is the original eighth-grade final exam for 1895 from Salina, KS. An interesting note is the fact that the county students taking this test were allowed to take the test in the 7th grade, and if they did not pass the test at that time, they were allowed to re-take it again in the 8th grade."



hxxp://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/2333-American-Education,-1895.html

[Brillig]

I think this would pwn most modern college graduates.

On second thought, add most folks with post-graduate degrees.

[JeeberD]

I need a scantron before I can take this...

[duckman]

Is this an open book test?

[Lathum]

ummm

[Shkspr]

I think this would pwn most modern college graduates.

On second thought, add most folks with post-graduate degrees.

On the other hand, if you used rote teaching methods without regard for critical thinking skills and adaptive reasoning, you could probably drill this into a bunch of 8th graders rather easily. However, they would likely be confused and bewildered by the "on" button of a VCR.

[Passacaglia]

Wow, I am the first to snopes?

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

[Franklinnoble]

Yeah... if I had a PC connected to the Internet, I *might* be able to finish that test on time.

[cartman]

P0wn3d by Snopes:

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

edit: Dang, beaten by Pass.

[rkmsuf]

pwned by the test that pwned me

[Brillig]

I'd point out that Snopes doesn't dispute that the test is, in fact, exactly what it purports to be, only that the test proves a decline in educational standards.

While I agree with Snopes' general argument that some of the subject matter is arcane (i.e., rods, bushels, orthography), much of the subject matter is not and yet I still suspect most adults would fail these miserably.

[Riggins44]

This must have been before the guvment started learning us.

[Passacaglia]

I'd point out that Snopes doesn't dispute that the test is, in fact, exactly what it purports to be, only that the test proves a decline in educational standards.

Yeah -- I kept waiting for the article to say that it could find no evidence of the test existing. Oh, well.

[MJ4H]

Note that snopes does not say that the test isn't real. It says false to the conclusion drawn that it demonstrates a severe decline in educational standards (which, snopes is right, it doesn't).

edit: i were pawn

[JeeberD]

4. Multiply 7/8 by .000018 and divide the product by 27 millionths.

Math REALLY makes my head hurt.

[WSUCougar]

I believe the answers are all "2/3"

[Klinglerware]

On the other hand, if you used rote teaching methods without regard for critical thinking skills and adaptive reasoning, you could probably drill this into a bunch of 8th graders rather easily. However, they would likely be confused and bewildered by the "on" button of a VCR.

Good point. Back in catholic school, rote memorization was a favored technique. We were drilled to regurgitate "The Pope is the Vicar of Christ". "The Pope is the Vicar of Christ". "The Pope is the Vicar of Christ". It's still in my head to this day.

How did that prepare me for the world? I do not know...

[Shkspr]

Math REALLY makes my head hurt.

See, now THAT one I can do in my head. 7/12. It's the regurgitation on most of these which makes them seem tough.

[Anthony]

I'd point out that Snopes doesn't dispute that the test is, in fact, exactly what it purports to be, only that the test proves a decline in educational standards.

While I agree with Snopes' general argument that some of the subject matter is arcane (i.e., rods, bushels, orthography), much of the subject matter is not and yet I still suspect most adults would fail these miserably.

correct.

[cartman]

I still remember from Latin class:

us i o um o
i orum i os is

Can't for the life of me remember what they were for, something about conjugation of verbs or declination of nouns.

[Maple Leafs]

My theory is that this is the test they accidentally gave Vince Young.

[digamma]

Nouns, I think.

Verbs were
-o
-s
-t
-mus
-tis
-nt

....I think.

[rkmsuf]

My theory is that this is the test they accidentally gave Vince Young.

Huckleberry's secret is out!

[Klinglerware]

Nouns, I think.

Verbs were
-o
-s
-t
-mus
-tis
-nt

....I think.

Yep, pretty much. I had to memorize "m or o, s, t, mus, tis, nt".

[dubb93]

My theory is that this is the test they accidentally gave Vince Young.

I could see Vince Young getting his test and reading the first two questions...

1. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?


2. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts. per bu, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?

[Whar]

Most adults would fail an 8th grade final exam from 2005.

As test go this one is remarkably easy if you were presented the course material for a year. Look at these questions ...

"What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation. "

The only tricky punctuation marks are semi-colon, colon, and that damn comma. To this day I still drop comma based on the "it-looks-like-it-belonged-there" principle.

The math section is a joke.

The History section is about the same.

Other than Grammar and Orthography (I can not define the word : ) ) this test does not look too hard.

I am not trying to sound like an egostical jerk but I would expect alot more from a student with 8 years of education than "Define climate?" or "What use is a river?".

[RPI-Fan]

This test is not that hard. Given that students probably spent a solid month hardcore studying for it (as it appears to be some kind of end-of-year test), it's simple.

If you gave me an 8-hour day to study and access to a library I'd score pretty well.

[Maple Leafs]

The only tricky punctuation marks are semi-colon, colon, and that damn comma. To this day I still drop comma based on the "it-looks-like-it-belonged-there" principle.

You have two halves of a sentence. Look at both of them.

- If they both could be sentences on their own, use a semi-colon.

- If one could be a sentence on its own, use a comma.

- If neither could be a sentence on its own, use nothing.

There, problem solved. You're set for life.

[clintl]

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.


Aside from the question of whether it's a hard test or not, what kind of moron puts a question like this on a test in a section where you only have 45 minutes, and 7 other questions to answer?

[AENeuman]

This test is old school. There is almost no critical thinking required, if you can memorize you can pass this test.
Would venture to guess that for a lot of the students this would be their last year of schooling. So I guess if you are going to work on the farm/factory from now on the skills required to pass this test are appropriate

[Buccaneer]

This test is old school. There is almost no critical thinking required, if you can memorize you can pass this test.
Would venture to guess that for a lot of the students this would be their last year of schooling. So I guess if you are going to work on the farm/factory from now on the skills required to pass this test are appropriate

I would say that all of the math questions as well as this one, "3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War." deos require critical thinking.

What kind of test do you think 8th graders would pass today that would require critical thinking?

[RPI-Fan]

I would say that all of the math questions as well as this one, "3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War." deos require critical thinking.

What kind of test do you think 8th graders would pass today that would require critical thinking?

The math ones are not critical thinking.

[Buccaneer]

The math ones are not critical thinking.

I think most of them are. You can re-arrange the clues and put them in a word problem if you like but one would still break them down to equations in order to solve them, esp. those involving several iterative statements.

[RPI-Fan]

I think most of them are. You can re-arrange the clues and put them in a word problem if you like but one would still break them down to equations in order to solve them, esp. those involving several iterative statements.

BTW did not mean to sound so rude in my reply. :)

I think my problem is with the definition of 'critical thinking'. I just don't see how what is not even a basic algebra question can be considered 'critical thinking'.

[Buccaneer]

Here's something I just found

http://www.examgen.com/gpdf/Math%20Critical%20Thinking%20Questions.pdf

I don't think some of these questions are that different than some of the ones here.

[Shkspr]

If a classroom in 1895 had spent a couple of weeks looking at the Revolutionary War from lots of different angles, dropped in several different primary sources, and challenges the students to pick out the most relevant causes, then yes, that would be critical thinking.

I strongly suspect that the teacher in 1895 would have delivered a lecture that began "The causes of the Revolutionary war were..." and ended with "The results were..." and the student's grade depended on remembering them close to verbatim. Now, we could ask the same question today and it would require critical thinking...because a late 20th/early 21st century approach to learning teaches critical thinking.

[RPI-Fan]

If a classroom in 1895 had spent a couple of weeks looking at the Revolutionary War from lots of different angles, dropped in several different primary sources, and challenges the students to pick out the most relevant causes, then yes, that would be critical thinking.

I strongly suspect that the teacher in 1895 would have delivered a lecture that began "The causes of the Revolutionary war were..." and ended with "The results were..." and the student's grade depended on remembering them close to verbatim. Now, we could ask the same question today and it would require critical thinking...because a late 20th/early 21st century approach to learning teaches critical thinking.

That's really quite silly. Just because textbooks include "Skills exercises" and "critical analysis" boxes at the end of chapter does not mean the methods of teaching have truly changed.

I'd recommend <u>Lies My Teacher Told Me</u> by James Loewen.

Though I dislike the book in many ways, Mr. Loewen, albeit with an agenda, does a fair enough job emphasizing the problems with the state of social studies education today. There is compelling evidence that it really has not progressed at all over the past century.

[Barkeep49]

I still call BS on this test.

[Buccaneer]

If a classroom in 1895 had spent a couple of weeks looking at the Revolutionary War from lots of different angles, dropped in several different primary sources, and challenges the students to pick out the most relevant causes, then yes, that would be critical thinking.

I strongly suspect that the teacher in 1895 would have delivered a lecture that began "The causes of the Revolutionary war were..." and ended with "The results were..." and the student's grade depended on remembering them close to verbatim. Now, we could ask the same question today and it would require critical thinking...because a late 20th/early 21st century approach to learning teaches critical thinking.

Do you think that the approach today been successful?

Rote learning sucks but perhaps it is more measureable. I think it is harder to judge a student whether they "get it" or not, esp. on a subject like the Amer Rev. I remember similar critical thinking exercises and tests where I really didn't know the subject well but just bullshitted like I did, putting in key words and phrases here and there. I was also on the other side when I taught geography in grad school and just looked for key words and phrases in the blue book. In a written exam, you can't be sure if they are thinking critically and thus, don't really know if they learned anything. One can engage the student in a oral or written conversation to see if they can connect the dots but there's no time for that when you have to make a measureable and gradable entry into the school database by the end of the day tomorrow.

[RPI-Fan]

Do you think that the approach today been successful?

Rote learning sucks but perhaps it is more measureable. I think it is harder to judge a student whether they "get it" or not, esp. on a subject like the Amer Rev. I remember similar critical thinking exercises and tests where I really didn't know the subject well but just bullshitted like I did, putting in key words and phrases here and there. I was also on the other side when I taught geography in grad school and just looked for key words and phrases in the blue book. In a written exam, you can't be sure if they are thinking critically and thus, don't really know if they learned anything. One can engage the student in a oral or written conversation to see if they can connect the dots but there's no time for that when you have to make a measureable and gradable entry into the school database by the end of the day tomorrow.

When I took AP History exams in high school they asked excellent essay questions and as far as I could tell were graded as well as any paper in high school or college.

As far as I know those AP tests are the fairest 'critical thinking' <u>exams</u> at any level - middle school, high school, undergrad, grad.

[Buccaneer]

That's really quite silly. Just because textbooks include "Skills exercises" and "critical analysis" boxes at the end of chapter does not mean the methods of teaching have truly changed.

I'd recommend Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen.

Though I dislike the book in many ways, Mr. Loewen, albeit with an agenda, does a fair enough job emphasizing the problems with the state of social studies education today. There is compelling evidence that it really has not progressed at all over the past century.

I think that's where I am coming from, in part. My two subjects are geography and history and I am dismayed at the illiteracy of both subjects in the past 30 years. There are exceptions out there (that's for you, bro :) ) but do you think there is something to the oft-told joke about many students cannot even find a certain country on a map? If they can't find a country or know of its region, its resources (or lack thereof), its neighbors, etc., how can you even begin to assess current geopolitical issues and to connect the dots to their geopolitical, economical and cultural relevance throughout history? I think one has to have a foundation of knowledge in order to build critical thinking.

[RPI-Fan]

I think that's where I am coming from, in part. My two subjects are geography and history and I am dismayed at the illiteracy of both subjects in the past 30 years. There are exceptions out there (that's for you, bro :) ) but do you think there is something to the oft-told joke about many students cannot even find a certain country on a map? If they can't find a country or know of its region, its resources (or lack thereof), its neighbors, etc., how can you even begin to assess current geopolitical issues and to connect the dots to their geopolitical, economical and cultural relevance throughout history? I think one has to have a foundation of knowledge in order to build critical thinking.

Funny how quickly we converged to exactly the same line of thought. :)

[Buccaneer]

When I took AP History exams in high school they asked excellent essay questions and as far as I could tell were graded as well as any paper in high school or college.

As far as I know those AP tests are the fairest 'critical thinking' exams at any level - middle school, high school, undergrad, grad.

What is AP?

I recall when growing up in New York State that there were HS Sr. exams that must passed in order to graduate. I think my parents were shocked to learn that not all states have such an exam and that other states (that I lived in the West and South) ridicule such a stringent requirement that NY had.

[RPI-Fan]

What is AP?

I recall when growing up in New York State that there were HS Sr. exams that must passed in order to graduate. I think my parents were shocked to learn that not all states have such an exam and that other states (that I lived in the West and South) ridicule such a stringent requirement that NY had.

Two totally different things.

There still are end-of-year tests. Called "Regents Exams". They are stupid and way too easy. On my U.S. History one I got a 100% (there are 3 essays, and 40 multiple choice questions), finishing in 45 minutes out of an available 3 hours.

On the AP Exam, which is a nationwide test you can earn college credit if you do well on, I studied my ass off (at least by my standards, which meant 3-4 hours of actual studying), took the full 3 hours on the test (3 essays & 80 multiple choice), and scratched & clawed my way to a 4 out of 5, which IMO was a fair result.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

1895 was the age of my great-grandparents. Considering that the highest level of education any of my grandparents completed was the 8th grade, I would doubt that a large percentage of the 1895 population could have passed this exam.

[Shkspr]

That's really quite silly. Just because textbooks include "Skills exercises" and "critical analysis" boxes at the end of chapter does not mean the methods of teaching have truly changed.

I'd recommend <u>Lies My Teacher Told Me</u> by James Loewen.

Though I dislike the book in many ways, Mr. Loewen, albeit with an agenda, does a fair enough job emphasizing the problems with the state of social studies education today. There is compelling evidence that it really has not progressed at all over the past century.

This may be a case where my experience falls far enough outside the mainstream as to make me somewhat blind on this topic - after visiting Loewen's website, I suspect that one reason my history classes tended to toss their textbooks in favor of primary sources and seminars is because he either had a hand in designing the curriculum we used or was an influential colleague of those who did. Nevertheless, I'll dig out my copy and give it another look.

I've tried a few different ways to put my skepticism of your scoffing into words the last little while or so and I'm not sure we can reconcile them. I look at the education I had and can't conceive that the things my instructors did would have even been possible, let alone tolerated, in 1895 rural Kansas. The idea that the bulk of classrooms still do nothing to promote the asking of questions and challenging of theories is pretty well at odds with the way I was taught in the last 20 years or so.

Then again, there aren't a hell of a lot of 10 year olds that wind up dumping Little League to perform Shakespeare, either. :)

[sterlingice]

I still remember from Latin class:

us i o um o
i orum i os is

Can't for the life of me remember what they were for, something about conjugation of verbs or declination of nouns.

Actually, that's
us i o um o
i orum is os is

That's 2nd or 3rd declension masculine nouns, I forget which.

SI

[AENeuman]

I would say that all of the math questions as well as this one, "3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War." deos require critical thinking.

What kind of test do you think 8th graders would pass today that would require critical thinking?

If the test said "pick two of the seven questions and write an essay...." it would be higher order thinking. BUT with 45 mins and 18 questions in the history part the student would have no choice other than regugitate learned information.

Again, I think this test and the ones now DO prepare the students for the world they will live/work in. The problem is everyone (parents) expect their kids to go to school and come out ready for Stanford, when really the majority will be working the same sucky jobs as their parents, to which they will be qualified for. The students and parents that really want to go further do more than complain. They enroll in the AP classes, the parents stimulate them with more than video games, they demand more from the teachers, the kid and themselves. (Like with holding their warm Tang until they say the capital of Alabama, big brothers are the best for this)

But like the teachers in 1895 it's not a bad thing to prepare students for farming/factory/retail jobs... as long as that's not the only option.

[tanglewood]

If this is real, then the history section is a complete joke.


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?


Also I agre completely with Snopes. If you had been taught in an 1895 Kansas 8th grade class for a year before taking this test you would be able to do it much, much easier. A large number of the questions seem to call fo simple rote-based parroting of facts you are meant to have memorised from class.

[Buccaneer]

(Like with holding their warm Tang until they say the capital of Alabama, big brothers are the best for this)


LOL. And when you didn't get it right, I dumped it on you.