[Winona Online Democracy]
Your illustration and point is good. I found the education my three sons
received in Winona's public schools(k-12) was excellent and that goes for
their teachers as well.
Paul Double
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From: "Paul Olberding" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>References: <006401c09b62$f538bb10$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [Winona] 8th Grade Test from 1895
>Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 21:51:58 -0600
>X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
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>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>[Winona Online Democracy]
>
>I find it a little interesting to see a number of people thinking that this
>8th grade test from 1895 is a lot harder than what is being taught today in
>our schools. I personally do not think this is significantly harder. I
>agree that they were teaching in a different time, using different methods,
>looking for different skills, etc. I would hope that our teaching methods
>and materials had changed in the last 100 years. It took 2/3 of that time
>period to discontinue the practice of corporal punishment(beating of
>students). As regards the math questions I pulled out my sons 7th grade
>math book to see how it compared. Follows are a few samples, you decide.
>
>1. Solve 90=1/2(n+6)
>2. Eric had a 3.5 second head start, but was beaten in the 440 yard dash.
>How long had he run when the winner crossed the finish line in 62.9 seconds?
>Write the needed equqtion and solve.
>3. What is the volume of a cone where r=4 cm, and h=6.5cm?
>4. How many lines of symetry does a pentagon have?
>5. Gold is 19.3 times as heavy as water. Write an expression that gives
>the weight of a cubic foot of gold, given the weight w of a cubic foot of
>water.
>6. Evalute the equation you created in # 5 where w = 62.4 lbs.
>
>I think we just need to keep all of this in perspective. I could probably
>solve most of these math questions on both tests with a little bit of prep
>time, but math was one of my best subjects in school. On the other hand
>don't ask me do the english portions from either era, its not my strong
>suit. I think a lot of people could say the same thing about one section or
>another. My closing point is don't sell the current students or teachers
>short, times have changed and I for one am thankful for that.
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jerome Christenson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Winona Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 20Here is the stuff for science~scott call me at
>453-9334 if therre are any troubles with this01 11:30 AM
>Subject: Re: [Winona] 8th Grade Test from 1895
>
>
>> [Winona Online Democracy]
>>
>> Looking at the questions on this test it is apparent that it was intended
>> that the young people taking this test would be prepared to take their
>place
>> in the community as adults. They would be able to double check the
>elevator
>> manager when they sold their grain, know if the banker was trying to cheat
>> them on a loan, and be able to figure how much lumber they'd be needing
>when
>> it was time to build a new barn. These were adult situations and entirely
>> appropriate, since, upon completing eighth grade most people were done
>with
>> school and expected to go to work in the adult world.
>> We don't have such high expectations for our youngsters any more. We
>refer
>> to people in their mid-twenties as "college kids" and make excuses for
>them
>> our great-great grandparents wouldn't have made for eight-year-olds. More
>> than anything else this test shows how far we've infantalized our young
>> people and our culture.
>> Perhaps we should consider the likelihood that our school day, school
>> year, and expected period of formal education are all too long. Is our
>> education system structured to give young people the skills and
>information
>> they need to be productive adults or to provide secure and remunerative
>> employment for teachers, administrators and professors of education?
>> Enquiring minds want to know...
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Craig Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: onlinedemocracy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Sunday, February 18, 2001 10:57 AM
>> Subject: [Winona] 8th Grade Test from 1895
>>
>>
>> >[Winona Online Democracy]
>> >
>> >The following has been going around the Internet.
>> >My first thought was--
>> >This can't be for real??
>> >I didn't think it could possibly be true and checked with the Salina
>> >paper and then found
>> >this site which confirmed it is for real - (in fact - children took it
>> >in the 7th grade)--
>> >http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/genweb/ottawa/exam.html
>> >With all the debate over public education, funding, grad standards,
>> >etc. this 19th Century test gave me cause to wonder---
>> >*************************
>> >8th GRADE TEST
>> >We have all heard of someone who became successful with
>> >"only an 8th grade education". Well take a look at this: a copy of
>> >the actual test used in 1895 by one school system in Kansas. It
>> >certainly puts new meaning into the phrase - "only an 8th grade
>> >education."
>> >
>> >------------ Could You Have Passed the 8th Grade in 1895?
>> >...Take a Look:
>> >
>> >
>> >This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 from Salina, KS. USA.
>> >
>> >
>> >It was taken from the original document on file at the Smoky Valley
>> >Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS and reprinted by the
>> >Salina Journal.
>> >
>> >
>> >8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 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 m?
>> >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 are, 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. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
>> >3. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
>> >4. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
>> >5. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
>> >6. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln,
>> >Penn, and Howe?
>> >8. Name events connected with the following dates:
>> >1607
>> >1620
>> >1800
>> >1849
>> >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 North America.
>> >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 trying to pass
>> >this test, even if the few outdated questions were modernized.
>> >------------------------- Gives the saying of an early 20th century
>> >person that "she/he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new
>> >meaning!
>> >
>> >
>> >ö¿ö
>> > \0/
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >----------------
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>> This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project.
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>
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