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Norm's Soapbox- My corner of Hyde Park

Education

How well educated are you? An aspect that is frequently ignored is the fact that it is to prepare you for life in society. The items that are critical in one setting are pointless in another. What is needed depends on the setting. Critical thinking is more important now than in the past as arithmetic is relegated to the calculator, with analytical thinking always at a premium. The years involved are often more a factor of when the young are needed in the work force than what needs to be taught, and what is valued. How much do you think great grandpa had to learn? He had only an 8th grade education? Could you have graduated in 1895?

The following eighth-grade final exam from 1895 Salina, Kansas, USA, was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

Eighth Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895

• 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. bushel, 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. of 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 metre?
• 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.

• 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 1865.

• 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, sup
• 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.

• 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 the inclination of the earth.

And for the important modern question, do you understand the full significance of each question?
A fully capable, contributing citizen needs to be able conduct his own affairs, understand what he is doing, including why, and participate in the governing of his community.  Can you make a wise decision if you do not understand the situation? We have elected more than one turkey.