Are you smarter than an eighth grader ... from 1912?

Interesting stuff. A museum in Bullitt County, Kentucky, unearthed an eighth-grade exam from 1912. Since I haven't seen an eighth-grade test since I was actually in eighth grade, I'm not sure how they compare to modern tests. Seems like most of the stuff is pretty easy to do, although some of the history is outdated now.

http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html

 

The eighth-graders I see hanging out at our local mall, plus most of the high-schools, might not get a single answer right.

 

I had tests in college that were easier than that.

 

Seriously. I looked at that, started crying, and went back to the anything goes board.

 

" 'Love To Love You Baby' ?"

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=infNf6mMds4

 

Back then, a lot of the educational process was rote learning. It would be a question of memory. Some of the questions aren't phrased well.

When my oldest daughter was in sixth grade, I asked the teacher why they learned written multiplication problems (e.g., 376 times 87) in a time when you could find a calculator for a dollar? I did a lot of these problems when I was in school. I told the teacher I wasn't being critical, just curious.

The teacher replied that the reason they taught pencil-and-paper match was to teach children how to solve problems.

When was the last time anyone used the word "pennyweight"?

 

Math has tremendous application beyond the practical, every-day uses.
Arithmetic, algebra and geometry help you learn how to think logically and how to solve problems. They are incredibly valuable parts of a decent education. Kids often miss the point, thinking 'when will I ever use this?' Much too often now adults fall into the same flawed thinking.

 

Agreed