Thread by @1FreeInhabitant

Common Core math was the pinnacle of their evil genius, and low-point of our complacency... It disrupted the minds of an entire generation on how even the most basic things work.

Readin', Writin', & Rithmatic

How far did they get? Let's see.

1895 8th Grade Final Exam, Kansas:

- Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
- A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
- If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bu, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?

- 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?
- Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
- Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.

- What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?
- Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
- What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?

- Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
- Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
- Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.

- Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
- What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.

- Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
- What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
- Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

- Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
- Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
- Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
- Show the territorial growth of the United States.
- Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.

- Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
- Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
- Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865?

- What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthography, etymology, syllabication?
- What are elementary sounds? How classified?
- What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?

- Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
- Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e'. Name two exceptions under each rule.
- Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.

- Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that sound sign: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
- Use the following correctly in sentences, Cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.

- Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

- What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
- How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
- Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
- Describe the mountains of N.A.

- Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
- Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
- Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.

- Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
- Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
- Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

Whew! Now, you got all that done in 4 hours, right?

Let's get back to real learning, shall we?