Opening the curtains onto another gloomy, rainy day does not spur me into doing all that packing that must be done, preparatory to moving yet again. This time it’s right across the street, but still, boxes are easier to carry than armloads of pots and pans.
The porch is a clutter of stacks of newspapers for recycling, clothes to take to a thrift shop and things that have no use and no immediate destination. Perhaps someone needs one ski pole or a crutch, once essential, now just something to move to another corner.
Why do some of us have this compulsion to save things we’ll probably never use? I know I’m not alone in this because I see the results bloom like instant gardens on lawns all over the area each weekend. They’re called yard sales. And this is their season.
It’s also the season for graduations. There was a time when graduating from 8th grade was akin to high school graduation. Years ago, an 8th grade education was the end of formal education for the majority of women and most men, too. We find this unbelievable today, but I recently came across a 100-year-old 8th grade final exam, and it’s easy to see that 8th graders of a century past would be considered well-educated for the time.
One of the problems in English: Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
In arithmetic: If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cents/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare?
History: Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
In Orthography: What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals.
Geography: Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
I’m not sure how you would do on this exam, but I had to look up Orthography – it means spelling. I guess 13- or 14-year-olds of a century ago would have known that. At least in Kansas, where this test originated.
When your 8th grader complains about a test, ask him/her to respond to some of the above questions. After you have figured out the answers, that is.
Good luck to all the graduates. Remember to keep your eyes open, listen carefully, develop curiosity and consider consequences.
See you next week.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
