Teaching Social Studies - Instructional Assessment - Quiz 1

A history teacher is preparing a unit on the Civil War. Which of the following activites would work best for a formative assessment?

A. A class-wide word cloud exercise on the causes of the Civil War. C. A think-pair-share on the outcomes of the civil war. D. Group presentations on the cause and effect of various Civil War battles.

Which of the following is not one of the 8 essential knowledge and skills identified in the TEKS for social studies instruction?

A. Anthropology (while there may be some standards that relate to anthropology, it is not listed as one of the 8 essential knowledge and skills identified in the TEKS for social studies instruction.)

During a presentation on the branches of government, a group of students state that "the executive branch is responding for interpreting the laws created by the legislative branch." Based on this statement, which of the following feedback would be most appropriate for the teacher to provide?

B. Clarify the powers of the executive and judicial branches. ( The executive branch is responsible for enforcing the laws created by the legislative branch. The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the laws created by the legislative branch. )

What skill is covered at all levels of social studies instruction, according to TEKS?

B. Critical Thinking (Critical thinking is taught in various ways and at varying levels throughout all Social Studies instruction.)

Ms. Paulson is introducing the concept of being responsible member of society to her first-grade students. One example she provides the class is how pollution in other parts of the world is also a problem for us here, emphasizing wind patterns, global debates, and how decisions we make where we live could also impact people very far from us. Why is this not a good way to introduce this topic

B. For young students, information should be taught in concrete terms and with context that they can understand. (Young students think they in mostly concrete terms and grow to understand the world in a more symbolic, figurative way.)

Mr. Steven's has just completed a unit on analyzing Native Florida cultures with his sixth-grade class. Which activity should he use a final assessment to gauge the students' understanding of how cultures are created?

C. A project where students "create" their own new culture. (A project where students create a new culture would allow the teacher to assess their understanding of the key features and processes to developing a culture.)

Ms. Michaels wants to ensure that her sixth-grade social studies assessments are written in a way to best show true student mastery of the content. Which of the following should Ms.Michael do to make her assessments as fair and representative of true learning as possible?

C. Evaluate included examples to ensure that they are culturally accessible to all students. ( This is an important aspect of creating a quality assessment)

A sixth-grade teacher is preparing a lesson plan to help students identify the names and location of mountain ranges and major rivers in India. He plans to project a picture of the country with mountain ranges and rivers labeled, and has prepared a short lecture explaining the impact of these land formations on life in India. Which of the following additional activites should the teacher add in order to reach all type of learners?

C. Provide outlines of India and two colors of play dough to each student; ask them to form and place the rivers and mountains into their correct locations. (This introduces a tactile method to the lesson, as an addition to the already-included auditory and visual delivery.)

Which of the following would be the most effective assignment to assess a student's ability to analyze the digging of the Erie Canal on the development of the Midwest and New York?

D. Create a cause-and-effect chart about the Erie Canal ( This is the best answer because the student must assess the causes of the Erie Canal and the effect, or impact, of the Erie Canal. Because the Erie Canal connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, the impact of the Erie Canal on the Midwest is substantial.)