GACE
Which of the following statements best demonstrates an example of an allusion? A. "Samantha eats chocolates every day. Chocolates are her Achilles' heel." B. "Juanita and Marco disagreed about where they should take what they had found." C. "In the high winds, the crew was barely able to keep the sails from dipping sideways." D. "Celine struggled to walk through the cold, blowing wind."
A. "Samantha eats chocolates every day. Chocolates are her Achilles' heel." An allusion is a figure of speech that makes references to a person, an event, or a place. Achilles is a character in Greek mythology, and "Achilles' heel" defines an area of vulnerability. The statement implies that Samantha has a weakness for chocolates.
Which of the following pairs of fractions will be best for a teacher to use when teaching an introductory lesson on comparing fractions using the benchmark number 1 ? A. 4/5 , 5/6 B. 1/5 , 3/8 C. 3/5 , 4/5 D. 3/5 , 4/7
A. 4/5 , 5/6 When placing fractions on a number line using 1 as a benchmark, students have to decide either how far from 1 the fractions are or whether 1 lies between the two fractions. The fractions in option A are respectively 1/5 and 1/6 away from 1. Since 1/6 is less than 1/5 , 5/6 is closer to 1 than 4/5 is. Option B is incorrect because it would be more efficient to compare the two fractions by observing that they have the same denominator. Option C is incorrect because it would be more efficient to compare the two fractions by observing that they have the same numerator. Option D is incorrect because it is not efficient to use the benchmark number 1 to compare two equivalent fractions that have different denominators.
A social studies class has learned about the system of checks and balances within the three branches of the United States government. The teacher asks students to find examples in the Constitution of how the executive branch can limit the power of the legislative branch. Based on Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, which of the following is the highest level of thinking required for the assignment? A. Analysis B. Synthesis C. Application D. Knowledge
A. Analysis Analyzing evidence and, possibly, recognizing assumptions are tasks classified at the analysis level of Bloom's taxonomy.
Each day during calendar time, Ms. Nelson sings songs with her kindergarten students. Using a chart containing the words to the songs, Ms. Nelson taps a pointer on each word as the students sing. Ms. Nelson is demonstrating which of the following? A. Concepts of print B. Decoding C. Thinking aloud D. The alphabetic principle
A. Concepts of print Concepts of print is defined as an awareness of print in the everyday environment with an emerging understanding of how printed language works. In the scenario, the teacher points at the written words that match each word she sings.
Which of the following is the single most important prevention step a teacher can incorporate into the classroom to reduce the spread of disease? A. Encouraging frequent hand washing B. Opening classroom windows to let in fresh air C. Sending home students who look ill or feel unwell D. Recycling trash in appropriate receptacles
A. Encouraging frequent hand washing Hand washing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of communicable disease. The teacher should wash hands frequently and encourage students to frequently wash their hands.
A student is actively engaged in reading a book and is making judgments and decisions beyond what is stated in the text. Which of the following methods of comprehension is the student using? A. Inferential B. Literal C. Vocabulary D. Internal
A. Inferential Inferential questions require students to use their background knowledge and the clues within the story to answer questions beyond what is explicitly stated in the text.
A science class is learning about the differences between living and nonliving things. Which of the following is a characteristic of an earthworm but not of a burning candle? A. It is made of cells. B. It uses oxygen. C. It changes over time. D. It contains carbon.
A. It is made of cells. B An earthworm is made up of many individual units called cells, whereas a candle is made up of a wick embedded in solid paraffin wax
A teacher does a think-aloud to model effective active listening behaviors for classroom discussions. Which of the following actions best shows active listening? A. Restating key points a speaker makes to show understanding of the intended message B. Asking the speaker to pause and give a differing opinion illustrated with an example C. Sitting at a distance away from a presentation to prevent making the speaker feel nervous D. Using nonverbal cues to acknowledge emotional reactions to what a speaker is saying
A. Restating key points a speaker makes to show understanding of the intended message Active listening is a structured form of listening in which listeners repeat in their own words what they believe the speaker is saying.
Which TWO of the following are traditionally considered as types of energy in the science curriculum? A. Sound B. Liquid C. Gas D. Light
A. Sound D. Light Sound and light are two major types of energy.
A social studies teacher is planning a unit on the United States Constitution. A discussion on which of the following is most appropriate for the introductory lesson? A. The Articles of Confederation B. The Bill of Rights C. The legislative branch D. The executive branch
A. The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the thirteen colonies as the first constitution and went into effect in 1781. The present Constitution was adopted in 1789 when the Articles of Confederation proved inadequate to resolve the issues that faced the United States in its earliest years.
Which of the following is the primary purpose of having a student retell a story? A. To assess the student's level of comprehension B. To measure the student's vocabulary development C. To determine the student's fluency rate D. To evaluate the student's oral reading progress
A. To assess the student's level of comprehension Asking a student to retell a story is an informal way to assess reading comprehension.
Before learning about meter in music, elementary students should be able to demonstrate their understanding of A. weak and strong beats. B. syncopation. C. subdivision of beats. D. tempo markings.
A. weak and strong beats. Meter, the grouping of beats into repeated sets of two, three, or more beats, depends on the differentiation between weak and strong beats; therefore, students must understand such differentiation before learning about meter.
Which of the following pairs of points are the endpoints of a segment parallel to the y-axis? A. (10,0) and (0,10) B. (10,−10) and (10,10) C. (−10,10) and (10,10) D. (−10,0) and (10,0)
B. (10,−10) and (10,10) The endpoints given in option B are for a segment that lies on a vertical line 10 units to the right of the y-axis, and this segment is parallel to the y-axis.
An elementary art student is provided two pieces of yarn measuring 13 and 15 inches and is tasked with cutting out two whole number lengths of yarn from each of the given pieces and gluing them onto a sheet of paper to create a rectangular frame for a drawing. What is the maximum perimeter, in inches, of the frame that the student can create? A. 24 B. 26 C. 28 D. 30
B. 26 Students can build a frame of sides 6 inches and 7 inches from the pieces of yarn measuring 13 and 15 inches respectively.
A teacher asked a group of students to determine the number of sides of simple geometric shapes. Which of the following is mostly likely the learning goal of the activity? A. Understanding the concept of perimeter B. Connecting numbers to quantities C. Organizing and interpreting data D. Generating shape patterns
B. Connecting numbers to quantities When students analyze simple geometric shapes and determine the number of sides in each, they say the number names in the standard order and pair each side with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one side. They also understand that the last number name said tells the number of sides counted regardless of the order in which the sides were counted.
Use the passage to answer the following question. Anacondas are huge snakes that are found in the Amazon jungles of South America. The average anaconda can grow to be 20 feet in length and may weigh 300 pounds. Anacondas are not only very large but also very powerful. They can kill their prey by squeezing. They eat animals such as fish, birds, and turtles. Anacondas can be quite elusive because they move so quietly on land and spend so much time in the dark waters of the Amazon River. The passage is an example of which of the following expository text structures? A. Cause-effect B. Description C. Problem-solution D. Process
B. Description A descriptive text uses sufficient and varied details to explain the subject of the text.
Which of the following is best for helping students understand the concept of volume of a three-dimensional shape? A. Teaching students the formula for the volume of a prism B. Having students fill a box with layers of congruent small cubes C. Asking students to draw the net of simple three-dimensional shapes D. Asking students to measure the weight of the amount of water needed to fill a plastic box
B. Having students fill a box with layers of congruent small cubes Finding the volume of a prism by filling it with layers of congruent small cubes will help students understand the concept of volume as the space filled by unit cubes without gaps or overlaps and relate the concept of volume to its computation as the number of unit cubes.
A class is beginning a lesson on the European exploration of North America. Which TWO of the following individuals should the teacher include in the lesson? A. Marco Polo B. Henry Hudson C. William Penn D. Hernando de Soto E. James Oglethorpe
B. Henry Hudson D. Hernando de Soto Henry Hudson was an English explorer who led multiple voyages to North America in the early 1600s, discovering bodies of water that still bear his name today. Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer who conquered Florida and explored much of what is now the southeastern United States. He and his men were the first Europeans to encounter the Mississippi River and cross it.
During a small-group lesson, a kindergarten teacher asks students, "What sound is the same in 'pad,' 'cat,' and 'man'?" The teacher is providing instruction in which of the following phonemic awareness skills? A. Categorization B. Identification C. Substitution D. Isolation
B. Identification Phoneme identification is the ability to recognize the same sounds in different words.
Which of the following words is best to use as an example when demonstrating structural analysis for vocabulary development? A. Count B. Inactive C. Retail D. Maintain
B. Inactive Structural analysis involves using prefixes, suffixes, and root words to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The word "inactive" is the only word that has both a prefix (in) and a root word (active), so it would be most useful in teaching structural analysis.
A teacher asks students to represent the result of multiplying two fractions by using an area model. Which of the following mathematical concepts is most closely related to this activity? A. Representing products of fractions in simplest form B. Interpreting multiplication of fractions as taking a part of a part C. Understanding that the properties of multiplication extend to fractions D. Understanding that the product of two fractions can be less than, equal to, or greater than its factors
B. Interpreting multiplication of fractions as taking a part of a part The area model helps students to see that a fraction is a part of a whole number, and a product of fractions is taking a part of a part of a whole number.
A teacher asks students to look at the graph shown and indicate which fruits are preferred by more than 5 students, fewer than 5 students, and exactly 5 students. Which of the following is most likely the goal of the activity? A. Counting B. Ordering numbers C. Estimating quantities D. Using numerals to describe quantities
B. Ordering numbers Students will need to read the chart to find the quantities 8, 3, 5, 7, 2, and 10. If the students then order the numbers from least to greatest, getting 2<3<5<7<8<10, it will be easy for them to see how many fruits are preferred by fewer than 5 students, exactly 5 students, or more than 5 students.
In an activity for a fifth-grade science class, a teacher opens three sealed containers one at a time. Each container holds one of the following substances. 1. Perfume 2. Orange peels 3. Vinegar The teacher asks the students to raise their hands as soon as they are able to smell the contents of each container. The teacher then leads a class discussion about why the students closest to the open containers typically smell the substances first. The activity is best used as part of a unit on which of the following topics? A. Waves and the transfer of energy B. Particle motion in solids, liquids, and gases C. Chemical changes and conservation of matter D. Separation of mixtures using differences in physical properties
B. Particle motion in solids, liquids, and gases The activity described demonstrates the connection between the movement of particles through the air and the time it takes for the students to detect the particles as odors. The activity is best used as part of a unit on particle motion in solids, liquids, and gases.
Which of the following concepts involves understanding that spoken words consist of a sequence of individual sounds? A. Morphology B. Phonemic awareness C. Alphabetic principle D. Syntax
B. Phonemic awareness Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words consist of a sequence of individual sounds.
A teacher assigns a research report that requires students to find information from primary sources. Which THREE of the following resources are most appropriate for the students to use? A. Commentaries B. Photographs C. Encyclopedias D. Memoirs E. Eyewitness accounts of events
B. Photographs D. Memoirs E. Eyewitness accounts of events Primary source documents are original documents that were created at the time an event was studied. Photographs provide first-hand graphic information about people, places, or events that occurred at a particular time. Memoirs are original written recordings a person writes about his or her life. An eyewitness account of an event is a report of an occurrence or event by a person who actually experienced the event at the time it happened.
Which of the following is the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gases? A. Increasing the height of smokestacks B. Reducing the use of fossil fuels C. Adding lime to lakes that are highly acidic D. Developing drought-resistant crops
B. Reducing the use of fossil fuels The greenhouse effect describes when gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy from the Sun and warm the atmosphere near Earth's surface. One of the gases responsible for trapping heat energy is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is released when fossil fuels are burned.
The emergence of theater in ancient Greece was most influenced by which of the following? A. Social tensions B. Religious ceremonies C. Political concerns D. Economic necessity
B. Religious ceremonies Drama in ancient Greece evolved from religious rituals such as the choral performances known as dithyrambs. In Athens during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E., annual theater festivals were held specifically in honor of the god Dionysus, and performances of classical tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays were held alongside the older dithyrambic choruses.
In a first-grade class, the teacher reads a story aloud while the students echo the words the teacher has read. Which of the following approaches to reading is the teacher using? A. Reader's workshop B. Shared reading C. Round robin D. Guided reading
B. Shared reading In shared reading, an interactive reading experience, children join in the reading of a big book or other enlarged text as guided by a teacher or other adult.
Which of the following sentences best illustrates an incorrect use of a grammar convention? A. Pat walked so quickly, he did not notice the man with the funny hat. B. There is no way Kim would leave dirty plates on the table. Their right there in the sink. C. The teacher placed two books, pencils, and pens on each student's desk. D. Steve's mom loves to wear red dresses. It's her favorite color.
B. There is no way Kim would leave dirty plates on the table. Their right there in the sink. The sentence illustrates an incorrect use of homophones; "their" should be "they're."
For which of the following collections of angles could the sum of the measures of the angles in the collection be equal to 360°? A. Two right angles and one obtuse angle B. Two right angles, one obtuse angle, and one acute angle C. Three right angles and one obtuse angle D. Three right angles and one acute angle
B. Two right angles, one obtuse angle, and one acute angle One right angle's measure is 90°, one acute angle's measure is less than 90°, and one obtuse angle's measure is less than 180° but greater than 90°. So the total of the measures of the four angles in the collection in option B is greater than 270° and less than 450°.
Repeatability is an important feature in experimental design. Doing which of the following best ensures that others can repeat an experiment? A. Using procedures that do not require specialized equipment B. Writing clear, detailed procedures C. Using abbreviations in the procedures as often as possible to save space D. Allowing the experimenter to modify procedures as needed
B. Writing clear, detailed procedures If procedures are too vague, there is a greater chance that the experiment will not be carried out in the same way.
4/16 − 1/8 = 3/8 5/9 − 1/2 = 4/7 7/16 − 1/5 = 6/11 The examples shown represent a student's incorrect work. If the error pattern continues, which of the following is most likely to be the student's answer when the student finds the value of 9/11 − 1/7 ? A. 10/4 B. 8/7 C. 8/4 D. 9/8
C. 8/4 Patterns of error in students' work often reveal common points of confusion or misconceptions. In the examples given, the student does not understand that the fractions must be converted to equivalent fractions before subtraction can take place. Instead, the student is subtracting the numerators and the denominators to arrive at the answer. Applying the same approach to the problem 9/11 − 1/7 , the student would subtract 1 from 9 and 7 from 11, resulting in an answer of 8 fourths.
The sorting of rocks into different groups on the basis of hardness, texture, and other observable characteristics best illustrates which of the following skills? A. Predicting B. Explaining C. Classifying D. Experimenting
C. Classifying The activity describes classification, which requires students to arrange or organize items according to class or category.
A teacher wants to help students use their understanding of addition to understand multiplication. Which of the following activities is best for the teacher to have the students do? A. Explaining patterns in the multiplication table using the properties of operations B. Finding common multiples of two or more numbers in a multiplication table C. Creating arrays as a way of finding certain sums D. Using properties of operations to find sums
C. Creating arrays as a way of finding certain sums Creating arrays for sums involving repeated addition of the same number will help students to understand that adding a number k to itself n times will result in the product kn, which is the product of the number of rows and the number of objects in each row in the array.
Which of the following strategies is most beneficial for students during the revising stage of the writing process? A. Using a graphic organizer B. Brainstorming ideas as a class C. Holding peer conferences D. Typing their work on a computer
C. Holding peer conferences During the revising stage, the writer consults with peers or the teacher to improve the writing piece.
After a class reading of an informational text about endangered animals, a teacher instructs students to prepare an oral presentation on an animal of their choice. Which of the following guidelines will best help students produce an engaging presentation? A. Including words and phrases that will make the speech entertaining B. Writing detailed notes to read from during the presentation C. Maintaining eye contact with the audience while presenting D. Using a loud voice to make sure everyone can understand the presentation
C. Maintaining eye contact with the audience while presenting Making eye contact with the audience makes them feel connected with the presenter and engaged with the presentation.
A group of fifth-grade students is creating a poster to describe the key components of republicanism. Which principle of government should be included on the poster? A. Judicial review B. Checks and balances C. Popular sovereignty D. Rule of law
C. Popular sovereignty Republicanism involves citizens exercising their supreme power to elect representatives to government positions, therefore, popular sovereignty dictates the authority of the government through the consent of the people.
Mr. Lorena is teaching an introductory lesson on understanding the value of each digit in three-digit numbers. He wants to give the students a few problems to help reinforce their understanding. Which TWO of the following kinds of problems are best for Mr. Lorena to assign to the students? A. Problems that require adding and subtracting three-digit numbers B. Problems that require multiplying three-digit numbers C. Problems that require comparing three-digit numbers D. Problems that require representing three-digit numbers with base-10 manipulatives E. Problems that require organizing data from a class survey
C. Problems that require comparing three-digit numbers D. Problems that require representing three-digit numbers with base-10 manipulatives Comparing three-digit numbers and representing three-digit numbers with base-ten manipulatives allows students to reinforce their understanding of place value and the value of the digits in a three-digit number.
One of the goals for a particular mathematics curriculum is that students in all grades will use computational strategies fluently and estimate appropriately. Which of the following learning strategies is best aligned to the goal? A. Drilling students on basic number facts daily B. Having students use calculators for all mathematical tasks C. Requiring that students evaluate the reasonableness of their answers D. Helping students make connections between basic arithmetic operations
C. Requiring that students evaluate the reasonableness of their answers In the question, the goal is to use computational strategies fluently and to estimate appropriately. Option C is the only choice that covers both parts of the curricular goal. Students must understand the computational strategies involved in mathematics solutions before they are able to estimate or to evaluate the reasonableness of their answers.
A fifth-grade teacher shares a graph with the class that shows how the price of home heating oil rises during winter months. The teacher is most likely using the activity to demonstrate which of the following economic principles? A. Recession B. Costs and benefits C. Supply and demand D. Price controls
C. Supply and demand During winter, the demand for home heating oil is higher than at other periods of the year. In winter, the supply or availability of oil may not necessarily increase, so the price of heating oil may increase as a result.
25 + 17 = (20 + 10) + (5 + 7) 49 + 17 = (40 + 10) + (9 + 7) A teacher wants students to understand why regrouping is an effective strategy for adding two whole numbers. The teacher shows the given equations to the students. Which of the following properties of operations is most important to justify the regrouping strategy? A. The reflexive property B. The additive identity property C. The associative property of addition D. The distributive property of addition over multiplication
C. The associative property of addition When regrouping in addition of whole numbers less than 100, the two addends are decomposed as the sum of some tens and some ones, then the tens and ones are added separately. Since the sum is independent of which addends are added together, the mathematical property that allows this operation is the associative property of addition.
Which of the following statements about butterflies and chickens is most accurate? A. The organisms both have wings at birth. B. The organisms both undergo complete metamorphosis. C. The organisms both hatch from fertilized eggs. D. The organisms have equal life spans.
C. The organisms both hatch from fertilized eggs. A fertilized egg is the first stage in the development of chickens and butterflies.
(Savannah-Chattahoochee-Oconee-Ocmulgee-Suwanee) A teacher asks students to brainstorm a topic of research on the physical features of Georgia. The graphic organizer above indicates that the students are most likely researching A. mountain ranges. B. coastal islands. C. major rivers. D. state parks.
C. major rivers. The names provided in the graphic organizer represent major rivers in Georgia.
20 × 12 = (10 × 2) × 12 = 10 × (2 × 12) = 10 × 24 A teacher wants students to simplify multiplicative expressions using the associative property of multiplication as shown. Which of the following expressions is best for having students use the associative property of multiplication to simplify multiplicative expressions? A. 7 × 19 B. 11 × 17 C. 13 × 39 D. 16 × 25
D. 16 × 25 The expression in option D can be rewritten as 16×25=(4×4) ×25=4× (4×25) =4×100 .
A third-grade teacher is planning a lesson on the impact of human actions on the physical environment. Which of the following is the best example to use for showing the most direct impact of human activities on the environment? A. El Niño B. A drought C. An earthquake D. An oil spill
D. An oil spill An oil spill is the only event listed that can be directly attributed to human actions. The other events are not associated with or caused by human actions.
A fourth-grade teacher displays an article on the life cycle of a butterfly on an interactive whiteboard. The teacher reads a passage aloud to the students and highlights transition words such as first, next, and finally. The teacher explains that the transition words help a reader understand how events in a text are related to one another with a time span of first event to last event. Which of the following best explains the rationale for the lesson? A. Motivating a reader to engage with complex texts with content presented in similar patterns B. Assisting a reader to identify important and accurate information presented by an author to increase understanding C. Allowing a reader to successfully engage in independent reading of difficult informational texts D. Assisting a reader to identify text structure and use the organizational patterns within each structure to increase understanding
D. Assisting a reader to identify text structure and use the organizational patterns within each structure to increase understanding The primary rationale for the lesson is to improve comprehension during reading by helping students understand text structure and organizational patterns such as sequence within each structure.
During physical education class, students throw a ball against the wall and try to catch it as it bounces back. Which of the following components of skill-related fitness does this activity most closely address? A. Agility B. Power C. Speed D. Coordination
D. Coordination Agility, balance, power, speed, coordination, and reaction time are all components of skill-related fitness. The wall-ball activity most closely addresses students' eye-hand coordination.
A fifth-grade student reads a narrative account of a journalist's trip to a tropical rainforest. Which of the following oral reading behaviors indicates that the student has an understanding of effective fluent reading? A. Slowing down reading to monitor understanding when encountering a section in a text with unfamiliar concepts B. Correctly and rapidly reading a list of academic and domain-specific vocabulary found in the text C. Quickly processing the words in sustained text with limited need to expend cognitive energy on word recognition D. Engaging with a text by showing natural spoken expression and the ability to chunk information into phrases
D. Engaging with a text by showing natural spoken expression and the ability to chunk information into phrases The option describes a reader using prosody while reading. Prosody is the use of timing, phrasing, pitch, and rhythm to convey meaning while reading.
A teacher is discussing the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis. Which of the following individuals would be mentioned in this discussion? A. Harry S. Truman and Joseph Stalin B. Fidel Castro and Ronald Reagan C. Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev D. Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy
D. Nikita Khrushchev and John In 1962 the Soviet Union attempted to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. After a tense stand-off an agreement was eventually reached by President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to remove the missiles.
Ms. Richards has the students do the following: • Determine a writing audience • Identify a purpose • Provide a list of writing topics Based on the list of activities, which stage of writing is Ms. Richards' class most likely working on? A. Publishing B. Editing C. Drafting D. Prewriting
D. Prewriting The prewriting stage is the first stage of the writing process and includes elements such as planning, researching, outlining, diagramming, and storyboarding.
A teacher puts 20 pennies in a shoebox. A student shakes the box, takes the lid off, and sorts the coins into two groups: heads and tails. The students count the number of heads and the number of tails and record the numbers in a table. The activity is repeated 20 times. Which of the following does the activity help the students explore? A. The counting principle B. One-to-one correspondence C. Addition and subtraction as inverse operations D. Separating and joining as a way to represent addition
D. Separating and joining as a way to represent addition By repeatedly performing this activity with 20 pennies, students can directly observe and record the many ways to make 20. This activity can help students learn the addition facts related to 20.
The National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies outlines ten themes. The second theme addresses time, continuity, and change. Which of the following questions for an elementary class falls within this theme? A. What are the locations of two major oil fields in the United States? B. In what kinds of places has oil been located? C. Why is drilling for oil so costly? D. Why did the demand for oil increase with the mass production of the automobile?
D. Why did the demand for oil increase with the mass production of the automobile? Learning how to read and to reconstruct the past allows a student to develop a historical perspective and to answer the following questions: Who am I? What happened in the past? How has the world changed, and how might it change in the future? Why did particular events take place? How have past events shaped the world?
A teacher reads the following section of text aloud to the class. The people elected a new president. Everyone thought he was the best ruler for the country. After reading, the teacher asks students, "What does the word 'ruler' mean as used by the author?" The teacher asks this question most likely to help students learn to A. identify sight words. B. decode unknown words. C. develop vocabulary. D. use context clues.
D. use context clues. Context clues include information from pictures or words surrounding an unknown word that helps readers figure out the meaning of an unknown word.
