TEXES 291 Teaching Social Studies
A sixth-grade geography teacher has introduced a unit on South America. For one assignment in the unit she asks students to choose a cultural element like art, music, or literature from the area for research. Following the research, she asks the class to write a paragraph explaining how they think the environment may have influenced their researched topics. Why does the teacher ask this question at the end?
to provide an opportunity for students to think critically about their research
For which of the following reasons would a teacher use a population pyramid, like the one above?
to show the distribution of population based on age in the United States
Confirmation Bias
when a person seeks to confirm what he already knows, without consideration to evidence which might be contrary
Framing Bias
when an author presents, or frames, an issue that affects the way the reader perceives it
Negativity Bias
when the focus of a piece focuses only, or predominantly, on the negative aspects without regard to positive aspects
A teacher is working to increase engagement and communicate the value of the social sciences. Which TWO of the following are strategies that would further progress toward these goals? Select all answers that apply.
-incorporate current events into class instruction -use simulations when appropriate
The timeline above best supports which of the following conclusions? (Ancient Rome A.D. 33-100)
Ancient Romans valued public health.
Which of the following conclusions does the map above best support? (Africa 1913)
Angola was under Portuguese control in 1913.
During a presentation on the branches of government, a group of students state that "the executive branch is responsible 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?
Clarify the powers of the executive and judicial branches
A second-grade teacher is planning a unit and wants to address the state standard that "the student understands multiple points of view and how they shaped historical research." Which of the following would best address this standard?
Compare various primary and secondary sources about a single notable event
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?
Create a cause-and-effect flow chart about the Erie Canal
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. Michaels do to make her assessments as fair and representative of true learning as possible?
Evaluate included examples to ensure that they are culturally accessible to all students
Ms. Paulson is introducing the concept of being a 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?
For young students, information should be taught in concrete terms and with context that they can understand.
Using the information above, which of the following conclusions can be made using the data above? (U.S. Demographics 1980)
Foreign-born citizens were better represented in large cities than small towns.
When a student is beginning a research project, which of the following is the most appropriate first step?
Form an initial question about a research topic
Mr. Mathers is teaching his class about the Louisiana Purchase. What social science should Mr. Mathers connect to this history lesson in order to best explain the importance of the Louisiana Purchase to the United States?
Geography
Read the paragraph and answer the question: 1 George Washington was the first president of the United States and the only president ever to run unopposed. 2 This is because George Washington was popular among all Americans due to his leadership during the American Revolution. 3 Washington, respected and trusted by almost every American, was the unanimous choice to lead the nation as the first president under the Constitution of 1787. 4 Washington is also the only president to not affiliate with a political party. Which of the following research topics would be most appropriate in response to the above passage?
How successful was the presidency of George Washington?
Ms. Fullmore intends to use a primary source document to introduce a new unit to her sixth-grade class. The text contains some challenging vocabulary. Which of the following would be the best approach to ensure her sixth-graders are able to comprehend the text?
Introduce and define unfamiliar vocabulary with the students before beginning the text.
Which of the following is the most important question to ask of students when using a website as a research resource?
Is the author of the material reliable?
The information above can best help a student identify which of the following? (Age Distribution 2000)
Life expectancy in a country
A social studies teacher asks her students to research the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Their initial question was "What happened on the Lewis and Clark Expedition?" After doing background research their question is now "What new things might Lewis and Clark have encountered when they first explored the terrain?" Of the following, which would be the best next step in the research process?
Locate the journals of Lewis and Clark
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the illustration above? (Spread of the black death)
Modern Russia was the last area to be affected by the Black Death.
Which northern city experienced the largest population (by number) increase of African Americans from 1910-1930?
New York City
When teaching the students about the three branches of the government and checks and balances, which of the following would be the best way to make this information relatable to the students?
Organize a simulation with students playing roles within the different branches, and passing legislation.
Bias
Prejudiced feelings, outlook, or leanings for or against a particular person, race, ethnicity, age, or group, often without taking others' opinions into consideration.
Based on the information illustrated above, which of the following conclusions can be reached? (Destinations of Enslaved Africans in the Atlantic Slave Trade)
The largest importer of African slaves was the Caribbean countries.
When a student has formed an initial question for a research topic, which of the following would be the most appropriate next step?
Research what others have found and written about the initial question
A sixth-grade student is researching the Civil War and has read two conflicting secondary sources about the motivations of Abraham Lincoln in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. He asks the teacher how he can find which secondary source is most accurate in the matter. Which of the following responses by the teacher would be most appropriate?
Suggesting to the student to read the primary sources quoted by the secondary sources so the student can draw an independent conclusion
Mr. Thompson is assigning his class a research project and is able to provide computer access to students throughout the process. Which of the following is the LEAST effective way to incorporate technology into the research project?
Teach a lesson on using research databases and require that all sources come from the one database provided by the librarian.
Standardized assessment exams for social studies will often require students to interpret multiple viewpoints of a topic from various authors. Which of the following skills should a social studies teacher promote to develop this skill?
The ability to compare and contrast literature excerpts
Based upon the picture above, which of the following statements is most accurate for the year 2000 in America?
There are more 35-39 year-old males than there are males ages 5-9.
Secondary Source
These resources are used to interpret the primary sources in order to determine their validity. They are written about the primary sources.
Which of the following best describes the importance of a primary source?
They help researchers gain first-hand accounts and insights into a situation and allow researchers to draw conclusions based on the account
Once a student has thoroughly researched a subject topic, which of the following would be the most appropriate next step?
To form a conclusion and present the conclusion in a written paper or formal presentation
Mrs. Adams is beginning instruction on WWII in her history class. How could the English teacher best support this instruction by connecting their two disciplines?
Use Night, a Holocaust memoir, as the text for their upcoming genre study of memoirs.
Given the map above, which of the following conclusions is best supported? (West African Kingdoms)
West African kingdoms built upon the success of previous kingdoms.
A social studies teacher wants to address the social studies theme of time, continuity, and change. Which of the following questions for a sixth-grade elementary class would be most appropriate to address this theme?
Why did the demand for oil increase with the mass production of the automobile?
A sixth-grade teacher is planning a lesson on the Constitution. Which of the following would be the most appropriate primary source to use when presenting the lesson?
a copy of the Constitution
Biography
a non-fiction text that an author writes about a different person's life
Autobiography
a non-fiction text that an author writes about their own life
Which of the following would be the best graphic to demonstrate the relationship between temperature and elevation?
a scatterplot
Mr. Everett is having his students research a historical figure and present their research to the class in a ten-minute oral presentation. Which of the following resources would be the best primary resources to begin with?
an autobiography
Which of the following would be classified as a secondary source?
an encyclopedia article on the Battle of the Coral Sea
Credibility
an evaluation of whether information is true or trustworthy
Which of the following is not one of the 8 essential knowledge and skills identified in the TEKS for social studies instruction?
anthropology
What skill is covered at all levels of social studies instruction, according to the TEKS?
critical thinking
Mrs. Sims wants to demonstrate to her students how the price of gasoline has increased over time. Which of the following graphs would best help Mrs. Sims visually demonstrate this concept?
line graph
Mr. Parretto wants to encourage his students to identify bias in the media. He presents the class with the following excerpt from the school newspaper: The school board made the decision on Thursday night to cut the library's media budget. The budget cuts will affect the library's ability to purchase new audio/visual equipment and could result in a reduction of hours for student workers. One student worker was quoted saying, "The budget cut will hurt students trying to make money after school. I don't know where else I can find a job." The judgment was pronounced Thursday night in a vote of 7-2. The budget cuts to the library are expected to prevent further cuts to athletic departments. Which of the following best identifies the form of bias in the newspaper article?
negativity bias
Chronology
organizing historical events by when they occurred and determining accurate dates
During social studies instructions, students will often encounter new, unfamiliar words. There are many ways the teacher can support student vocabulary development. Which of the following is the LEAST effective way to support student understanding of new vocabulary?
provide dictionaries for student use during class
Primary Source
the "first hand" eye-witness accounts of an event
