5017 Praxis Test 1

The following three lesson summaries share a common objective: The students will understand and solve multiplication problems with accuracy and efficiency. Lesson 1: Students create and test their own strategy, often mentally, to find an answer to a given multiplication word problem. Lesson 2: Students practice using the traditional algorithm to find an answer to a given multiplication word problem. Lesson 3: Students use a variety of concrete models to find an answer to a given multiplication word problem. Which sequence of the lessons will best support the stated objective?

3, 1, 2 The question requires an understanding of how to sequence lessons within a curriculum during curriculum planning. Students need to first build a conceptual understanding of multiplication with concrete objects. After much practice with the models, they should start to form their own strategies for solving multiplication problems and testing them. The traditional algorithm is optional.

Fifth-grade students are studying the history of the city in which they live. Which of the following is an example of a primary source on the topic?

A journal entry about living conditions written by an early settler of the city The question requires an understanding of how to locate information related to social studies topics. A primary-source document provides firsthand information or direct evidence concerning a topic. Such documents are usually created by witnesses or other people who experienced the events being documented.

Which of the following is the correct definition of a river delta?

A land area formed by soil left behind as a river drains into a larger body of water The question requires an understanding of physical geographic features. A river delta is formed when sediments, carried by a river, are deposited at the mouth of the river.

Which of the following tools is most helpful in determining the mass of a seashell?

A triple-beam balance The question requires an understanding of the tools necessary for scientific investigation. A triple-beam balance can be used to determine the mass of an object.

Two whole pizzas of the same size are shared equally among three people. What is each person's share of pizza? A teacher gives the word problem shown to a fifth-grade class. Which THREE of the following concepts are most likely addressed by the use of the word problem?

A. 2323 is the same as 2×132×13 . B. 2÷32÷3 is the same as 2323. D. Division is thought of as a partitioning. The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand strategies and models for dividing numbers. A discussion of various ways of solving the problem will lead students to understand that each person will receive 1313 of each pizza, or 2 times 1313 of a pizza. Since there are 2 pizzas and 3 people, each person will receive 2 times 1313 , or 2323 , of a pizza. The students will also understand that 2 divided by 3, or 2323 , can represent the division of 2 pizzas among 3 people. Finally, partitioning each pizza into 3 pieces will allow each person to receive 1313 of each pizza, or 2323 of a pizza. The students will see that all three representations result in an answer of 23.

To facilitate student ability in displaying and analyzing categorical data, a teacher gives each student in a third-grade class a collection of interlocking cubes in four different colors. The teacher uses a piece of grid paper to demonstrate how to construct a bar graph by stacking the cubes according to color and placing them along the horizontal axis of the grid paper. Which of the following questions are appropriate for the teacher to ask the students in reference to the data display?

A. What is the total number of cubes in the collection? B. Which color occurs most frequently in the collection? D How many more cubes of the color that is most represented are there than the color that is least represented in the collection? The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students collect and display data to answer a statistical question. Questions about the total number of cubes in the data set, the color occurring most frequently in the data set, and the difference between the numbers of the most represented color and the least represented color are all examples of statistical questions that are relevant to the data display.

A teacher provides a fourth-grade class with the chart above. The chart is most likely intended to help students understand which of the following features of the 13 colonies? New England colonies — hilly terrain, rocky soil, short growing season, moderate summers, cold winters Mid-Atlantic colonies — costal lowlands, rich farmland, moderate climate Southern colonies — coastal plain, good harbors and rivers, humid climate

A.Availability of resources The question requires an understanding of how to locate, analyze, and synthesize information related to social studies topics. The economies of the colonies were greatly influenced by the terrain, suitability of land for various crops, and access to ports for trade. The geographic features had an impact on the kinds of crops the colonies grew and the type of trade in which they were involved.

A teacher shares a book about Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball, as an introduction to a lesson on character traits. Which of the following traits will the teacher most likely discuss during the lesson?

A.Courage The question requires an understanding of citizenship and how to use stories and knowledge of historical figures to illustrate important civic concepts. Jackie Robinson showed courage when he became the first black to play major league baseball. Robinson was widely revered for his show of restraint in the face of jeers, slurs, and discrimination from fans, opposing players, and even his own teammates.

Fred, a student in a math class, showed the following solutions for two problems. Problem: Dan cooked 60 of the 200 burgers at a company picnic. What percent of the burgers did he cook?Work: 200 × 0.60 = 120Answer: 120%Problem: Tara watered 50 of the 180 plants in her mother's garden. What percent of the plants did she water?Work: 180 × 0.50 = 90Answer: 90% Which of the following strategies could best help the student check answers to word problems and look for errors?

A.Estimate the answer first, use an algorithm, and compare results. The question requires an understanding of using knowledge of place value to perform multidigit operations. Estimating the answer first will ensure that the student knows an approximate answer to the question. Then, the student can use an algorithm to calculate the exact answer and check by comparing to the estimate.

While working on a research project, a student uses the Internet and finds a great deal of information on a chosen topic. Which of the following is the best step for the student to take next?

A.Making a decision about the relevance of the various pieces of information The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' use of resource materials to produce and publish writing. After a student has located information, the student must evaluate the information for its usefulness and relevance before moving ahead to plan the final product.

A student writes the sentence shown and reads it to the teacher as follows. "I was at my house and saw a little mouse." The student's written sentence indicates that the student does not understand which of the following concepts?

A.Most words contain several letter-sound combinations. The question requires an understanding of key ideas relevant to the foundations of literacy and reading development and the stages of early orthographic development. From the sample, the child uses only one letter to represent a single word or several words. The child does not yet understand that consonants and vowels combine to make up most words.

Which of the following is most closely associated with the philosophy of the Articles of Confederation adopted in 1777 ?

A.States' rights The question requires an understanding of important people, events, and symbols of the United States. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, provided a new central government to which the states surrendered little power. For the states, the Articles of Confederation represented a loose association in which each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.

During the early letter name-alphabetic stage in spelling development, a student might write U for "you," BD for "bed," Y for "when," DF for "drive," and SHP for "ship." Which of the following is characteristic of what students do correctly during the stage?

A.Use consistent directionality B.Demonstrate letter-sound correspondences C.Spell consonant blends partially The question requires an understanding of key ideas relevant to the foundations of literacy and reading development and the stages of early orthographic development. Spellers in the early letter name-alphabetic stage focus mainly on the consonant sounds heard in words. They begin by using only the initial consonant sounds and then move into representing the final consonant. Medial vowel sounds are absent from their spelling. Students in this stage know most of the alphabet, have a clear understanding of letter-sound relationships, and know that we write from left to right, but have not yet mastered spacing between words. This kind of spelling is called semiphonetic spelling.

Which of the following is the most appropriate strategy to use when first teaching primary-grade students the mathematical concept of regrouping?

A.Using manipulatives and concrete materials The question requires an understanding of how to help students gain a basic knowledge of place value and how to use place value. Regrouping involves trading, also known as borrowing or carrying. The use of manipulatives will provide students with a visual representation of the concept and give them an opportunity to use a hands-on approach.

Third-grade students are creating a story map as they read about a donkey, Sylvester, who turns into a rock. The most important benefit of the story-mapping activity is that it helps students to

A.improve their comprehension of the story by organizing and sequencing events The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of a text. A story map is a visual depiction of the settings or the sequence of major events and actions of story characters. Using a story map enables students to relate story events and perceive structure in literary selections. By sharing personal interpretations of stories through illustrations, students increase their understanding and appreciation of selections.

A teacher wants to describe to the class a rule associated with adding a silent "e" to the end of a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word. The best approach would be to tell the students that when a silent "e" appears at the end of a CVC word, it cannot be heard, but

A.it makes the other vowel have a long sound The question requires an understanding of the roles of phonological awareness, phonics, and word-recognition skills in literacy development. Letters that appear in a word but are not pronounced are called silent letters. When a silent "e" appears at the end of a CVC word, the other vowel turns into a long vowel sound.

Which of the following are powers of the president of the United States? Select all that apply.

Appointing federal judges B.Granting pardons C.Vetoing bills from Congress The question requires an understanding of the basic principle that provides the foundation of the republican form of government. Appointing federal judges, granting pardons, and vetoing legislation are all powers granted to the president by the United States Constitution. The power to decide the constitutionality of laws lies with the Supreme Court.

Which of the following is most useful for a teacher to do to assess what students have learned at the end of a unit about organisms and their environment?

Ask students to identify characteristics of various organisms that allow them to survive in specific environments The question requires an understanding of living things and their environment. The identification of characteristics of various organisms is useful since it is a summative assessment of student understanding of how different organisms are adapted to their environments.

"My birthday party was fun. I got a lot of presents and a lot of my friends came. We played games and ate ice cream and cake."

Asking questions about the events to help generate details The question requires an understanding of how to help students produce clear and coherent writing using the stages of the writing process. The sample shown does not provide many details about the event. Additional details that could be added include when the party took place, where it took place, and the kind of games that the children played.

"Alex and Juanita have a total of 10 apples. If the number of apples that Alex has is 2 less than the number of apples that Juanita has, what is the number of apples that Alex has?" A sixth-grade teacher wants students to write equations from a given context such as the word problem shown. Which of the following strategies will best help students to translate the word problem into an equation?

Asking students to model the situation with hypothetical numerical expressions The question requires an understanding of how to help students write equations from a context. The word problem uses the phrase 2 less than, which is often translated incorrectly as 2-x rather than x-2. Having students model the situation with numerical expressions should help them to see how, for example, 2 less than 5 relates to the more abstract 2 less than x. The statement 2 less than 5 translates to 5−25-2 so 2 less than x translates to x-2

"For vacation this year our family plans to go to Florida. We want to see walt disney world we want to see Epcot we want to see the theme parks. I can't hardly wait to go." A teacher shows students the paragraph above in order to assess their editing skills. Which of the following errors can the students find in the paragraph?

B.A capitalization error C.A run-on sentence D.A double negative The question requires an understanding of the conventions of standard English grammar, punctuation, and spelling when writing, reading, speaking, or listening. Proper nouns should be capitalized. In the second sentence of the writing sample, "walt disney world" should be capitalized. A run-on sentence is a sentence in which two or more independent clauses are joined without any internal punctuation. The second sentence of the writing sample is a run-on sentence. A double negative is the use of two negative words in a single clause. In the last sentence of the writing sample, "can't" and "hardly" are used in the same clause.

Students in an upper-elementary grade are using a map of the Western Hemisphere to answer questions about places, landmarks, and geographical features. The activity best assesses which of the following social studies skills?

B.Interpreting graphic representations The question requires an understanding of how to use maps and globes to foster students' understanding of spatial patterns. A goal of introducing maps is to help students gain an understanding of their community and the world around them. Maps allow students to interpret and retrieve information and to build models of communities (floor maps).

A fifth-grade teacher writes the following on the board. Hollow n. low-lying land; small depression in a flat surface adj. empty, with nothing inside v. to hollow out; to make something hollow Question: Which of the following sentences uses "hollow" as a noun, as in the first definition given?

B.Marsha's sheep were grazing in the wide hollow between the mountains. The question requires an understanding of how to interpret words and phrases as used in a text. The meaning of the word "hollow" is determined by whether it is used as a noun, adjective, or verb. Nouns are a part of speech that describe a person, place, thing, animal, or idea. In (B), hollow is used as a place, and it is functioning as a noun.

Fifth-grade students create Table A to represent the number of sandwiches they each ate during the last month. The teacher then shows the students that redistributing the pictures of sandwiches equally among the students creates Table B. The activity will best help students understand which of the following mathematical concepts?

B.Mean The question requires an understanding of how to represent and interpret data. The mean is a concept of equal distribution and is also the average of a given set of numbers. Table B illustrates the mean number of sandwiches eaten by the students.

To introduce students to geometry, a first-grade teacher selects a variety of classroom objects having different shapes and passes them to the students. Which of the following concepts is most appropriate for the students to explore?

B.Plane and solid figures The question requires an understanding of how to explain shapes and their attributes. Since students in first grade are already familiar with some shapes, by using their prior knowledge, the students are ready to learn about and understand other shapes and the vocabulary used in geometry.

25÷10=N25÷10=N A third-grade teacher asks students to write a word problem for the number sentence above, where N is the exact answer to the problem. Which of the following student responses best satisfies the conditions set by the teacher?

B.Ten students tied for the winning prize of $25 in a contest. How many dollars will each student receive? The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand algorithms, strategies, models, and problem situations for dividing numbers. The context in option (A) about a number of tickets allows only whole numbers for answers. The context in option (C) requires finding 10÷25=N10⁢÷25⁢=N, not 25÷10=N25⁢÷10⁢=N. The context in option (D) requires determining that there are 8 pints in a gallon, so 200 pints in 25 gallons. The answer to the question requires finding 200÷10=N200⁢÷10⁢=N, not 25÷10=N25⁢÷10⁢=N. The context in option (B) that involves money is the only context that would lead to the correct equation and allows an answer that is not a whole number. Sharing $25 among ten students can be expressed using the equation 2510=N.

A teacher places some items on a table and then asks students to predict whether the items will sink or float in a container filled with water. Which of the following information will be most helpful to provide to the students?

B.The density of each item The question requires an understanding of important physical science concepts. Whether an object sinks or floats depends on the density of the object and the fluid in which it is immersed. An object that is denser than a fluid will sink in the fluid, while an an object that is less dense than the fluid will float.

A fifth-grade teacher in an urban school is having the class read the humorous book The Noonday Friends, set in New York City's Greenwich Village, by Mary Stolz. A new student, who lived in a rural community for his entire life prior to moving to the school, is having difficulty understanding the story, although he has read many books of comparable difficulty. Which of the following is the most probable explanation for the student's difficulty in comprehension?

B.The student's experiences do not include knowledge of the topic discussed in the book. The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of texts. Readers use their background knowledge to help them comprehend the information in a text. In the process, readers relate the new information presented by the author to old information stored in their minds. It is highly probable that the student had little prior knowledge about the topic and, therefore, had difficulty in constructing meaning.

Students place unit cubes in a rectangular solid until the base is covered. Students continue adding layers of cubes until the solid is filled to the top. Which of the following concepts does the activity address?

B.Volume Option (B) is correct. The question requires an understanding of measurement of volume. Placing unit cubes to completely fill a rectangular solid demonstrates volume

A teacher is informally assessing second-grade students' listening-comprehension skills after reading Aesop's fable about the lion and the mouse. Which of the following prompts requires the children to draw an inference from the fable?

B.What lesson does the fable teach us? The question requires an understanding of integrating knowledge and ideas to promote students' comprehension of texts. Making an inference is the act of drawing a conclusion based on information that is not directly stated in a story. (B) requires the students to provide answers by making judgments based on information in the story.

Students in a sixth-grade class are preparing to give oral reports on famous writers they have researched. Which of the following is most helpful for students to do when preparing to speak in front of an audience?

B.Write key words on note cards to refer to during the presentation The question requires an understanding of ways to help students develop the skills necessary for speaking, listening, and presenting. Preparing note cards with main points will provide the student with an outline of ideas to refer to at any time during the presentation.

As part of a unit on the American Revolution, a social studies teacher asks half of the class to study the views of the Loyalists sympathetic to Britain and the other half to study the views of the Patriots. The activity culminates with a debate over which group's views are more compelling. The activity is primarily aimed at developing students' ability to

B.consider different points of view The question requires an understanding of how to locate, analyze, and synthesize information related to social studies topics. The activity requires students to view issues from the perspectives of the Loyalists and the Patriots, and then to construct a convincing argument.

While teaching a unit on plotting points in the xy-coordinate plane, Ms. Santos noticed that some students were confusing the x-coordinate with the y-coordinate. Which of the following strategies will help these students correctly plot points?

Beginning at the origin and moving right or left the number of units of the first coordinate of the point, then moving up or down the number of units of the second coordinate of the point The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students learn strategies for plotting points in the coordinate plane. To plot points, a movement left or right of the origin is made according to the value of the first coordinate in the ordered pair for the point, and then a movement up or down is made according to the value of the second coordinate in the ordered pair for the point.

Which of the following activities is most likely to help students understand how seeds are dispersed from the puffy balls that appear on dandelions after they flower?

Blowing on a handful of confetti and observing the result The question requires an understanding of the life cycle of different living things, specifically different means of seed dispersion. Dandelion seeds are dispersed by the wind, as can be demonstrated by blowing on confetti.

Which TWO of the following student activities are most effective at helping students learn about chemical change?

C. Adding starch to a yellow iodine solution and observing the color of the solution change to purple D. Writing messages on paper with invisible ink made of lemon juice, then heating the paper until the ink turns brown . The question requires an understanding of important physical science concepts. The starch-iodine and invisible ink activities are effective because they engage students in discovering the nature of chemical change. A chemical change leads to the formation of a new substance. A color change often indicates that a chemical change has taken place.

A teacher gives students a set of cards with headlines written on them and a set of clippings of news articles. The teacher asks the students to match each news article with its corresponding headline. Which of the following skills is the activity most likely to develop?

C.Identifying main ideas The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension. The activity requires the students to identify the main ideas the writer is attempting to express by reading the news articles and then selecting an appropriate headline for each article.

Which of the following is a student activity that reinforces the poetic element of alliteration?

C.Students are given a page with a letter centered on the page. They are asked to write a sentence with four to six words, with each word starting with the letter on the page. The question requires an understanding of words and phrases as they are used in a text. Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words used in a phrase or sentence.

The Evergreen Shoe Factory received an order for 100 pairs of shoes. The factory ships shoes in cartons that each holds up to 12 pairs. How many cartons will the factory need to ship this order? Question: Most of the fourth graders who worked on the problem above gave answers such as 8 R4, 8.333, and 8 1/3 . These responses suggest that the students need practice in

C.applying number sense The question requires an understanding of equations and number operations. The responses indicate that the students do not know how to express a reasonable answer. Since the shoes are shipped in cartons, the number of cartons should be expressed as a whole number and not in decimals, fractions, or with a remainder.

A teacher arranges 12 tiles on two rows, as shown above, and then asks a student if one of the rows has more tiles than the other. Pointing to the bottom row, the student says, "There's more here." The response suggests that the student does not yet understand the concept of

C.equivalent sets The question requires an understanding of ways to help students make sense of numbers by comparing, ordering, and connecting numbers to quantities. The response shows that the student does not understand that although two sets of identical items may be arranged in different ways, they may contain the same quantity of the item.

Which of the following is best for a teacher to have students do to help them learn about force and motion?

Carry out an experiment in which the distance a ball rolls is related to how hard a person pushes on the ball The question requires an understanding of important physical science concepts. The experiment is most helpful since students will explore how the amount of force exerted on the ball affects how far the ball rolls.

A teacher provides students with a list of all the numbers from 2 through 46, as shown. Which of the following activities will best help students develop an understanding of the concept of prime numbers?

Circle 2 and cross out all multiples of 2. Then circle the next largest remaining number and cross out all multiples of that number. Repeat this procedure. The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand prime numbers. The method described in (A) is known as the sieve of Eratosthenes, which shows students that prime numbers are divisible only by 1 and the number itself and that any other number that is crossed out is divisible by a circled prime number, so it is therefore a composite number.

A third-grade teacher uses student-centered reading activities for groups of four to six students. Each group chooses a different book based on student interest. Each member of a group is assigned a specific role, and students independently read a chapter of the book. After the independent reading, the groups meet, and discuss the book, guided by the specific role each group member was assigned. Which of the following identifies the reading skill best reinforced by the instructional method?

Comprehension The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of text. The instructional method described allows readers' comprehension to deepen and expand as ideas are explained by the reader or to the reader. For example, the students are able to help each other understand the plot, make connections to their own lives, and make predictions based on what they shared in the group.

A kindergarten teacher opens a storybook to the middle and asks a student, "Where on this page should I begin reading?" The teacher is most likely evaluating the student's understanding of which of the following?

Concepts of print The question requires an understanding of key ideas relevant to the foundations of literacy and reading development. Concepts of print is the understanding of how printed language works and general knowledge of print and books. When students learn that oral language can be written and then read, and about the parts that make up a book and the directionality of writing, they are being introduced to concepts of print.

Which of the following student activities best helps students understand the fundamental process by which scientific knowledge changes?

Conducting an experiment and analyzing data to evaluate a hypothesis The question requires an understanding of the nature of science. Conducting an experiment and analyzing data best helps students because this activity engages them in the scientific method. The scientific method is the fundamental process by which scientific knowledge changes.

Ms. Bartholomew teaches a class of fifth graders from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. She often uses formal and informal rules to guide class discussion. In some cases, she uses playing cards to order the responses from the students. In other cases, she uses rules of procedure to guide class discussion, such as having students call on each other to give responses or limiting the length of their responses with a timer. What knowledge does the teacher demonstrate by using multiple discussion formats?

Conversation styles, including taking turns, are not uniform across cultures. The question requires an understanding of strategies to foster students' participation in collaborative conversations with diverse partners. In some cultures, it is appropriate for people to talk simultaneously with others. In other cultures, deference is given to older speakers. By formalizing the process, the teacher is allowing students to feel comfortable speaking and to prepare what they will say. Each speaker is given a moment in the forefront. In addition, some of the teacher's techniques provide opportunities for reluctant speakers to answer before more eager students.

Students in a fourth-grade class are asked to find the length of the line segment shown. (ruler shown - line placed from 2 to 4) A common incorrect answer given by fourth graders is 4 inches. A teacher who is developing a lesson plan on measurement wants to help students avoid the misconception that results in the incorrect answer. Which of the following tasks is best for the teacher to include in the lesson plan?

Creating and using homemade rulers that use unit models of length so students realize that the spaces on the rulers are more important than the marks on the rulers The question requires an understanding of how to plan for strategies to address common student misconceptions. When a student makes a ruler and uses it, emphasis is put on how it is the spaces that are important, not the actual marks on the ruler. Comparing a homemade ruler to an actual ruler will help students see that both tools have the same purpose.

A kindergarten teacher shows students how to count objects in a set and then represent the number of objects with a numeral. The activity best fosters students' understanding of which of the following mathematical concepts?

D.Applying the cardinality principle The question requires an understanding of strategies to help students develop number sense. In the activity, students count to determine the quantity of objects in a set and then match the quantity with a numeric value.

During a unit on folktales, a second-grade teacher wants to help students engage in higher-order thinking. After the students read The Little Red Hen, the teacher asks the students to justify the little red hen's decision to eat the bread herself. Which level of Bloom's taxonomy does the activity address?

D.Evaluation The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of text. In asking the students to justify the little red hen's decision, the students are required to make judgments and evaluate a decision or course of action taken by the red hen.

Which of the following is a primary reason for a teacher to discuss various cultures with students?

D.To help students appreciate similarities and differences among groups of people The question requires an understanding of the contribution of important cultures to the history of the United States. Sociological studies suggest that institutions, organizations, and governing rules are becoming more similar worldwide. By studying different cultures, students will see the similarities and differences amongst groups of people, which provides a basis for tolerance, friendships, and relationships.

29×57= Question: Before students in a fifth-grade class solve the problem above, the teacher has them use mental mathematics to compute 9×7,20×7,9×50,9×7,20×7,9×50, and 20×5020×50. For which of the following reasons is it appropriate to have the students use mental mathematics that way?

D.To recall the partial products used in the algorithm The question requires an understanding of strategies for designing instruction to help students understand an algorithm for multiplying whole numbers. An alternative algorithm to the standard algorithm for multiplication is to use place value to break apart each of the numbers into tens and ones, and then to multiply ones by ones, tens by tens, and the two possible products of ones by tens. The justification for this algorithm comes from applying the distributive property of multiplication over addition or by using an area model where the dimensions are shown using tens and ones.

During a conference, Jake tells his teacher that he has always wanted a dog. He says if he had a dog, he would always have a friend. Which of the following responses by the teacher indicates active listening?

D.You want a dog so you will have a companion. The question requires an understanding of the skills necessary for speaking, listening, and presenting. The first step in active listening is paraphrasing the speaker's words back. Paraphrasing requires using similar words and phrases to restate what a speaker says. This shows that a person was listening to and understands a speaker.

After introducing students to the idea that math and science are closely related, which of the following is most helpful as a follow-up activity?

Determining how much farther an object moves along the ground when released from a greater height on a ramp The question requires an understanding of the relationship of science with other content areas. The ramp activity is most helpful as a follow-up activity because it requires students to apply a math skill. How much farther the object travels is determined by subtracting the shorter measured distance from the greater measured distance

A teacher observes that a student is having difficulty reading a list of words that includes "spoil," "bead," "tray," and "train." The teacher can best address the student's needs by providing additional instruction in which of the following phonetic elements?

Diphthongs The question requires an understanding of the key ideas relevant to the foundations of literacy and reading development. A diphthong refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring in the same syllable.

Which of the following student activities is most effective in helping students learn about complete metamorphosis in insects?

Drawing the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages of an ant The question requires an understanding of the life cycle of living things. Ants undergo complete metamorphosis in which the different stages of the organism differ in structure. Drawing the different stages will help the students understand and remember the life cycle.

After reading a short story, fifth-graders were asked to respond in writing to the following questions. 1. Do you think the plan the characters devised worked? Why or why not? Answering question 1 requires students to do which of the following comprehension tasks?

Evaluate an aspect of the story The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of informational text and literature. Questioning helps to clarify meaning, promote comprehension, extend understanding, and ensures that a reader is engaged with the text. The question requires students to make a judgment about the characters' plan.

Ms. Anderson, a kindergarten teacher, greets the children as they enter the classroom and encourages them to look out of the window to determine the weather. She then writes the following "Morning Message" on a story board and reads the message aloud as she writes. Good morning! Today is Thursday. It is rainy today. Question: Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the activity?

Guiding students as they begin to develop an understanding of the writing process. The question requires an understanding of best practices for students at the beginning stage of the writing process. The teacher's actions demonstrate a basic tenet of the writing process — the importance of the relationship between speech and writing. The teacher has provided a model of clear and coherent writing, which will help students become successful, independent writers.

Of the following concepts, which is most directly addressed by having students describe how their hands feel when holding an ice cube?

Heat transfer The question requires an understanding of energy concepts. The activity most directly addresses heat transfer, because heat moves from students' hands to the ice, making their hands feel cold.

Which of the following is best to do as part of a formative assessment that is given to evaluate students' levels of understanding?

Hold student and teacher discussions on how to improve learning The question requires an understanding of how to design and use formative assessments to adjust instruction. The basis of formative assessment is involving students in their learning through discussions and giving feedback to help all students grow.

"It took the child a long time to lick the mile high ice cream cone." Question: As used in the sentence, "mile high" is an example of which of the following?

Hyperbole The question requires an understanding of how to interpret words and phrases as used in a text. Since the ice cream cone is most likely only a few inches high, and not a mile high, the writer has effectively used a hyperbole (an extravagant expression used for emphasis or effect).

Teacher: What is the first sound in "van"?Student: The first sound in "van" is /v/. Question: The activity shown represents which of the following phonemic-awareness strategies?

Isolation The question requires an understanding of the roles of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition skills in literacy development. Phoneme isolation is the ability to identify where a sound appears in a word or to identify what sound appears in a given position in a word.

MATH QUESTION

MATH PHOTO

Which of the following activities will best help students develop an understanding about the behavior of certain aquatic organisms?

Making daily observations of fish in a classroom fish tank The question requires an understanding of how to help students learn about specific characteristics of an aquatic organism. Through daily observations of fish, students can learn about fish behaviors.

A formative assessment in the middle of a unit on plate tectonics reveals that a student believes that landmasses are plates that float and move on ocean water. Having the student do which of the following is the most appropriate next step?

Manipulate a three-dimensional model of a cross section of Earth's upper layers and oceans The question requires an understanding of the surface features of Earth. As the assessment reveals a lack of understanding, an activity that will effectively address the student's misconception is the most appropriate next step. Manipulation of the model will engage the student and show that oceans are above sections of plates.

A retailer wants to determine the size most often purchased of a certain type of children's shoe to ensure that enough of that item is available to meet consumer demand.Sizes sold last month: 2, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 7, 8 A fifth-grade teacher poses the question above to the class during a lesson. The lesson most likely addresses which of the following concepts?

Mode The question requires an understanding of how to represent and interpret data. The mode is the number that occurs most often in a given set of numbers.

Having students observe that white carnation flowers become purple after the stems are placed in water containing purple dye most directly supports lessons about which of the following processes?

Movement of water through a plant The question requires an understanding of the characteristics of living things. The demonstration best supports lessons related to transpiration and capillary action, which are responsible for the movement of water through a plant. Those processes can be demonstrated by placing cut white flowers in colored water and examining the change in flower color.

Which of the following types of writing involves telling stories, recalling memories, or creating imaginative pieces?

Narrative The question requires an understanding of informative, explanatory, persuasive, and narrative texts. In a narrative, the writer retells familiar stories, writes sequels for stories previously read, writes stories about events in his or her own life, or creates original stories.

A fifth-grade teacher has students cut some two-dimensional shapes from paper and then fold them into three-dimensional figures. Which of the following concepts are the students most likely exploring?

Nets The question requires an understanding of shapes and their attributes. A net is a two-dimensional shape that can be folded to form a three-dimensional shape or a solid.

A teacher presents a large, transparent plastic container that is half-filled with soil layers of different compositions, and the students predict that the soil layers will become mixed if the jug is shaken. The teacher then begins to shake the jug. Which of the following is most appropriate for the students to do as the teacher shakes the jug?

Observe The question requires an understanding of the process of scientific inquiry. Observing is most appropriate because it will enable the students to gather evidence of what happens to the layers as the jug is shaken.

Which of the following student activities is most useful during a lesson about the water cycle?

Observing a teacher demonstration in which water boils, condenses on an ice-filled container, and drips off The question requires an understanding of the water cycle. Observation of the teacher demonstration is most useful because it shows, in an engaging way, phase changes of water and precipitation.

Which of the following student activities is most effective when teaching students about the interactions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon?

Observing the changing appearance of the Moon during the night on Earth over the course of a month The question requires an understanding of Earth and space systems. Observing the changing appearance of the Moon is most effective because this shows the Moon phases, which are due to the Moon's reflection of light from the Sun and the Moon's orbit around Earth.

A math teacher shows students the three chains of pattern blocks in the figure and then asks the students to find a pattern that will produce the perimeter of a chain made with any number of pattern blocks. Which of the following is best for the teacher to use for showing the students how to write a linear equation for the perimeter?

Option (D) is correct. The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand how to write an equation to represent a pattern. The entries in the right column of (D) explicitly show how the perimeter depends on the corresponding entry in the left column; i.e, the value nn in the left column corresponds to the perimeter value 6+(n−1)x4.

A teacher shows students the problem above and asks them to identify the first error that occurs in the solution. Which of the following student answers is correct?

PHOTO D.The number of hundreds that were composed from tens in incorrect. The question requires an understanding of place value and the properties of operations. The student correctly multiplies 8 and 7, but makes a mistake by carrying 4 instead of 5 to the hundreds column.

While traveling through Belgium, Sam purchases gasoline at a price of 1.60 euros per liter. If there are 3.79 liters per gallon and, at that time, 0.74 euros per dollar, what is the price of gasoline in dollars per gallon? Ms. Samuels presented the question shown to her class. Which of the following strategies will best help the students understand how to solve the problem?

PHOTO Finding the new ratio in parts; i.e., first eurosliters×litersgallons=eurosgallonseurosliters×litersgallons=eurosgallons, then eurosgallons×dollarseuros=dollarsgallons The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand ratios, rates, and unit rates. Helping students to see how to correctly use the units to guide the multiplications so that the units cancel and leave the rate that has the desired units is best for understanding how to approach the problem.

Having students do which of the following will most effectively help them learn about erosion?

Pour water on a slanted board covered with sand and observe the sand being washed away The question requires an understanding of erosion. The water-and-sand activity is most effective because this is an engaging, hands-on way to explore how erosion can occur.

The writing sample below is typical of a particular student's work. "Me and my Mom are great buddies. We always go so many fun places together. Just yesterday a friend of ours gave my Mom and I tickets to a terrific baseball game." Question: The teacher can best help the student's writing development by reviewing which of the following with the student?

Pronouns The question asks you to apply your understanding of how to help students produce clear and coherent writing. Students sometimes make random errors in their work, but sometimes the errors may be due to a misconception that is common among students. From the sample, the student has made some errors in pronoun usage, confusing subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, etc.) with objective pronouns (me, him, her, us, etc.). A review of the proper usage for each type of pronoun and the proper word order (e.g., "my Mom and I") would best help this student's writing.

A first-grade student writes "R dg is bg n blk" and reads aloud "Our dog is big and black." Which of the following activities will most likely improve the student's spelling skills?

Providing the student with explicit instruction in phonics The question requires an understanding of the roles of phonological awareness, phonics, and word-recognition skills in literacy development. Analyzing student work can provide valuable insight into what students can do and what additional work and activities are needed. In the scenario, the student does not use vowels when spelling. To successfully decode or spell words, readers have to use the systematic relationships between letters and phonemes (letter-sound correspondence) to retrieve the pronunciation of a word or to spell words. Giving the student instruction in phonics will benefit spelling development.

During which stage of the writing process are students most likely to share their writing with the entire class?

Publishing The question requires an understanding of how to help students produce clear and coherent writing using the stages of the writing process. During the publishing stage, students make their writing public by reading it to others or putting the writing into a booklet.

Which of the following teacher activities is designed to assess the listening skills of a primary student?

Reading a short sentence aloud and asking the student to restate what was read The question requires an understanding of ways to help students develop the skills necessary for speaking, listening, and presenting. Listening requires focusing attention on the person who is talking. Asking students to review or repeat what the teacher said will show if the students paid attention and understood what they heard.

Mr. Jones, a social studies teacher, notices that students are having difficulty understanding a chapter in their textbook. He leads a dialogue in which he generates questions, summarizes, predicts, and clarifies. Then the students take turns assuming the teacher's role. Which of the following best describes the method Mr. Jones is using?

Reciprocal teaching The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of texts. Reciprocal teaching is an approach to instruction that features interactive dialogue between teachers and students. Initially, the teacher models comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring strategies and then gradually turns over the responsibilities to the students. The students take turns being the teacher and leading small-group discussions of the text.

While working on a writing assignment, a student asks a peer to listen to her read the rough draft and offer suggestions for clarifying, expanding, or condensing parts of the draft. The student is engaged in which stage of the writing process?

Revising The question requires an understanding of how to help students produce clear and coherent writing using the stages of the writing process. The example describes a student who is asking others for help in improving a writing piece, which is a step in the revising stage of writing.

Which of the following techniques should be most emphasized when teaching how to prevent the spread of the common cold?

Sneezing or coughing into one's elbow or a tissue The question requires an understanding of communicable diseases. Sneezing or coughing into one's elbow or a tissue can help prevent viral particles from being spread to other individuals.

A teacher asks students to observe different types of birds and state some of their observations. Of the following student responses, which will best help the students classify the birds?

Some of the birds have an orange stripe on their wings. The question requires an understanding of the unifying processes of science. When classifying, objects are separated into groups by characteristics. The student response about some birds having orange coloration on their wings is helpful since this is a characteristic that is unique to a subset of the birds being observed.

A fourth-grade class is asked to name three human needs. The teacher receives the following responses.

Student D: Food Clothes Air The question requires an understanding of basic economic concepts. A need is considered as something people must have in order to survive (food, air, shelter, and water), while a want is something people would like to have that is not necessary for survival (a bicycle, a ball, games, etc.).

Which of the following activities involves structural analysis?

Students determining the meaning of a word by considering the word's parts The question requires an understanding of the basic components of vocabulary and strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words. Structural analysis deals with using familiar word parts (base words, prefixes, and suffixes) to determine the meaning of a word.

The expression 2w+32w+3 represents the difference, in dollars, between Jane's savings and Eve's savings after w weeks of saving for a trip. Which of the following must be used to determine the value of the difference between Jane's savings and Eve's savings after three weeks?

Substitution The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand how to evaluate expressions. The algebraic expression 2w+32w+3 must be evaluated by substituting a 3 in for the w when first multiplying the 2 by the 3 to get 6 and then adding the 3 to get 9.

Which of the following graphic organizers would be most effective for students to use when planning to write a persuasive essay?

T-chart The question requires an understanding of ways to help students produce clear and coherent writing. A T-chart is used for listing two separate viewpoints on a topic. Topics can include anything that can be clearly divided into two opposing views, such as pros and cons of an issue or two sides of an argument.

A teacher observes that a first-grade student does not employ beginning and final consonants correctly while reading. Which of the following teaching strategies is most likely to help the student?

Teaching decoding skills and modeling how to use the skills in context The question requires an understanding of the roles of phonological awareness, phonics, and word-recognition skills in literacy development. The student needs additional instruction in word-recognition and decoding skills. Only (A) combines teaching the required skills with the meaningful contexts in which to use them.

Mount Rainier is located in which of the following mountain ranges?

The Cascade Range The question requires an understanding of physical features in the United States. Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington State and in the Cascade Range.

As part of a language arts program, a first-grade teacher often reads aloud from books, makes shopping lists with students, and displays pictures and prints in the classroom. The teacher's activities are primarily focused on meeting which of the following student needs?

The need for reading readiness The question asks you to apply your understanding of key ideas relevant to the foundations of literacy and reading development. The ability to understand how print works does not emerge magically and unaided. This understanding comes through the active instruction by teachers and other adults who point out letters, words, and other features of the print that surrounds students.

Which of the following is the primary area of focus when scoring a writing assignment based on a holistic rubric?

The overall structure and quality of the assignment The question requires an understanding of how to help students produce clear and coherent writing. Holistic rubrics are used to assess students' work as a whole, not just portions of students' writing. A holistic rubric is used to assess the overall structure and quality of the writing.

At the end of a second-grade reading unit, the teacher reads the following sentences from the response journal of a student in the class. "II liked the story. The boy was a good sun." Based on the sentences, the student needs help with which of the following?

The question requires an understanding of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling. Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meaning. In the sample, the student confused the word "son" (which is the desired word) with the word "sun," a word that sounds the same.

Which of the following is most important for a student to consider before creating a net of a geometric solid?

The shape of each face of the geometric solid and where the faces can be connected The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand how to represent three-dimensional figures using nets. A net is made from the faces of a three-dimensional figure connected at certain edges so that it unfolds into a two-dimensional figure.

A fourth-grade class is discussing the problem shown. "Sid is traveling by train from Little City to Big City. The train departs Little City at 8:30 A.M. and arrives in Big City at 9:15 P.M. How long does it take the train to travel from Little City to Big City?" During the discussion, one student says, "All you have to do is subtract 830 from 915, and you have the answer! It's 85 minutes." For which of the following reasons is the student incorrect?

The student used an inappropriate number-base system to calculate elapsed time. The question requires an understanding of how to relate addition and subtraction to problems involving measurements. The student answered the question using the base-10 place value system without considering the unit of time.

Which of the following describes the most appropriate assessment of students' inquiry skills?

The teacher observes students as they carry out an investigation and interpret their results. The question requires an understanding of the selection and use of appropriate assessments. Teacher observations are most appropriate because they provide evidence of how students apply inquiry skills.

A fourth-grade teacher uses a group activity to introduce a unit. During the activity, the students in each group find all the factors of several numbers. Students then sort the numbers by writing any number with only two factors on one sheet of paper and any number with more than two factors on another sheet of paper. What is most likely the purpose of the activity?

To distinguish between prime and composite numbers The question requires an understanding of strategies for designing instruction to help students understand prime numbers. An inductive learning activity that requires sorting helps students build the concepts of prime and composite numbers.

30 ÷ 653 ÷ 784 ÷ 875 ÷ 9 Question: Third graders studying division were asked to solve and check the four division problems above and then write a story for each problem. Which of the following is the most likely reason for asking the students to write the stories?

To have students demonstrate that division can mean partitioning a set of objects The question requires an understanding of ways to help students develop an understanding of equations and number operations. In writing word problems, students need to demonstrate an understanding of arithmetic operations, different terms that are used for a specific operation, and how to use those terms appropriately in word problems.

Which of the following activities will best help kindergarten students understand the concept of negative numbers?

Using a thermometer to illustrate extreme temperatures recorded at the South Pole The question requires an understanding of how to help students make sense of numbers. Kindergarten students need a concrete model when first learning an abstract concept. From the choices provided, a thermometer showing temperatures above and below zero will best provide them with an appropriate model to learn about negative numbers.

After reading a short story, fifth graders were asked to respond in writing to the following questions. 1. Do you think the plan the characters devised worked? Why or why not? 2. What song did the author quote in the story?

Which of the following questions would assess a different kind of comprehension from that assessed by questions 1 and 2 ? What other ending could you develop for the story? The question requires an understanding of ways to promote students' comprehension of informational text and literature. Question 1 requires the students to use information provided in the story to make an evaluation or judgement. Question 2 requires the students to recall information from the story and use the information to answer the question. (A), (C), and (D) also require students to recall information explicitly provided in the story and use it to answer the questions. (B), writing an alternate ending for the story, requires students to create a new product or point of view.

Leo has five fewer magnets than Su-Ling. A teacher in a fifth-grade math class asks the students to write an equation in two variables that represents the word problem shown. Many students write an incorrect equation. Which of the following strategies will best help the students learn how to write a correct equation?

Writing pairs of numbers that make the problem statement true and identifying a pattern in the numbers before using variables The question requires an understanding of how to design instruction to help students understand how to write an equation from a context. By using numbers to model the word problem before using symbols, students will first use concrete representations and then use the results of what they learn from the concrete representations to understand how to represent the word problem symbolically with an equation that uses two variables.

President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared free only those slaves who

were living in the areas still in rebellion The question requires an understanding of important events and developments in the history of the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation freed only those slaves who were living in the states or parts of states still in rebellion.