TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 (391): Social Studies V2

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.

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

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

As students enter the classroom, the teacher gives 80% of them a note card with a P on it, 15% a note card with an M on it, and 5% a note card with an F on it. Students are then directed to stand next to signs in different parts of the room based on their letter. P students stand next to a "Poorest Developing Nations" sign, M students next to a "Mostly Industrialized Nations" sign, and F students (likely only one or two students) next to a "Fully Industrialized Nations" sign. The teacher gives the F student(s) a party-sized bag of M&Ms, the M students a one-pound bag of M&Ms, and the P students a snack-sized bag of M&Ms. After discussing definitions of industrialized and developing countries, students are asked to write about what this activity demonstrated and how they felt about the distribution of M&Ms. This activity would help students meet which lesson objective?

Describe the general distribution of wealth for industrialized and developing countries throughout the world

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. 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.

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.

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

Provide outlines of India and two colors of playdough to each student; ask them to form and place the rivers and mountains into their correct locations.

A teacher wants to begin class with a review of what was discussed the previous day and has labeled each corner of their classroom as "Oligarchy," "Monarchy," "Democracy," and "Dictatorship." As students enter the room, the teacher hands them each a notecard with a characteristic of a form of government printed on it. Students are instructed to stand in the corner of the room where the sign matches the description on their notecard. Which of the following lesson objectives best matches this activity?

Students will identify major characteristics of different forms of government.

Sociology, psychology, and political science all have which common feature at their core?

The study of individuals and their decisions

A fourth-grade teacher wants to check for understanding after a lesson on the various kinds of maps used in geography. They assign each student a paragraph describing the main features of each map. Below is a typical student response: "Physical maps are important if you want to see cool illustrations of landforms or bodies of water. Topographical maps are just like physical maps, but they also show lines of latitude and longitude if you want to understand the elevation of certain landmasses. Finally, political maps show the boundaries of countries and states, as well as the locations of cities." Based on the sample response, the teacher should clarify which of the following misconceptions?

Topographical maps include contour lines that show physical details like elevation. Latitude and longitude are used for absolute location.

If a student were trying to learn general geographic and economic information about a particular country, which of the following would be the most efficient and reliable tool?

a digital encyclopedia

A history teacher is preparing a unit on the Civil War. Which of the following activities would work best for a formative assessment? Select all answers that apply.

a think-pair-share on the outcomes of the Civil War; group presentations on the cause and effect of various Civil War battles; a class-wide word cloud exercise on the causes of the Civil War

To introduce a lesson about migration and settlement patterns, a teacher asks students to write a journal entry in response to the following prompt: Describe the most crowded place you have even been. Then explain why you think so many people were pushed from other locations and pulled to that one. The purpose of this activity is likely to:

activate student interest through their own experiences.

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

anthropology.

A warm-up question asks students to analyze a past conflict they have had with a peer. Students are instructed to discuss the cause(s) of the conflict as well as the validity of each side's argument, with particular focus on understanding the opposite viewpoint. Next, the teacher assigns each student a case study for a cause of the American Revolution. The class is instructed to use the same line of inquiry from the warmup as they compile their findings on American and British conflict leading up to 1775. Which of the following teaching practices is most evident in the example above?

appealing to student empathy and engagement

A history teacher wants students to understand the similarities and differences between Loyalist and Patriot motives during the American Revolution. Which of the following activities best accomplishes the instructional goal?

asking students to write two separate journal entries illustrating each viewpoint

A third-grade teacher is discussing cultural differences with her students. Which of the following instructional activities demonstrates an effective use of technology within this unit?

conducting a virtual call in which students can ask questions to a third-grade class in another country

A teacher wants to create a classroom activity that would introduce her third-grade students to the economic principles of spending and saving. Which of the following strategies best matches the instructional goal?

creating a game where students can earn stickers to redeem for treats

A fifth-grade teacher is planning a lesson to explore the different dwelling structures used by Indigenous populations throughout history. She begins by reading an informational article that includes images of the structures with the students. Which of the following would best reinforce student understanding of this concept?

creating models of the different structures using craft materials

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

critical thinking

During a lesson on ancient Egyptian beliefs about life after death and burial traditions, a teacher projects a diagram showing the inside structure of a Great Pyramid. The teacher then poses the following question to students: "Based on what you have learned about preparing pharaohs for the afterlife, why do you think pyramids had false tombs and thieves' tunnels?" Posing this question is most likely to provide which academic opportunity for students?

developing critical thinking skills

After a lesson on the purposes and functions of various levels of government, a teacher asks students to discuss examples of major responsibilities of federal, state, and local governments. The discussion is most likely to provide which instructional opportunity?

evaluating student understanding of the lesson and identifying misconceptions

A KWL chart would most likely be used for what kind of assessments? Select all answers that apply.

formative assessment informal assessment

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

Students are put in small groups and given two readings. The first is a summary of the Declaration of Independence List of Grievances, which is a list of the colonists' complaints against the king. The second is a summary of the Bill of Rights. Their job is to use both readings to discuss potential reasons the founding fathers chose to incorporate certain rights into the Bill of Rights. Which lesson objective best matches this activity?

identifying cause-and-effect relationships

After an economics lesson about specialization, a teacher asks students to identify specific jobs individual employees might focus on in a chicken pot pie factory. Posing this discussion question is most likely to provide which instructional opportunity?

identifying student misconceptions about the meaning of specialization and how it can apply to a business

After an exam, a history teacher notices that not all students have mastered the key themes of the civil rights movement. Which of the following differentiation strategies would best allow all students to meet the instructional goal?

identifying the most commonly missed standard and reteaching with cooperative learning

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

After students have examined events leading up to the American Revolution, a teacher initiates a brief class discussion about the fact that there is no official start date for the war, and historians have argued that events from as early as 1763 to as late as 1775 could be considered the war's start. Students are then told to use evidence from credible sources to write a paper defending one of the following events as the beginning of the war: The Proclamation of 1763, the 1765 Stamp Act, the 1770 Boston Massacre, the 1773 Boston Tea Party, or the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord. This assignment provides students with the opportunity to practice all of the following social studies skills except:

interpreting visual sources like maps and diagrams.

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

A geography teacher wants to develop an inquiry-based activity to end their unit about resources. Which of the following activities would best support the objective?

observing and recording decomposition rates in order to answer a hypothesis on the effect of high temperatures on berries

A map that primarily shows the area of and borders between each country, national capitals, and major cities is which type of map?

political

During social studies instruction, elementary 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

Which of the following activities would best allow the teacher to informally assess students' understanding of the impact of the Civil War on the United States?

providing students with a Venn diagram frame in which they will list and compare aspects of the country before and after the war

Which of the following would be the best graphic to demonstrate the relationship between temperature and elevation?

scatterplot

Which of the following terms is most likely to be used in an economics lesson about comparative advantage?

specialization

A climate map differs from other maps in that it includes which of the following data?

temperature

A teacher puts students in small groups and asks them to discuss the following questions. "Do you plan to vote when you are of age, and would you vote if it meant facing harassment or violence?" This would best fit as an initiation activity for a lesson about:

the civil rights movement.

A third-grade teacher is planning a lesson to help students understand how the environment impacts human settlement patterns. Which of the following topics would best serve this goal?

the historical and modern use of waterways for transportation

Which of the following types of maps might show the average number of children in each state last year?

thematic

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

A map that uses contour lines to show the different elevations of a particular location is what kind of a map?

topographical

In a lesson about U.S. geography, a teacher wants students to distinguish among areas where mountain ranges rise steeply as opposed to gradually. Which type of map should students use to accomplish this task?

topographical