Question 1

Describe at least five kinds of assessment that are typically used for elementary social studies and explain the strengths and potential challenges of each.

Accepted Answer

1. Multiple Choice Tests: Multiple choice tests are a common form of assessment in elementary social studies. They are easy to grade and can cover a wide range of content. However, they may not accurately assess a student's depth of understanding and can be prone to guessing.

2. Projects: Projects allow students to demonstrate their understanding of social studies concepts in a creative and hands-on way. They can be tailored to different learning styles and encourage critical thinking. However, they can be time-consuming to grade and may not provide a clear picture of a student's overall understanding.

3. Essays: Essay assessments require students to articulate their understanding of social studies concepts in a written format. They can demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills. However, they can be time-consuming to grade and may not accurately assess a student's knowledge of specific content.

4. Oral Presentations: Oral presentations allow students to demonstrate their understanding of social studies concepts through verbal communication. They can help develop public speaking skills and can provide insight into a student's understanding. However, they may not accurately assess a student's depth of knowledge and can be anxiety-inducing for some students.

5. Observations: Observations involve the teacher watching and recording a student's behavior and performance in social studies activities. They can provide insight into a student's understanding and engagement. However, they may be subjective and can be time-consuming to conduct.

Each of these assessment methods has its strengths and potential challenges. It is important for teachers to consider the specific learning objectives and needs of their students when selecting assessment methods for elementary social studies. Additionally, using a variety of assessment methods can provide a more comprehensive understanding of student learning.

Question 2

The multiple-choice format is probably the most

Accepted Answer

A) difficult for subjective test items. 
B) difficult for objective test items. 
C) versatile for objective test items. 
D) inflexible for subjective test items. 
A) difficult for subjective test items. 
B) difficult for objective test items. 
C) versatile for objective test items. 
D) inflexible for subjective test items. C

Question 3

Whatever form of assessment is used, it should focus on goals and the results should be

Accepted Answer

A) described and recorded in the student's portfolio. 
B) recorded and placed in the student's cumulative record folder. 
C) used to inform the teacher's planning process. 
D) used to evaluate the teacher's effectiveness. 
A) described and recorded in the student's portfolio. 
B) recorded and placed in the student's cumulative record folder. 
C) used to inform the teacher's planning process. 
D) used to evaluate the teacher's effectiveness. C

Question 4

Students should be given the opportunities to analyze their own work assuming the process is

Accepted Answer

A) carefully scaffolded and used to inform planning. 
B) objective and used to evaluate their learning. 
C) subjective and helpful in determining academic achievement. 
D) carefully monitored to ensure teacher effectiveness. 
A) carefully scaffolded and used to inform planning. 
B) objective and used to evaluate their learning. 
C) subjective and helpful in determining academic achievement. 
D) carefully monitored to ensure teacher effectiveness.

Question 5

The Council for the Social Studies and leading scholars argue for social studies assessments that are

Accepted Answer

A) performance based, apply to multiple learning environments and content areas, and are easily scored. 
B) standards based, include authentic tasks to be performed out of school, and apply to multiple content areas. 
C) offered in multiple formats, apply social studies skills and processes, and integrated across the curriculum 
D) well-aligned with social studies goals, more complete in the range of objectives addressed, and include authentic tasks. 
A) performance based, apply to multiple learning environments and content areas, and are easily scored. 
B) standards based, include authentic tasks to be performed out of school, and apply to multiple content areas. 
C) offered in multiple formats, apply social studies skills and processes, and integrated across the curriculum 
D) well-aligned with social studies goals, more complete in the range of objectives addressed, and include authentic tasks.

Question 6

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity to talk abut what has been learned using the contents of the portfolio as a springboard for discussion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Summative assessment focuses on evaluating students' understanding and ability to apply the big ideas and skills emphasized within the unit.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Explain the ideal connections between assessment and instruction (why should they be aligned?). Include at least four examples to illustrate your key points.

Accepted Answer

The ideal connection between assessment

Question 9

Authentic assessment should always reflect the full range of curricular goals, so multiple- choice, true-false, and essay tests are sometimes appropriate.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Analytic rubrics for evaluating social studies learning describe the degree of

Accepted Answer

A) quantity, efficiency, and recall along a continuum. 
B) quality, efficacy, and clarity along a continuum. 
C) quantity, efficiency, and understanding along a continuum. 
D) quality, proficiency, or understanding along a continuum. 
A) quantity, efficiency, and recall along a continuum. 
B) quality, efficacy, and clarity along a continuum. 
C) quantity, efficiency, and understanding along a continuum. 
D) quality, proficiency, or understanding along a continuum.

Question 11

All formal assessments should have correct answers for the exclusive purpose of assigning grades to students.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Portfolios can serve as a means for collecting, organizing, and showcasing student work.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The kind of assessment implied by constructivism flows from the belief that students

Accepted Answer

A) hold on to the existing knowledge and absorb it after engaging in planned repetition. 
B) develop new knowledge and make it their own, through multiple opportunities of guided practice. 
C) develop new knowledge first through transmission and recall followed by "meaning making." 
D) develop new knowledge and make it their own, through an active process of "meaning making." 
A) hold on to the existing knowledge and absorb it after engaging in planned repetition. 
B) develop new knowledge and make it their own, through multiple opportunities of guided practice. 
C) develop new knowledge first through transmission and recall followed by "meaning making." 
D) develop new knowledge and make it their own, through an active process of "meaning making."

Question 14

Formative assessment measures student understanding of performance with the purpose of evaluating students.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Potential portfolio content should reflect the diversity of

Accepted Answer

A) social studies content. 
B) reading , writing, questioning, analyzing experiences that are incorporated into the social studies units. 
C) students' views. 
D) learning skill sets. 
A) social studies content. 
B) reading , writing, questioning, analyzing experiences that are incorporated into the social studies units. 
C) students' views. 
D) learning skill sets.

Question 16

Essay questions are most useful for assessing

Accepted Answer

A) higher cognitive processes. 
B) students' writing skills. 
C) students' creativity in structuring content. 
D) students' future success. 
A) higher cognitive processes. 
B) students' writing skills. 
C) students' creativity in structuring content. 
D) students' future success.

Question 17

Explain why a teacher needs to use a variety of formal and informal assessment methods to monitor student progress. Provide at least four reasons and a specific example for each.

Accepted Answer

A teacher needs to use a variety of form

Question 18

It is extremely challenging and non-value added to spend time assessing attitudes, value, and dispositions in social studies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The most important consideration in selecting both informal and formal assessment tools is that it

Accepted Answer

A) matches the goal. 
B) aligns with the activity. 
C) is easy to grade. 
D) students will enjoy it. 
A) matches the goal. 
B) aligns with the activity. 
C) is easy to grade. 
D) students will enjoy it.

Question 20

Preliminary assessment should focus on the goals and be used primarily for evaluating instruction.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Describe at least five kinds of assessment that are typically used for elementary social studies and explain the strengths and potential challenges of each.

The multiple-choice format is probably the most

Whatever form of assessment is used, it should focus on goals and the results should be

Students should be given the opportunities to analyze their own work assuming the process is

The Council for the Social Studies and leading scholars argue for social studies assessments that are

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity to talk abut what has been learned using the contents of the portfolio as a springboard for discussion.

Summative assessment focuses on evaluating students' understanding and ability to apply the big ideas and skills emphasized within the unit.

Explain the ideal connections between assessment and instruction (why should they be aligned?). Include at least four examples to illustrate your key points.

Authentic assessment should always reflect the full range of curricular goals, so multiple- choice, true-false, and essay tests are sometimes appropriate.

Analytic rubrics for evaluating social studies learning describe the degree of

All formal assessments should have correct answers for the exclusive purpose of assigning grades to students.

Portfolios can serve as a means for collecting, organizing, and showcasing student work.

The kind of assessment implied by constructivism flows from the belief that students

Formative assessment measures student understanding of performance with the purpose of evaluating students.

Potential portfolio content should reflect the diversity of

Essay questions are most useful for assessing

Explain why a teacher needs to use a variety of formal and informal assessment methods to monitor student progress. Provide at least four reasons and a specific example for each.

It is extremely challenging and non-value added to spend time assessing attitudes, value, and dispositions in social studies.

The most important consideration in selecting both informal and formal assessment tools is that it

Preliminary assessment should focus on the goals and be used primarily for evaluating instruction.

Elementary Social Studies: What Is It What Might It Become

How Can I Build a Learning Community in My Classroom: Strategies for Including All Children

How Do I Select Powerful Goals and Powerful Content

What Social Studies Planning Tools Are Available

How Can I Teach History Powerfully

How Can I Teach Geography and Anthropology Content Powerfully

How Can I Teach the Other Social Science Content Powerfully

How Can I Structure Classroom Discourse to Help Students Develop Social Studies Understandings

What Are Some Other Strategies for Teaching Social Studies

How Can I Design, Implement, and Evaluate Instructional Activities

What Is the Role of Curricular Integration

How Can the Curriculum Be Expanded and Made More Powerful Through Homework

What Is the Research Base That Informs Ideas About Powerful Social Studies Teaching

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Exam 9: How Can I Assess Student Learning

Describe at least five kinds of assessment that are typically used for elementary social studies and explain the strengths and potential challenges of each.

The multiple-choice format is probably the most

Whatever form of assessment is used, it should focus on goals and the results should be

Students should be given the opportunities to analyze their own work assuming the process is

The Council for the Social Studies and leading scholars argue for social studies assessments that are

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity to talk abut what has been learned using the contents of the portfolio as a springboard for discussion.

Summative assessment focuses on evaluating students' understanding and ability to apply the big ideas and skills emphasized within the unit.

Explain the ideal connections between assessment and instruction (why should they be aligned?). Include at least four examples to illustrate your key points.

Authentic assessment should always reflect the full range of curricular goals, so multiple- choice, true-false, and essay tests are sometimes appropriate.

Analytic rubrics for evaluating social studies learning describe the degree of

All formal assessments should have correct answers for the exclusive purpose of assigning grades to students.

Portfolios can serve as a means for collecting, organizing, and showcasing student work.

The kind of assessment implied by constructivism flows from the belief that students

Formative assessment measures student understanding of performance with the purpose of evaluating students.

Potential portfolio content should reflect the diversity of

Essay questions are most useful for assessing

Explain why a teacher needs to use a variety of formal and informal assessment methods to monitor student progress. Provide at least four reasons and a specific example for each.

It is extremely challenging and non-value added to spend time assessing attitudes, value, and dispositions in social studies.

The most important consideration in selecting both informal and formal assessment tools is that it

Preliminary assessment should focus on the goals and be used primarily for evaluating instruction.

Elementary Social Studies: What Is It What Might It Become

How Can I Build a Learning Community in My Classroom: Strategies for Including All Children

How Do I Select Powerful Goals and Powerful Content

What Social Studies Planning Tools Are Available

How Can I Teach History Powerfully

How Can I Teach Geography and Anthropology Content Powerfully

How Can I Teach the Other Social Science Content Powerfully

How Can I Structure Classroom Discourse to Help Students Develop Social Studies Understandings

What Are Some Other Strategies for Teaching Social Studies

How Can I Design, Implement, and Evaluate Instructional Activities

What Is the Role of Curricular Integration

How Can the Curriculum Be Expanded and Made More Powerful Through Homework

What Is the Research Base That Informs Ideas About Powerful Social Studies Teaching

Filters