Deck 1: The Science Education Imperative

Question 1

W According to the science education professional organizations, what science do elementary and middle grades science teachers need to know?

A) Content
B) Methodology
C) The nature of science
D) Science in technology and society
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

many planets have been found outside our solar system?

A) None.
B) 1
C) Between 1 and 100.
D) Nearly 500
E) billions

Answer 2

D

Question 3

amount of science known today is

A) Increasing.
B) Decreasing.
C) Remaining about the same as it always has.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

How have American children performed on the TIMSS?

A) Elementary school children have performed very well and middle grades children have performed in the middle when compared with the performance of children from other countries.
B) Elementary and middle grades children have performed very well when compared with the performance of children from other countries.
C) Elementary and middle grades children have performed poorly when compared with the performance of children from other countries.
D) Middle grades children have performed very well and elementary children have performed in the middle when compared with the performance of children from other countries.

Question 5

One of the main reasons for planetary exploration is

A) To find information that might support a theory of the origin of life on earth.
B) To satisfy curiosity.
C) To test technology.
D) To take interesting pictures.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 6

In the constructivist perspective of science education

A) Answers are either correct or incorrect.
B) No answer is either correct or incorrect.
C) Some answers are correct and should be acknowledged as such.
D) Some answers are incorrect and students should work to find the correct answers.

Question 7

W Much new knowledge is the result of which of the following?

A) Accidental discoveries
B) Methodological experimentation
C) Wondering about something
D) Observation
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 8

W The constructivist perspective in science education suggests that

A) Teachers should impart as much science as they can in the time allotted.
B) Teachers should do as many demonstrations as they have time for.
C) Teachers should encourage students to learn how to do science.
D) Teachers should encourage students to memorize important scientific facts and principles.

Question 9

W Approximately how many new species of plants and animals have been discovered in the past ten years?

Question 10

is a "Goldilocks Planet?"

Question 11

What is a genome?

A) The set of all genes in a cell
B) Half the genes in a cell
C) The set of genes in a reproductive cell
D) The set of genes in a fruit fly

Question 12

The constructivist perspective suggests that elementary science teachers

A) Should know the basic principles and concepts of science.
B) Should learn as much science as they can.
C) Don't have to know any science.
D) Should look up information about questions the children may ask.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 13

What is the likelihood that a science teacher will know all the science that might come up in a class?

A) Low
B) Medium
C) High
D) Very high if the teacher studied enough science

Question 14

W Results of the human genome project include which of the following?

A) Development of new treatments for diseases
B) Shedding light on the theory of human evolution
C) Finding genetic sources for certain traits
D) Predicting the possibility of acquiring certain diseases
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 15

Controversies in science include which of the following?

A) Theory of evolution
B) Global warming
C) Preservation of the spotted owl
D) Stem cell research
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 16

What characterizes a plutoid?

Question 17

are some problems with trying to know all the science you might ever teach?

A) There will be more scientific knowledge by time you teach it that was known when you studied it.
B) Scientific knowledge is changing.
C) Some of what you learned may be replaced by new and different knowledge.
D) There is too much scientific knowledge known for any one person to be able to learn it all.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 18

Information transmitted to earth from the Phoenix Mars Lander suggests which of the following?

Question 19

The theory of plate tectonics suggests that

A) Continents and oceans are stationary on earth.
B) Continents lie on moving plates.
C) Oceans lie on moving plates.
D) Both continents and oceans lie on moving plates.

Question 20

W How have American children performed in science on the Nation's Report Card?

A) The scores of elementary school children have been increasing.
B) The scores of middle grades children have been increasing.
C) The scores of high school students have been increasing.
D) The scores of all students have been increasing.

Question 21

W Which is a main characteristic of the 5E learning cycle developed by Roger Bybee of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study?

Question 22

Why is it useful for elementary teachers to examine their attitudes about teaching science?

A) So they will know if they like to teach science
B) So they will know what science to study
C) So they will know whether they will be effective science teachers
D) So they will know what problems they will encounter in teaching science
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 23

W Why should teachers foster children's ownership of knowledge?

A) So the children will learn
B) So the children will know what the teacher feels is important
C) So the children can come up with the correct responses and answers
D) So the children will volunteer in class

Question 24

W What historical event spurred a revolution in science teaching?

A) Sputnik
B) World War II
C) The discovery of DNA
D) The International Space Station

Question 25

W Which of the following is/are closed questions?

A) Which kind of ice cream do you like?
B) How far is it to the nearest hospital?
C) How many miles per gallon does your car get?
D) What are the names of the planets closer to the sun than the earth?
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 26

The processes of science are

A) Scientific actions.
B) A means of doing science.
C) A set of procedures that ensure accurate scientific investigations.
D) The primary focus of constructivist science education.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 27

Which of the following most closely represents The Learning Cycle as originally established by Robert Karplus?

A) Exploration - Concept Introduction - Concept application
B) Hypothesis formation - Experimentation - Conclusion
C) Exploration - Research - Conclusions
D) Observation - Experimentation - Evidence-based conclusion

Question 28

W In the constructivist view, the best way to understand what children are thinking is to

A) Ask them.
B) Listen to them.
C) Watch them.
D) Look at their notes and drawings.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 29

Perception is

A) The same for all people.
B) Different for each individual.
C) The result of methodical inquiry.
D) The result of loud talk.

Question 30

Which of the following is/are open-ended questions?

A) How many acres are in a typical small farm?
B) What kind of fertilizer is best for azaleas?
C) Which outdoor plants grow best in the shade?
D) How much does a bulldozer weigh?
E) All of the above
F) None of the above