Deck 1: Social Studies: The Subject You Will Teach

Question 1

Following the National Education Association's initiative in 1916, social studies took on the primary purpose to:

A) provide children opportunities to explore the world through each of the social sciences.
B) encourage children's patriotism and sense of community.
C) promote the "social efficiency" of citizens in a rapidly changing society.
D) create an understanding among children that they live in a global society.

Answer 1

promote the "social efficiency" of citizens in a rapidly changing society.

Question 2

Professional curriculum standards for social studies were developed by

A) The National Council of Teachers of Social Studies.
B) The National Council for the Social Studies.
C) The American Association of Social Studies Educators.
D) The Consortium of Social Studies Advocates.

Answer 2

The National Council for the Social Studies.

Question 3

According to the author, the overriding goal of social studies is to

A) ensure students understand critical historical content.
B) ready students for the office of citizen.
C) prepare young people to understand complex ideas.
D) instill principles of fairness for all.

Answer 3

ready students for the office of citizen.

Question 4

Most often, social studies curriculum at the elementary level follows an approach of

A) expanding history of humans from earliest civilizations to current events.
B) expanding environment of the child from self, family, community, state, world.
C) expanding geography from the neighborhood, city or town, state, country, world.
D) expanding concepts from each social studies discipline from concrete to abstract.

Question 5

The College, Career and Civic Life Framework (C3) were developed by

A) Nation at Risk.
B) The National Council for the Social Studies.
C) Common Core State Standards.
D) No Child Left Behind.

Question 6

According to NCSS, powerful social studies teaching is

A) skills and technology based.
B) challenging, student-centered, and standards focused.
C) meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging and active.
D) consistent, teacher-directed, well-planned.

Question 7

The most basic responsibility of a teacher in a constructivist classroom is to

A) facilitate.
B) explain.
C) lecture.
D) direct.

Question 8

Core democratic values are those that

A) reflect the traditions of the school.
B) are selected by the majority of the students.
C) give everyone a choice.
D) the fundamental beliefs and constitutional principles of American society.

Question 9

Constructivist learning environments are based on the belief that

A) learning is demonstrated by the random actions of the child which should be encouraged.
B) adults and children learn in different ways and therefore children's learning must be structured and monitored.
C) teachers and children must collaborate about what and is to be learned and taught and how teaching and learning should occur.
D) children build their own knowledge of the world as they attempt to establish connections between what they already know and what is new to them.

Question 10

A democratic classroom is one that creates a classroom where

A) children vote routinely so they learn about elections.
B) children are in "cities" and "states" so they learn about the levels of government.
C) trust and respect exist between teacher and children and among children.
D) security is essential to preserve the safety of all children.

Question 11

A Nation at Risk impacted the modern standards movement. Explain how the following: NCSS curriculum standards, NCLB, Common Core State Standards, and C3 fit into the standards movement and how they have impacted social studies teaching.

Question 12

Dynamic social studies instruction is essential to preparing our nation's youth for civic participation. Describe what "powerful and purposeful social studies instruction" will look like in your classroom. Use specific examples to demonstrate your understanding of key components of powerful and purposeful social studies instruction.