Question 1

Problem solving involves identifying a problem and taking action to solve it.

Accepted Answer

Problem solving is a process that involves recognizing a problem, identifying it clearly, and then taking steps or devising a strategy to address and resolve the issue.

Question 2

Skills require large amounts of practice to learn but once learned will be maintained.

Accepted Answer

Skills can deteriorate over time if they are not practiced regularly, indicating that maintenance requires ongoing practice.

Question 3

Once we have gathered some data by observing, measuring, and questioning, our next step is to:
A) construct a map of the data.
B) organize the data by classifying it, ordering it, or by isolating important variables in it.
C) process the data by finding relationships between the items in the data.
D) quickly communicate our data by reporting it to the class.

Accepted Answer

Organizing the data by classifying it, ordering it, or by isolating important variables in it is a crucial next step after gathering data. This helps in making sense of the data collected and prepares it for further analysis.

Question 4

Certain attitudes and dispositions promote powerful social studies. These include:
A) selecting a position on an issue because family members believe it is the right position.
B) reserving judgment until information has been obtained and considered.
C) resisting asking questions.
D) realizing that the natural environment is just the way it is and that we can do little to control the events that change it.

Accepted Answer

Reserving judgment until information has been obtained and considered is a critical thinking skill that promotes powerful social studies by encouraging open-mindedness and informed decision-making.

Question 5

Investigating focuses on learning about a problem and reporting what you have learned.

Accepted Answer

Investigating involves gathering information about a specific issue or problem, analyzing the data, and then reporting the findings to share what has been learned.

Question 6

Which of the following data-gathering skills might best be used in a project that involves a class of fourth-graders in determining the average amount of trash their family disposes of each week?
A) library, interviewing, and graphing skills
B) graphing, Internet, and interviewing
C) surveying, questioning, and mapping skills
D) interviewing, surveying, and questioning

Accepted Answer

Interviewing, surveying, and questioning are direct methods to gather specific data from individuals, making them suitable for a project involving the collection of personal or household information such as weekly trash disposal amounts.

Question 7

One of the first steps in decision making is clearly defining the problem.

Accepted Answer

Clearly defining the problem is essential in the decision-making process as it ensures that the decision makers understand the exact issue they need to address, which guides the subsequent steps such as generating alternatives and evaluating them.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for doing critical thinking?
A) Respecting evidence
B) Being willing to search for more evidence
C) Tolerating ambiguity
D) Staying with your conclusion

Accepted Answer

Critical thinking involves being open to revising your conclusions based on new evidence or arguments, rather than staying with your initial conclusion regardless of new information.

Question 9

Ms. Lopez, a fourth-grade teacher was working to help her students develop their problem- solving ability. Which of the following was a component that she had to help them learn if they were to become better problem solvers?
A) Recognize that problem solving means resolving a difficulty.
B) Recognize that problem solving identifies the appropriate solution for us so we do not have to try it out.
C) Recognize that, once a solution is arrived at, there will be no obstacles.
D) Recognize that a general description of a problem rather than a detailed, specific description is preferred.

Accepted Answer

Problem solving involves recognizing and defining the problem, which inherently means understanding that there is a difficulty or challenge to be resolved. This is a fundamental component of developing problem-solving skills.

Question 10

When doing a predictive study, students might ask a question such as:
A) how might our play outside on the school playground change if the city puts a public park next to it?
B) what beliefs are leading city planners to decide to put a public park next to the school playground?
C) how do people's attitudes about public parks result in the city planners choosing to put the public park next to the school playground?
D) how much are the other city parks used?

Accepted Answer

Predictive studies focus on forecasting future events or behaviors based on current or past data. Choice A is predictive because it asks about how a future change (the city putting a public park next to the school playground) might alter current behavior (play outside on the school playground). Choices B and C are more about understanding motivations and attitudes, and D is about current usage, not predictive analysis.

Question 11

Given that inquiry skills all have several stages of development, which of the following is the most appropriate statement concerning teaching skills?
A) The social studies curriculum should teach an inquiry skill using the same content topic each time to avoid confusing students with different information.
B) The social studies curriculum should teach the inquiry skill very well in the early grades because students will then master it and not need additional help to further develop the skill.
C) The social studies curriculum should teach an inquiry skill in different grade levels, developing it to a higher level each year it is taught.
D) The social studies curriculum should focus on content not on skill development because skills cannot be fully taught in one school year.

Accepted Answer

Inquiry skills develop over time and require reinforcement and deeper exploration as students progress through their education. Teaching an inquiry skill across different grade levels, with each year building on the previous, allows students to develop a more sophisticated understanding and mastery of the skill.

Question 12

The emotional aspect or implications of a problem often prompt or stimulate the study of a social studies topic. Which of the following is least likely to have been stimulated by concerns that are a part of the affective domain?
A) A study of Presidents' Day
B) A study of where to locate a new hospital for the community
C) A study of life in another country
D) A study of what to do with an abandoned railroad line that runs through parts of the city

Accepted Answer

The answer of The emotional aspect or implications of a...

Question 13

"My pencil is not on my desk, so somebody took it!" This statement is an:
A) observation.
B) inference.
C) hypothesis.
D) fact.

Accepted Answer

The statement is an inference because it is a conclusion reached based on the observation that the pencil is not on the desk, suggesting someone took it without direct evidence.

Question 14

The most important skills used in teaching social studies lessons are the making of maps and timelines.

Accepted Answer

While making maps and timelines are useful skills in teaching social studies, critical thinking, analysis, communication, and the ability to connect past events with current issues are considered more important overall skills for effective teaching in this field.

Question 15

Observing is a fundamental inquiry skill that involves:
A) sequencing the characteristics of a set of objects from large to small, short to tall, or in some other systematic way.
B) identifying what a set of characteristics tell us, for example, wrinkles on a person's face tell us that person is older than someone who does not have wrinkles.
C) predicting where we will see a particular characteristic again.
D) identifying characteristics of an object that we can see, feel, touch, hear, and/or taste.

Accepted Answer

Observing involves using the senses to identify characteristics of an object, such as what we can see, feel, touch, hear, and/or taste.

Question 16

One difference in learning cycles that teach a social studies skill is the optional nature of the exploratory introduction phase.

Accepted Answer

In learning cycles that teach a social studies skill, the exploratory introduction phase is not optional but rather a crucial step. It helps to engage students, build their interest, and provide a context for the new knowledge or skill they will be learning.

Question 17

What data-organizing skill is being used when students take data gathered about the weekly allowances of their classmates and tally it by how many students receive each of the following allowances: seventy-five cents, one dollar, one dollar and fifty cents, two dollars?
A) Classifying
B) Ordering observations
C) Finding patterns
D) Inferring

Accepted Answer

Classifying involves organizing data into categories. In this case, students are categorizing their classmates' allowances into specific amounts, which is a form of classifying.

Question 18

"When there are no rules for a game, people will start arguing because they can't agree on what to do." This statement is an example of an:
A) observation.
B) inference.
C) hypothesis.
D) fact.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "When there are no rules for a...

Question 19

Which of the following would be the most appropriate expansion activity in a lesson focusing on making inferences about life in New Orleans in the 1830s?
A) Describing the location of New Orleans in North America with the help of a world map
B) Examining photographs of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
C) Examining a New Orleans' newspaper dated July 4, 1837
D) Reading an account of the contribution of the citizens of New Orleans to the Confederacy during the Civil War

Accepted Answer

Examining a New Orleans' newspaper from July 4, 1837, would provide direct historical context and evidence from the period being studied, allowing students to make inferences about life in New Orleans in the 1830s.

Question 20

Teachers are able to determine that a student has learned a skill when the student applies the skill in a new situation.

Accepted Answer

Teachers can infer that learning has occurred when a student can transfer and apply a skill or knowledge to a new situation, demonstrating understanding and adaptability.

Quiz 3: How Are Social Studies Inquiry Skills Learned

Problem solving involves identifying a problem and taking action to solve it.

Skills require large amounts of practice to learn but once learned will be maintained.

Once we have gathered some data by observing, measuring, and questioning, our next step is to:

Certain attitudes and dispositions promote powerful social studies. These include:

Investigating focuses on learning about a problem and reporting what you have learned.

Which of the following data-gathering skills might best be used in a project that involves a class of fourth-graders in determining the average amount of trash their family disposes of each week?

One of the first steps in decision making is clearly defining the problem.

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for doing critical thinking?

Ms. Lopez, a fourth-grade teacher was working to help her students develop their problem- solving ability. Which of the following was a component that she had to help them learn if they were to become better problem solvers?

When doing a predictive study, students might ask a question such as:

Given that inquiry skills all have several stages of development, which of the following is the most appropriate statement concerning teaching skills?

The emotional aspect or implications of a problem often prompt or stimulate the study of a social studies topic. Which of the following is least likely to have been stimulated by concerns that are a part of the affective domain?

"My pencil is not on my desk, so somebody took it!" This statement is an:

The most important skills used in teaching social studies lessons are the making of maps and timelines.

Observing is a fundamental inquiry skill that involves:

One difference in learning cycles that teach a social studies skill is the optional nature of the exploratory introduction phase.

What data-organizing skill is being used when students take data gathered about the weekly allowances of their classmates and tally it by how many students receive each of the following allowances: seventy-five cents, one dollar, one dollar and fifty cents, two dollars?

"When there are no rules for a game, people will start arguing because they can't agree on what to do." This statement is an example of an:

Which of the following would be the most appropriate expansion activity in a lesson focusing on making inferences about life in New Orleans in the 1830s?

Teachers are able to determine that a student has learned a skill when the student applies the skill in a new situation.