Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
TEST BANK - CHAPTER 1
PLEASE READ THIS
This test bank is provided for your convenience – primarily for instructors of
large classes who find it necessary to give multiple-choice tests.
I am aware that multiple-choice and other short-answer tests are opposed to
the constructivist view. However, given that there may be a need for an
easy-to-score test bank, I have tried to make this test bank as constructivist
as possible.
• Many questions have choices for “All of the above” and “None of the
above.”
• Most questions have a blank line where students can provide a
comment about their selection so you can tell what the student was
thinking and can determine whether their selection was valid
according to their constructions.
• Most questions are intended to foster student understanding of
constructivism.
It is my fervent hope that, if you choose to use this test bank, you explain to
your students why you are using it so students don’t get the idea that their
thinking doesn’t count after all – that you and the textbook are teaching
something that really isn’t valued – and that once again, it is someone else’s
thinking that counts and that ultimately they, the students, are expected to
say what the instructor or textbook author wants them to say.
Perhaps the best uses for this test bank are:
• Tests or quizzes that may be required by your institution
• Quick assessments of students in very large classes
• Periodic check-ups to see how your students are constructing the material in this
course
• Student self-checks
• Sparking class discussions (using clicker technology if it is available)
Questions marked with a “W” can be found in the student quizzing of the Education
CourseMate Web Site.
1
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
Chapter 1 The Science Education Imperative
1.1 W How much science do you remember from elementary school?
a. None
b. Some
c. Lots
Brief explanation if desired:
1.2 The amount of science known today is
a. *Increasing.
b. Decreasing.
c. Remaining about the same as it always has.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.3 W 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.4 What 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.5 W 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.6 How many planets have been found outside our solar system?
a. None.
b. 1
c. Between 1 and 100.
d. *Nearly 500
e. billions
Brief explanation if desired:
1.7 W What characterizes a plutoid?
a. A plutoid is a small planet-like body.
b. A plutoid is spherical or nearly spherical in shape.
c. The orbit of a plutoid is located primarily beyond the orbit of Neptune.
d. *All of the above
e. None of the above
f. Brief explanation if desired:
2
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
1.8 What is a “Goldilocks Planet?”
a. *A planet that has the properties to support life as we know it
b. A yellow planet
c. A planet that is very hot
d. A planet that is very cold
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.9 W 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.10 Information transmitted to earth from the Phoenix Mars Lander suggests which of the following?
a. *Mars may have had water on its surface at one time.
b. Mars seems to be populated by small green creatures.
c. Mars is made mostly of ice.
d. Mars is so inhospitable to man that it probably would be a bad idea to send people to Mars for
exploration purposes
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.11 W Approximately how many new species of plants and animals have been discovered in the past ten years?
a. None – We already know all the living species
b. *More than 6000
c. Only a few deep-sea bacteria
d. Thirty to forty
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.12 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.13 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.14 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
3
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
f. None of the above
Brief explanation if desired:
1.15 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.16 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.17 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.18 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.19 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.20 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
4
Constructivist Approach
TEST BANK - CHAPTER 1
PLEASE READ THIS
This test bank is provided for your convenience – primarily for instructors of
large classes who find it necessary to give multiple-choice tests.
I am aware that multiple-choice and other short-answer tests are opposed to
the constructivist view. However, given that there may be a need for an
easy-to-score test bank, I have tried to make this test bank as constructivist
as possible.
• Many questions have choices for “All of the above” and “None of the
above.”
• Most questions have a blank line where students can provide a
comment about their selection so you can tell what the student was
thinking and can determine whether their selection was valid
according to their constructions.
• Most questions are intended to foster student understanding of
constructivism.
It is my fervent hope that, if you choose to use this test bank, you explain to
your students why you are using it so students don’t get the idea that their
thinking doesn’t count after all – that you and the textbook are teaching
something that really isn’t valued – and that once again, it is someone else’s
thinking that counts and that ultimately they, the students, are expected to
say what the instructor or textbook author wants them to say.
Perhaps the best uses for this test bank are:
• Tests or quizzes that may be required by your institution
• Quick assessments of students in very large classes
• Periodic check-ups to see how your students are constructing the material in this
course
• Student self-checks
• Sparking class discussions (using clicker technology if it is available)
Questions marked with a “W” can be found in the student quizzing of the Education
CourseMate Web Site.
1
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
Chapter 1 The Science Education Imperative
1.1 W How much science do you remember from elementary school?
a. None
b. Some
c. Lots
Brief explanation if desired:
1.2 The amount of science known today is
a. *Increasing.
b. Decreasing.
c. Remaining about the same as it always has.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.3 W 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.4 What 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.5 W 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.6 How many planets have been found outside our solar system?
a. None.
b. 1
c. Between 1 and 100.
d. *Nearly 500
e. billions
Brief explanation if desired:
1.7 W What characterizes a plutoid?
a. A plutoid is a small planet-like body.
b. A plutoid is spherical or nearly spherical in shape.
c. The orbit of a plutoid is located primarily beyond the orbit of Neptune.
d. *All of the above
e. None of the above
f. Brief explanation if desired:
2
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
1.8 What is a “Goldilocks Planet?”
a. *A planet that has the properties to support life as we know it
b. A yellow planet
c. A planet that is very hot
d. A planet that is very cold
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.9 W 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.10 Information transmitted to earth from the Phoenix Mars Lander suggests which of the following?
a. *Mars may have had water on its surface at one time.
b. Mars seems to be populated by small green creatures.
c. Mars is made mostly of ice.
d. Mars is so inhospitable to man that it probably would be a bad idea to send people to Mars for
exploration purposes
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.11 W Approximately how many new species of plants and animals have been discovered in the past ten years?
a. None – We already know all the living species
b. *More than 6000
c. Only a few deep-sea bacteria
d. Thirty to forty
e. Brief explanation if desired:
1.12 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.13 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.14 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
3
, Test Bank For Elementary Science Methods: A
Constructivist Approach
f. None of the above
Brief explanation if desired:
1.15 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.16 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.17 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.18 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
Brief explanation if desired:
1.19 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
1.20 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.
Brief explanation if desired:
4
