MTTC ELEMENTARY COMPREHENSIVE
EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
●● 2. A kindergarten science classroom investigates changing the speed
and direction of an object with a push or a pull. Which of the following
activities most appropriately supports the students in analyzing and
interpreting data?
A. comparing different observations of what occurred
B. distinguishing between opinions and evidence in an argument
C. describing how specific images support a scientific explanation
D. making valid claims to determine an optimal design solution to a
problem
Answer: A. CORRECT. This investigation offers students the
opportunity to observe how the speed and/or direction of an object
changes with a push or a pull (e.g., pushing or pulling a toy car with
various amounts of force). The descriptions of what they observed and
the comparisons of different outcomes provide data that can be used for
interpretation and analysis with the help of the teacher.
,B. The concept of change due to force is the focus of the lesson and,
while opinions and evidence will be discussed, distinguishing them isn't
the result of analyzing the data. In this scenario, students are more
engaged in the practice of argument.
C. Students are working with objects in this lesson, not viewing images,
and they are working toward the practice of developing an explanation.
D. Students are investigating how speed and direction can change, but
not in reference to a specific goal, such as designing an optimal solution.
This scenario is more about the practices of engaging in argument and
designing solutions than in analyzing and interpreting data.
●● 3. Students in a third-grade science class make claims about how a
prototype design that they made for a weather-related problem works.
This activity matches which of the following disciplinary core ideas?
A. wave properties
B. natural resources
C. developing possible solutions
D. defining and delimiting engineering problems
,Answer: A. Third-grade students should not yet be learning about wave
properties, which would include discussions of amplitude, frequency,
and wavelength. Moreover, these properties only relate to weather
tangentially.
B. While weather is a naturally occurring phenomenon and so might be
considered a natural resource, this concept is not helpful in designing
solutions for a weather-related problem.
C. CORRECT. Communicating with other students about their
prototypes is an important part of the developing possible solutions
portion of the engineering design process and aids in the development of
ideas, including generating improvements.
D. The students should have already completed defining and delimiting
their current engineering problems because they are described as being
at the point of making claims about how their prototypes work.
●● 4. Which of the following activities effectively integrates the patterns
crosscutting concept into a first-grade space systems unit?
A. recording information to describe how much light is available on a
given day
B. providing evidence of objects only being seen when they are
illuminated
, C. observing the sun, moon, and stars to predict daily and monthly
events
D. communicating solutions to reduce the amount of junk orbiting Earth
Answer: A. Examining only one day's data will not provide enough
information to find a pattern because multiple data points are needed.
B. Providing evidence in this way relates better to the crosscutting
concept of cause and effect because being seen relies on the illumination
of an object.
C. CORRECT. By making observations and learning about the sun,
moon, and stars, students can learn to recognize patterns, such as
predicting the visible shape of the moon over time, as well as the
positions of various celestial objects.
D. Examining the amount of junk orbiting Earth relates better to scale,
proportion, and quantity because it involves amounts of things.
●● 5. Prekindergarten children explore the concepts of sinking and
floating by placing items in water. Which of the following supplies
would best support this investigation?
A. plastic building blocks that are different colors
EXAM STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
●● 2. A kindergarten science classroom investigates changing the speed
and direction of an object with a push or a pull. Which of the following
activities most appropriately supports the students in analyzing and
interpreting data?
A. comparing different observations of what occurred
B. distinguishing between opinions and evidence in an argument
C. describing how specific images support a scientific explanation
D. making valid claims to determine an optimal design solution to a
problem
Answer: A. CORRECT. This investigation offers students the
opportunity to observe how the speed and/or direction of an object
changes with a push or a pull (e.g., pushing or pulling a toy car with
various amounts of force). The descriptions of what they observed and
the comparisons of different outcomes provide data that can be used for
interpretation and analysis with the help of the teacher.
,B. The concept of change due to force is the focus of the lesson and,
while opinions and evidence will be discussed, distinguishing them isn't
the result of analyzing the data. In this scenario, students are more
engaged in the practice of argument.
C. Students are working with objects in this lesson, not viewing images,
and they are working toward the practice of developing an explanation.
D. Students are investigating how speed and direction can change, but
not in reference to a specific goal, such as designing an optimal solution.
This scenario is more about the practices of engaging in argument and
designing solutions than in analyzing and interpreting data.
●● 3. Students in a third-grade science class make claims about how a
prototype design that they made for a weather-related problem works.
This activity matches which of the following disciplinary core ideas?
A. wave properties
B. natural resources
C. developing possible solutions
D. defining and delimiting engineering problems
,Answer: A. Third-grade students should not yet be learning about wave
properties, which would include discussions of amplitude, frequency,
and wavelength. Moreover, these properties only relate to weather
tangentially.
B. While weather is a naturally occurring phenomenon and so might be
considered a natural resource, this concept is not helpful in designing
solutions for a weather-related problem.
C. CORRECT. Communicating with other students about their
prototypes is an important part of the developing possible solutions
portion of the engineering design process and aids in the development of
ideas, including generating improvements.
D. The students should have already completed defining and delimiting
their current engineering problems because they are described as being
at the point of making claims about how their prototypes work.
●● 4. Which of the following activities effectively integrates the patterns
crosscutting concept into a first-grade space systems unit?
A. recording information to describe how much light is available on a
given day
B. providing evidence of objects only being seen when they are
illuminated
, C. observing the sun, moon, and stars to predict daily and monthly
events
D. communicating solutions to reduce the amount of junk orbiting Earth
Answer: A. Examining only one day's data will not provide enough
information to find a pattern because multiple data points are needed.
B. Providing evidence in this way relates better to the crosscutting
concept of cause and effect because being seen relies on the illumination
of an object.
C. CORRECT. By making observations and learning about the sun,
moon, and stars, students can learn to recognize patterns, such as
predicting the visible shape of the moon over time, as well as the
positions of various celestial objects.
D. Examining the amount of junk orbiting Earth relates better to scale,
proportion, and quantity because it involves amounts of things.
●● 5. Prekindergarten children explore the concepts of sinking and
floating by placing items in water. Which of the following supplies
would best support this investigation?
A. plastic building blocks that are different colors
