ABCTE PTK Practice Exam Questions and
Verified Answers
performance more realistic; the whole activity promotes retaining and transferring what has
been leaned.
What is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to students? answer - Having
students work on their own with specific information related to a topic before giving an
organizing lecture. Studies indicate that topics need to be organized and connected in order to
promote transfer knowledge, but that a large number of topics covered quickly will hinder
student transfer because students have too little time to connect and organize the information.
Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one activity, what
would be the BEST to prepare the students for the test? answer - Students should make a chart
of the important topics with notes on subtopics below each. Organizational structures help
students to connect and remember.
What learning objectives uses a higher order thinking skill? answer - Bloom's Taxonomy
identifies thinking skills in increasing order of sophistication as knowledge, comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. "Students will create a metaphor to describe an
emotion." requires synthesis in order to complete the task.
What would provide the BEST introduction for a lesson on writing bibliographic references?
answer - Demonstrate to students the specific procedure and order expected. Procedures are
best taught through demonstration.
A social studies teacher wants students to consider the role of geography in population
patterns. She asks her class, "What role did geography play in the growth of Chicago as a major
U.S. city?" what should she do next? answer - Tell students not to call out responses but to
, raise their hand when they think of an answer and wait to be called on. Students need various
amounts of time to think through an answer to a question, particularly for complicated
questions. Allowing students to answer right away can stop the thinking process for the other
students.
Consider the following two questions a teach might ask a high school social studies class.
I: According to our textbook, what does the public welfare system do to solve the problems of
poverty?
II: What are some ways our country might solve the problems of poverty?
What best describes the differences between these questions? answer - This question is a
matter of relative convergence and divergence. Question I converges on the textbook; that is
good answers will stick to what the textbook says. Question II allows for answers that may draw
on sources other than the textbook. Both questions are open-ended.
II invites more divergent thinking than I.
What activity would BEST help students in a middle school social studies class understand why
different Native American tribes had different trading practices? answer - Assign a tribe to each
group of students and give each group handouts that identify needs and oversupply for a
particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among groups and have students identify
important aspects. Students engaged in active participation are more likely to learn and
understand complex interconnections.
A struggling student comes to pick up a paper at your desk during class time. You have
determined that this student needs extra help. What would be BEST to say to the student?
answer - "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more detail.. Let's set up a time when
we can talk in private." It is important to protect student privacy and avoid embarrassment. The
vital issue is not to share lack of success with the rest of the students.
Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: " What do the three stories we
have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?"
What is the main instructional value of asking a question like this? answer - Analysis of the
separate stories and comparison between them. This question utilizes comparisons, which is
Verified Answers
performance more realistic; the whole activity promotes retaining and transferring what has
been leaned.
What is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to students? answer - Having
students work on their own with specific information related to a topic before giving an
organizing lecture. Studies indicate that topics need to be organized and connected in order to
promote transfer knowledge, but that a large number of topics covered quickly will hinder
student transfer because students have too little time to connect and organize the information.
Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one activity, what
would be the BEST to prepare the students for the test? answer - Students should make a chart
of the important topics with notes on subtopics below each. Organizational structures help
students to connect and remember.
What learning objectives uses a higher order thinking skill? answer - Bloom's Taxonomy
identifies thinking skills in increasing order of sophistication as knowledge, comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. "Students will create a metaphor to describe an
emotion." requires synthesis in order to complete the task.
What would provide the BEST introduction for a lesson on writing bibliographic references?
answer - Demonstrate to students the specific procedure and order expected. Procedures are
best taught through demonstration.
A social studies teacher wants students to consider the role of geography in population
patterns. She asks her class, "What role did geography play in the growth of Chicago as a major
U.S. city?" what should she do next? answer - Tell students not to call out responses but to
, raise their hand when they think of an answer and wait to be called on. Students need various
amounts of time to think through an answer to a question, particularly for complicated
questions. Allowing students to answer right away can stop the thinking process for the other
students.
Consider the following two questions a teach might ask a high school social studies class.
I: According to our textbook, what does the public welfare system do to solve the problems of
poverty?
II: What are some ways our country might solve the problems of poverty?
What best describes the differences between these questions? answer - This question is a
matter of relative convergence and divergence. Question I converges on the textbook; that is
good answers will stick to what the textbook says. Question II allows for answers that may draw
on sources other than the textbook. Both questions are open-ended.
II invites more divergent thinking than I.
What activity would BEST help students in a middle school social studies class understand why
different Native American tribes had different trading practices? answer - Assign a tribe to each
group of students and give each group handouts that identify needs and oversupply for a
particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among groups and have students identify
important aspects. Students engaged in active participation are more likely to learn and
understand complex interconnections.
A struggling student comes to pick up a paper at your desk during class time. You have
determined that this student needs extra help. What would be BEST to say to the student?
answer - "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more detail.. Let's set up a time when
we can talk in private." It is important to protect student privacy and avoid embarrassment. The
vital issue is not to share lack of success with the rest of the students.
Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: " What do the three stories we
have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?"
What is the main instructional value of asking a question like this? answer - Analysis of the
separate stories and comparison between them. This question utilizes comparisons, which is
