UIC College of Education Content Test Prep

This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts related to geometry. In geometry, the term area refers to a flat surface enclosed by lines. Outlining a student’s foot on graph paper enables students to explore the concept of area by counting the number of unit squares contained within the outline.


                                                                                                2

Correct Answer: A

The recognition of geometric shape’s attributes (such as identifying the number of points and edges that make up a triangle) is necessary for the categorization aspect of this lesson. 

Correct Answer: B

The answer of 8 is found by subtracting 7 from 15.

* There will be questions on your test where you will be asked to identify which mathematical operation is being taught or reinforced based on the details of the scenario or activity in which the children are to engaged. 

Correct Answer: B 

Students will need to read the chart to find the quantities 8, 3, 5, 7, 2, and 10. If the students then order the numbers from least to greatest, getting    2 < 3 < 5 < 7 < 8 < 10, it will be easy for them to see how many fruits are preferred by fewer than 5 students, exactly 5 students, or more than 5 students. 

This question also relates to use of pictographs to help children gather and represent data. For young children, taking surveys of personal preferences or collecting data on personal items (such as types of shoes children are wearing) can be a meaningful and motivating way to engage them in mathematical thinking. 

Correct Response: D

In order to plan developmentally appropriate mathematics activities for a preschool-age child, a teacher needs to have a good idea of each child’s existing knowledge related to mathematical concepts (e.g., bigger and smaller, more than and less than, round and square, one-to-one correspondence). With a young child, the best way to make such a determination would be to observe and talk with the child as he or she interacts with various relevant materials

Correct Response: B

The use of drawings, tallies, and other graphic representations during instruction helps students visualize concepts. Such representations help students identify and focus on relevant information and support comprehension for students with diverse learning needs (e.g., visual learners, students with disabilities, English language learners). 

Correct Answer: A 

This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of basic concepts of the life sciences. A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone. Of the animals listed, the only one with a backbone is the hummingbird.

Correct Response: C

A Venn diagram is a kind of graphic organizer that uses overlapping circles to show relationships between two or more ideas, groups, or concepts.  The outer circles of a Venn diagrams are most often used to compare and contrast attribute  or data sets with the outer circles representing differences and the overlapping areas representing similarities.

Correct Answer: C

A chemical change occurs when a new substance is formed from one or more other substances. The other choices in this question represent examples of physical changes. 

Other examples where chemical changes occur include: baking a cake, burning wood, and the rusting of an iron nail.

Correct Answer: C 

The activity describes classification, which requires students to arrange or organize items according to class or category. 

Correct Answer: B

The described activity concretely illustrates the pathway of plant water transportation up the celery stalk.  

Correct Response: C

A slide is an example of an inclined plane or ramp.

In the photo are examples of  2 simple machines found on a playground- a lever (the see saw) and an inclined plane (the slide).

Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/simple-machines-printables-1832412

Correct Response: B

Cause and Effect is a type of relationship between events whereby a cause (an action) creates an effect (an outcome). Cause and effect is considered to be the backbone of the scientific method; it drives everything from our hypotheses to our conclusions in an experiment. The job of the scientific method is to tell us if a cause (or action) produces an observed effect.  

In this example, the teacher is setting up an opportunity for children to observe the effect or outcome on the distance the toy car travels down the ramp when the children cause a change in the angle of the ramp. 

Correct Response: D

A Line graph (also known as a line plot graph) is a graph where data points are connected by lines to show how something changes in value either as time goes by or as something else changes. 

Line graphs use an X axis (horizontal) and a Y-axis (vertical) to plot two corresponding data points. It can also be referred to as a Line Plot Graph.  For this question, one axis would describe the various levels of incline of the ramp and the other would show the distance the toy car traveled from the end of each ramp.

Click “Supplemental Info” for a graphic example for this scenario.

Correct Response: D

The strategy of partnering the student with a peer will help the child establish a friendship and identify himself as a member of a group.  

Correct Answer: C

Interdependence is the social science concept of being dependent on each other for some of our needs.  Taking children on field trips to locations within the community allows them to be active learners in understanding this concept. The children begin to understand how people in the community rely on each other to provide certain services and goods. 

Correct Answer: C

Cultural identity is the sense of belonging to a group or groups that children first begin to develop through their relationships with family and community. Though the concept of ancestry and cultural heritage is too abstract for children at age three, children this age are already aware of the traditions and activities in which their families participate. Connecting cultural activities to ideas and experiences that are familiar to children builds on what they know to establish a foundation for eventually developing a broader understanding of who they are.   

Correct Answer: A

Reading a grade appropriate biography with a strong sequence of events then creating a human timeline depicting the events in chronological order.

Correct Response: A

In this scenario, it is best to respond to a child experiencing intense emotional dysregulation with a calm demeanor while also expressing understanding and validation of the frustration they might be feeling.

Correct Response: B

This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of basic safety practices relevant to children. To minimize the potential for injury from a fall, the surface beneath playground climbing structures should consist of a material that will absorb an impact. Wood chips or rubberized materials have been proven effective for this purpose, while nonabsorptive surfaces, such as packed earth, statistically increase the chance of serious injury.

Correct Response: D

Teachers’ arrangement of the classroom environment plays a key role in the children’s ability to move through the space safely, as well as in their ability to make safe and productive use of classroom materials. Wide-open spaces tend to encourage dangerous behaviors such as running through the classroom, and such spaces may additionally serve as sources of distraction that prevent children from interacting meaningfully, purposefully, and safely with the materials provided in the various learning centers.  

Correct Answer: D

Agility, balance, power, speed, coordination, and reaction time are all components of skill-related fitness. The wall-ball activity most closely addresses students’ eye-hand coordination. 

Correct Answer: D

Hopping on one foot is the best option for helping young children in this age range develop a sense of balance.

Correct Answer: C

Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors in equal measure.

COLOR TERMS

Primary Colors: Red, Yellow and Blue are considered the 3 Primary Colors

Secondary Colors: Made by mixing equal parts of primary colors. (Purple, Green, Orange)

Tertiary Colors: Made by mixing one primary color with half the saturation of a second primary color 

Complimentary Colors: Appear opposite each other on the color wheel

Image Source: https://www.color-meanings.com/primary-secondary-tertiary-colors/ 

Correct Answer: B

When responding to young children’s artistic creations, teachers must take care not to impose their own judgments or interpretations of the works. Even making complimentary statements (e.g., “Oh, that’s beautiful!” or “I love your picture!”) can have the unintended effect of prompting young children to begin seeking adults’ praise for their works rather than to continue their unselfconscious explorations of color, texture, gesture, and media. Neutral observations such as “You used so many different colors in your picture. Can you tell me about it?” are generally considered appropriate because they make no judgment and keep the focus on the child’s work rather than on the adult’s reaction.

Correct Response: D

This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the elements and materials of the visual arts. Crayon rubbing is a process in which a sheet of paper is placed over a textured material (e.g., tree bark, a piece of screening). The surface of the paper is then rubbed with a crayon, and the resulting image captures the textural qualities of the material beneath.

Correct Answer: C

When a teacher reads with expression, uses different voices for the characters, and models inflection and emotion, students are more likely to become engaged with the content, to better understand the literacy concepts used in the text and come to appreciate the dramatic arts in everyday life.

Correct Answer: C   

Tempo refers to the pace (how fast or slow) music is performed. See the handout called Exploring Musical Terms for more information on this topic area