PECT Module 3 - Sample Questions
1. Giving four-year-old access to water or sand tables and a variety of containers would most effectively promote their early exploration of which of the following physical science concepts?
a. conservation of mass
b. forces and motion
c. properties of materials
d. energy transfer
2. Over a two-month period, a kindergarten teacher has taken pictures of the phases of the moon. During that time, the teachers and students have pasted each new picture on the corresponding date on a large calendar. The class has had several lively discussions about the students' own observation of the moon and its changing appearance in the context of developing students' science skills. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for the teacher to pose at this time?
a. Do you think the moon is larger or smaller than the earth?
b. What do you think the moon will look like tomorrow night? What makes you say that?
c. Where do you think the moon came from?
d. What other things would you like to know about the moon?
3. A second grade teacher places a freshly cut white carnation into a glass that is filled with water that has been dyed dark blue with food coloring. During the day, the children observe the carnation as the blue water rises in the stem and eventually cause the petals of the flower to turn blue. This activity would be most appropriate for modelling which of the following scientific concepts?
a. photosynthesis
b. the water cycle
c. nutrient absorption
d. conservation of matter
4. A second grade teacher helps the children in her class record the temperature outside the building each morning for two weeks. The children also note that if it is sunny, cloudy, or raining when the temperature is recorded. At the end of two weeks, the children chart their temperature values on graph paper and see if there is any relationship between temperature and weather conditions. The activity will be most effective for helping children practice which of the following science skills?
a. describing and classifying phenomena
b. designing and using scientific models
c. formulating and testing hypotheses
d. collecting data and drawing conclusions
5. A third grade teacher is planning a unit on physical science. Which of the following physical science activities would be most appropriate for this grade level according to the Pennsylvania academic standards for science?
a. Measuring the energy changes that occur as water goes from a liquid to a gas.
b. Exploring energy’s ability to cause motion or create change.
c. Analyzing the degree of force a moving object has on a sedentary object.
d. Comparing and contrasting different forms of kinetic and potential energy.
6. A second grade teacher sets up two glass jars on a sunny windowsill to prepare a class demonstration on solar energy. One of the jars has black paper lining both the bottom of the jar and half the interior of the jar. The other jar is unlined. Both jars are placed in a position that allows equal amounts of sunlight to enter the jars. A small thermometer is suspended from the lid of each jar two inches from the bottom of the jar. After a half hour, the teacher records the temperature of the air inside the two jars and asks the students why the air is warmer inside the jar partially lined with black paper. This demonstration would help second graders understand which of the following fundamental meteorological concepts?
a. The role of the earth’s surface in transforming sunlight into infrared energy that warms the atmosphere.
b. The amount of energy in sunlight reflected back into space by dark earth materials such as oil and vegetation.
c. The role of warm air convection in providing the energy for thunderstorm formation in the troposphere.
d. The direct absorption of light energy by different gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor and oxygen.
7. Handheld magnifiers would be most helpful for helping kindergartens observe the:
a. protozoa in pond water
b. cells in plant leaves
c. parts of an insect’s mouth
d. bacteria in yogurt
8. Which of the following activities in a prekindergarten classroom would provide the best opportunity to foster children’s understanding of concepts related to chemistry?
a. blowing on balloons to keep them airborne
b. scooping sand and pouring it through a sieve
c. creating designs with a sand pendulum
d. missing ingredients and baking cookies
9. As part of a science unit, a second grade teacher has students work in groups to build mounds of sand and dirt in a corner of the school yard. The teacher then supplies the students with small watering pails and asks them to pour water on their mounds and take notes on what they observe. This activity would best build students’ understanding of which of the following natural processes?
a. abrasion
b. deformation
c. erosion
d. subduction
10. Students in a third grade class are studying volcanoes. The teacher wants to use technology to support students’ understanding of the nature of volcanic activity. Which of the following strategies represents the most appropriate and effective use of technology for this purpose?
a. Arranging for students to use an online database of scientific journals to look for articles that describe volcanic activity.
b. Demonstrating for students the types of results they are likely to get when using different internet search terms related to volcanoes.
c. Bookmarking for students on classroom computers a few internet sites with streaming videos of actual volcanic activity.
d. Having individual students summarize for the class selected articles about volcanoes from an online science encyclopedia.
11. Students in a third-grade class are studying habitats. The class has briefly discussed some of the issues related to the shrinking of rain forests around the world and the teacher would like to help students gain a deeper understanding of these issues. One strategy the teacher plans to use is to have students read and respond to recent magazine articles on these issues. In selecting articles for this activity, the teacher’s primary goal should be to select articles that”
a. Present information using various types of tables and graphs
b. Can be read and understood by students with different knowledge and skill levels
c. Are free from content that could be considered controversial
d. Include biographies of materials for students who wish to study the topic independently
12. A second-grade teacher will be planning a lesson to introduce students to a science concept included in the state curriculum for second graders. The teacher can best help ensure an effective lesson by considering which of the following questions during the planning process?
a. Is the targeted science concept more or less complex than other science content the class has studied?
b. To what extent do the science texts available to the class match the state science curriculum?
c. What has been the students’ overall level of interest in science instruction during previous lessons?
d. What’s the extent of the students’ prior knowledge related to the targeted science concept?
13. After a child in the class shares the current weather (warm and sunny), a prekindergarten teacher shows the children two plastic cups. In each cup is a single ice cube. The teacher explains that he will place one cup outside in the sun and another inside on the counter. He then asks the children to predict which ice cube will melt first and records their prediction on a large piece of chart paper. Children are encouraged to watch the cubes melt throughout the day and are later asked to conclude which cube melted first. This activity is most likely intended to develop children’s:
a. Scientific inquiry skills
b. Oral language skills
c. Self-expression skills
d. Emerging mathematics skills
14. A prekindergarten teacher is beginning a new unit on insects and would like to plan an activity that will promote students’ higher-order thinking skills. Which of the following activities would be most effective for this purpose?
a. Placing a variety of stuffed insect toys and puppets in the dramatic play area
b. Writing a class play about insects and having the students act it out for family and friends
c. Cutting out geometric shapes and having students create their own insects
d. Providing a variety of realistic toy insects and having students sort them by similarities and differences
a. conservation of mass
b. forces and motion
c. properties of materials
d. energy transfer
2. Over a two-month period, a kindergarten teacher has taken pictures of the phases of the moon. During that time, the teachers and students have pasted each new picture on the corresponding date on a large calendar. The class has had several lively discussions about the students' own observation of the moon and its changing appearance in the context of developing students' science skills. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for the teacher to pose at this time?
a. Do you think the moon is larger or smaller than the earth?
b. What do you think the moon will look like tomorrow night? What makes you say that?
c. Where do you think the moon came from?
d. What other things would you like to know about the moon?
3. A second grade teacher places a freshly cut white carnation into a glass that is filled with water that has been dyed dark blue with food coloring. During the day, the children observe the carnation as the blue water rises in the stem and eventually cause the petals of the flower to turn blue. This activity would be most appropriate for modelling which of the following scientific concepts?
a. photosynthesis
b. the water cycle
c. nutrient absorption
d. conservation of matter
4. A second grade teacher helps the children in her class record the temperature outside the building each morning for two weeks. The children also note that if it is sunny, cloudy, or raining when the temperature is recorded. At the end of two weeks, the children chart their temperature values on graph paper and see if there is any relationship between temperature and weather conditions. The activity will be most effective for helping children practice which of the following science skills?
a. describing and classifying phenomena
b. designing and using scientific models
c. formulating and testing hypotheses
d. collecting data and drawing conclusions
5. A third grade teacher is planning a unit on physical science. Which of the following physical science activities would be most appropriate for this grade level according to the Pennsylvania academic standards for science?
a. Measuring the energy changes that occur as water goes from a liquid to a gas.
b. Exploring energy’s ability to cause motion or create change.
c. Analyzing the degree of force a moving object has on a sedentary object.
d. Comparing and contrasting different forms of kinetic and potential energy.
6. A second grade teacher sets up two glass jars on a sunny windowsill to prepare a class demonstration on solar energy. One of the jars has black paper lining both the bottom of the jar and half the interior of the jar. The other jar is unlined. Both jars are placed in a position that allows equal amounts of sunlight to enter the jars. A small thermometer is suspended from the lid of each jar two inches from the bottom of the jar. After a half hour, the teacher records the temperature of the air inside the two jars and asks the students why the air is warmer inside the jar partially lined with black paper. This demonstration would help second graders understand which of the following fundamental meteorological concepts?
a. The role of the earth’s surface in transforming sunlight into infrared energy that warms the atmosphere.
b. The amount of energy in sunlight reflected back into space by dark earth materials such as oil and vegetation.
c. The role of warm air convection in providing the energy for thunderstorm formation in the troposphere.
d. The direct absorption of light energy by different gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor and oxygen.
7. Handheld magnifiers would be most helpful for helping kindergartens observe the:
a. protozoa in pond water
b. cells in plant leaves
c. parts of an insect’s mouth
d. bacteria in yogurt
8. Which of the following activities in a prekindergarten classroom would provide the best opportunity to foster children’s understanding of concepts related to chemistry?
a. blowing on balloons to keep them airborne
b. scooping sand and pouring it through a sieve
c. creating designs with a sand pendulum
d. missing ingredients and baking cookies
9. As part of a science unit, a second grade teacher has students work in groups to build mounds of sand and dirt in a corner of the school yard. The teacher then supplies the students with small watering pails and asks them to pour water on their mounds and take notes on what they observe. This activity would best build students’ understanding of which of the following natural processes?
a. abrasion
b. deformation
c. erosion
d. subduction
10. Students in a third grade class are studying volcanoes. The teacher wants to use technology to support students’ understanding of the nature of volcanic activity. Which of the following strategies represents the most appropriate and effective use of technology for this purpose?
a. Arranging for students to use an online database of scientific journals to look for articles that describe volcanic activity.
b. Demonstrating for students the types of results they are likely to get when using different internet search terms related to volcanoes.
c. Bookmarking for students on classroom computers a few internet sites with streaming videos of actual volcanic activity.
d. Having individual students summarize for the class selected articles about volcanoes from an online science encyclopedia.
11. Students in a third-grade class are studying habitats. The class has briefly discussed some of the issues related to the shrinking of rain forests around the world and the teacher would like to help students gain a deeper understanding of these issues. One strategy the teacher plans to use is to have students read and respond to recent magazine articles on these issues. In selecting articles for this activity, the teacher’s primary goal should be to select articles that”
a. Present information using various types of tables and graphs
b. Can be read and understood by students with different knowledge and skill levels
c. Are free from content that could be considered controversial
d. Include biographies of materials for students who wish to study the topic independently
12. A second-grade teacher will be planning a lesson to introduce students to a science concept included in the state curriculum for second graders. The teacher can best help ensure an effective lesson by considering which of the following questions during the planning process?
a. Is the targeted science concept more or less complex than other science content the class has studied?
b. To what extent do the science texts available to the class match the state science curriculum?
c. What has been the students’ overall level of interest in science instruction during previous lessons?
d. What’s the extent of the students’ prior knowledge related to the targeted science concept?
13. After a child in the class shares the current weather (warm and sunny), a prekindergarten teacher shows the children two plastic cups. In each cup is a single ice cube. The teacher explains that he will place one cup outside in the sun and another inside on the counter. He then asks the children to predict which ice cube will melt first and records their prediction on a large piece of chart paper. Children are encouraged to watch the cubes melt throughout the day and are later asked to conclude which cube melted first. This activity is most likely intended to develop children’s:
a. Scientific inquiry skills
b. Oral language skills
c. Self-expression skills
d. Emerging mathematics skills
14. A prekindergarten teacher is beginning a new unit on insects and would like to plan an activity that will promote students’ higher-order thinking skills. Which of the following activities would be most effective for this purpose?
a. Placing a variety of stuffed insect toys and puppets in the dramatic play area
b. Writing a class play about insects and having the students act it out for family and friends
c. Cutting out geometric shapes and having students create their own insects
d. Providing a variety of realistic toy insects and having students sort them by similarities and differences