Praxis 7815
Question 1 of 5.
Which of the following historical examples might a fourth-grade teacher use to teach students about how diverse groups sometimes cooperate toward achieving a common economic goal?
A. The Spanish invasion of the Inca and Aztec Empires in Central and South America
B. The development of a fur trade between French settlers and Native American groups in colonial North America
C. The search by European explorers for new ocean routes to East Asia to avoid overland trade routes
D. The passage of the Stamp Act by the British Parliament to collect funds from American colonists
Explanation: The fur trade shows French and Native American cooperation for mutual economic gain.
Question 2 of 5.
Extract:A fifth-grade class is performing research in the school library for a paper on the effects of the Great Depression on the United States. The teacher notices that several of the students are basing all of their research on a series of interviews from the 1980s with farmers who migrated to California from Oklahoma.
For which of the following reasons might the teacher want to direct the students to choose new sources?
A. The migration of farmers to California from Oklahoma was not an effect of the Great Depression.
B. Oral accounts made long after a historical event may contain factual inaccuracies.
C. Historians do not often use oral accounts in their research.
D. Research should be conducted using peer-reviewed secondary sources.
Explanation: Oral accounts from the 1980s about the Great Depression (1930s) may be unreliable due to memory lapses over time, making them less suitable as sole sources.
Question 3 of 5.
Which of the following would be the most effective activity for developing civic engagement in students in a social studies classroom?
A. Having students read articles on current topics that are of interest to them
B. Watching a news report before beginning the day's lesson
C. Bringing in community members to discuss their jobs
D. Providing opportunities for classroom discussions and debates of current issues
Explanation: Discussions and debates actively involve students in analyzing and debating civic issues, enhancing their engagement.
Question 4 of 5.
In which of the following ways can the United States Senate constrain the power of the president under the system of checks and balances as outlined in the Constitution?
A. Refusing to confirm a cabinet appointment
B. Vetoing a federal spending bill
C. Ruling a proposed law unconstitutional
D. Granting a pardon to a federal offender
Explanation: The Senate's authority to approve or reject cabinet appointments limits the president's ability to appoint officials, a key check on executive power.
Question 5 of 5.
A fifth-grade teacher is planning a lesson activity involving primary source documents written in favor of American independence from Great Britain before the American Revolution. Which TWO of the following documents should be included in the activity?
A. Common Sense, by Thomas Paine
B. Republic, by Plato
C. The Federalist papers, by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
D. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, by George Mason
E. The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith
Explanation: Common Sense and The Virginia Declaration of Rights were pre-Revolution documents advocating independence, unlike the others.