MTTC TEST (LOWER ELEMENTARY TEST -120) ACTUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
GRADED A
- Prekindergarten children explore the concepts of sinking and floating by placing items in water. Which
of the following supplies would best support this investigation?
- plastic building blocks that are different colors
- classroom objects made of different materials
- different-sized bottles with various types of liquid inside
- fish tanks with sizes that have varying depths and volumes - ANSWER✔✔.A. The blocks' color is not
directly related to whether it can sink or float.
- CORRECT. By exploring sinking and floating with objects made of different materials (e.g., a wooden
block, a foam block), students will learn that the type of material influences whether an object can float or will sink.
- These supplies introduce too many variables that could be confusing to prekindergarten children (e.g.,
different-sized bottles, different types of liquid).
- An object that will float in a large fish tank will also float in a small fish tank.
- As part of an instructional sequence about climate, a third-grade teacher assigns student groups to
research climates in different regions of the world. Each group then creates a poster and presents its information to the class. Which of the following activities would best engage students in sense-making about climate regions during a whole-class follow-up discussion?
- identifying kinds of wildlife that are found in a climate region
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- explaining which climate regions humans like to live in
- finding the hottest and coldest climate regions
- describing patterns about climate regions - ANSWER✔✔.A. Identifying specific kinds of wildlife in a
climate region would provide students with the names of organisms in an area, but it would not deepen their understanding or sense-making as much as learning about specific adaptations exhibited by animals in a particular climate region.
- Humans live in a variety of climate regions throughout the world. Therefore, this activity does not add
to sense-making about climate and climate regions.
- Finding the hottest and coldest climate regions is a fact-gathering activity that can add to student
understanding about geography, but it does not deepen sense-making about climate and climate regions.
- CORRECT. Climate regions have specific temperature, precipitation, and location patterns. An activity
- A third-grade teacher designs a unit on inheritance of traits in living things. Students have already
in which students learn about these patterns increases the likelihood of student sense-making about climate regions.
seen a diagram showing the flower color and plant height of several generations of pea plants. Which of the following activities would best use talk and group work to support student sense-making of the inheritance of traits?
- labeling the parts of various pea plants together with a partner
- making a model to explain the different plant heights and flower colors
- using the school library to conduct research on other common garden plants
- asking community members about their favorite fruits and vegetables and if those varieties can still be
found today - ANSWER✔✔.A. Group talk is minimally supported with this action because the action can be completed independently. 2 / 4
- CORRECT. This activity allows students to leverage group discourse and knowledge on the topic of
inheritance and bring their own experience to bear.
- Although research might provide more new information to the students, it doesn't use talk or group
work.
- Although this activity leverages community involvement and discourse, it doesn't directly support the
- As students in a prekindergarten classroom return from playing outside, they excitedly discuss how
aims of the unit.
they have observed squirrels gathering acorns. These types of student experiences should be used as a basis for the design of a lesson that focuses on which of the following questions?
- What is the impact of humans on the survival of plants and animals?
- What is the role of animals in the pollination of trees and flowers?
- How do animals function in the cycling of matter?
- Why are some animals putting away food? - ANSWER✔✔.A. Based upon the students' observations,
the follow-up lesson should be designed to center on squirrels, not humans. Further, squirrels gathering nuts does not illustrate the relationship between human activity and the survival of plants and animals.
- Squirrels gathering acorns does not illustrate the concept of pollination, though it might be linked to
reproduction and dissemination. Additionally, both pollination and the distribution of seeds, such as acorns, are topics for older students.
- The cycling of matter is too advanced a topic for pre-kindergartners, and squirrels gathering acorns
does not illustrate this concept in a straightforward manner.
- CORRECT. Students have observed the phenomenon of squirrels collecting acorns. Using this question,
the students' observations can be leveraged for students to make sense of animal behavior caused by seasonal changes. 3 / 4
- Students in a second-grade classroom have recently completed a series of lessons about the
importance of recycling. Several students observed that their school lunchroom does not have any containers for recyclable materials. Which of the following activities would be most effective to promote students' ability to positively contribute to civic discourse on this issue?
- conducting a classroom discussion about the most important reasons to recycle
- producing a poster to illustrate how food and materials can be properly recycled
- investigating the benefits that recycling has produced for the world's ecosystems
- preparing an appeal to the school principal about the usefulness of recycling bins - ANSWER✔✔.A. A
classroom discussion would be a form of discourse, but it does not reach the level of civic discourse if it is only within the classroom.
- A poster would be civic engagement, but there is not explicit discourse involved.
- Investigating the benefits of recycling would help to ensure the students have understanding, but it is
not civic discourse.
- CORRECT. By preparing an appeal, the students are considering both sides of the issue, and bringing
- A third-grade teacher plans a lesson on the beliefs and histories of the Anishinaabek tribes of
the topic to the principal involves the greater school community.
Michigan. Which of the following activities would best promote students' understanding of the beliefs and histories of the Anishinaabek tribes of Michigan?
- investigating the traditional foods common to the Anishinaabek tribes of Michigan
- listening to audio recordings of oral testimonies of the Anishinaabek tribes of Michigan
- reviewing the accounts of European settlers interacting with the Anishinaabek tribes of Michigan
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