2
MTTC Test (Lower Elementary Test 120) questions with || || || || || || || ||
accurate solutions ||
1. A second-grade teacher is planning a unit on structure and properties of matter. Which of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the following statements about scientific phenomena should be used as an anchoring
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
phenomena for this grade? || || ||
A. An ice cube melts in a glass but becomes solid again when the water is frozen.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. Shadows are much cooler than areas of ground where sunlight strikes.
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. Some things cling to a balloon after it has been rubbed on a cloth.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. A match changes its appearance after it burns. - ✔✔A. CORRECT. The phenomenon of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
frozen water melting and re-freezing is a good anchor because it is observable, accessible
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
across cultures, requires additional instruction, relates to both structure and properties of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
matter, and lends itself to investigations, including those related to temperature and phase
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
changes.
B. Shadows are engaging, observable phenomena; however, they are not examples of matter
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
and therefore are not a good anchor for this unit.
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Items clinging to a balloon is an engaging and observable phenomenon; however, electric
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
charge as a property of matter is beyond the scope of second-grade learning and therefore
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
not an appropriate anchor.
|| || ||
D. The change in a match after burning is an interesting and observable phenomenon;
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
however, it would fit best in a unit on physical and chemical changes, rather than in an
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
introduction to structure and properties of matter, and it would be more appropriate for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
older students than for second-grade students.
|| || || || ||
2. A kindergarten science classroom investigates changing the speed and direction of an
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
object with a push or a pull. Which of the following activities most appropriately supports
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the students in analyzing and interpreting data?
|| || || || || ||
A. comparing different observations of what occurred
|| || || || || ||
B. distinguishing between opinions and evidence in an argument
|| || || || || || || ||
C. describing how specific images support a scientific explanation
|| || || || || || || ||
D. making valid claims to determine an optimal design solution to a problem - ✔✔A.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
CORRECT. This investigation offers students the opportunity to observe how the speed
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
and/or direction of an object changes with a push or a pull (e.g., pushing or pulling a toy car
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
with various amounts of force). The descriptions of what they observed and the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
comparisons of different outcomes provide data that can be used for interpretation and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
analysis with the help of the teacher. || || || || || ||
B. The concept of change due to force is the focus of the lesson and, while opinions and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
evidence will be discussed, distinguishing them isn't the result of analyzing the data. In this
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
scenario, students are more engaged in the practice of argument.
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Students are working with objects in this lesson, not viewing images, and they are
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
working toward the practice of developing an explanation.
|| || || || || || ||
D. Students are investigating how speed and direction can change, but not in reference to a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
specific goal, such as designing an optimal solution. This scenario is more about the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
practices of engaging in argument and designing solutions than in analyzing and
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
interpreting data. ||
3. Students in a third-grade science class make claims about how a prototype design that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
they made for a weather-related problem works. This activity matches which of the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
following disciplinary core ideas? || || ||
A. wave properties
|| ||
B. natural resources
|| ||
C. developing possible solutions
|| || ||
D. defining and delimiting engineering problems - ✔✔A. Third-grade students should not
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
yet be learning about wave properties, which would include discussions of amplitude,
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
frequency, and wavelength. Moreover, these properties only relate to weather tangentially.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
B. While weather is a naturally occurring phenomenon and so might be considered a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
natural resource, this concept is not helpful in designing solutions for a weather-related
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
problem.
C. CORRECT. Communicating with other students about their prototypes is an important
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
part of the developing possible solutions portion of the engineering design process and aids
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
in the development of ideas, including generating improvements.
|| || || || || || ||
D. The students should have already completed defining and delimiting their current
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
engineering problems because they are described as being at the point of making claims
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
about how their prototypes work.
|| || || ||
, 2
4. Which of the following activities effectively integrates the patterns crosscutting concept
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
into a first-grade space systems unit?
|| || || || ||
A. recording information to describe how much light is available on a given day
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. providing evidence of objects only being seen when they are illuminated
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. observing the sun, moon, and stars to predict daily and monthly events
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. communicating solutions to reduce the amount of junk orbiting Earth - ✔✔A.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Examining only one day's data will not provide enough information to find a pattern
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
because multiple data points are needed.
|| || || || ||
B. Providing evidence in this way relates better to the crosscutting concept of cause and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
effect because being seen relies on the illumination of an object.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
C. CORRECT. By making observations and learning about the sun, moon, and stars,
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
students can learn to recognize patterns, such as predicting the visible shape of the moon
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
over time, as well as the positions of various celestial objects.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
D. Examining the amount of junk orbiting Earth relates better to scale, proportion, and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
quantity because it involves amounts of things.
|| || || || || ||
5. Prekindergarten children explore the concepts of sinking and floating by placing items in
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
water. Which of the following supplies would best support this investigation?
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. plastic building blocks that are different colors
|| || || || || || ||
MTTC Test (Lower Elementary Test 120) questions with || || || || || || || ||
accurate solutions ||
1. A second-grade teacher is planning a unit on structure and properties of matter. Which of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the following statements about scientific phenomena should be used as an anchoring
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
phenomena for this grade? || || ||
A. An ice cube melts in a glass but becomes solid again when the water is frozen.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. Shadows are much cooler than areas of ground where sunlight strikes.
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. Some things cling to a balloon after it has been rubbed on a cloth.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. A match changes its appearance after it burns. - ✔✔A. CORRECT. The phenomenon of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
frozen water melting and re-freezing is a good anchor because it is observable, accessible
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
across cultures, requires additional instruction, relates to both structure and properties of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
matter, and lends itself to investigations, including those related to temperature and phase
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
changes.
B. Shadows are engaging, observable phenomena; however, they are not examples of matter
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
and therefore are not a good anchor for this unit.
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Items clinging to a balloon is an engaging and observable phenomenon; however, electric
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
charge as a property of matter is beyond the scope of second-grade learning and therefore
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
not an appropriate anchor.
|| || ||
D. The change in a match after burning is an interesting and observable phenomenon;
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
however, it would fit best in a unit on physical and chemical changes, rather than in an
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
introduction to structure and properties of matter, and it would be more appropriate for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
older students than for second-grade students.
|| || || || ||
2. A kindergarten science classroom investigates changing the speed and direction of an
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
object with a push or a pull. Which of the following activities most appropriately supports
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the students in analyzing and interpreting data?
|| || || || || ||
A. comparing different observations of what occurred
|| || || || || ||
B. distinguishing between opinions and evidence in an argument
|| || || || || || || ||
C. describing how specific images support a scientific explanation
|| || || || || || || ||
D. making valid claims to determine an optimal design solution to a problem - ✔✔A.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
CORRECT. This investigation offers students the opportunity to observe how the speed
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
and/or direction of an object changes with a push or a pull (e.g., pushing or pulling a toy car
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
with various amounts of force). The descriptions of what they observed and the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
comparisons of different outcomes provide data that can be used for interpretation and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
analysis with the help of the teacher. || || || || || ||
B. The concept of change due to force is the focus of the lesson and, while opinions and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
evidence will be discussed, distinguishing them isn't the result of analyzing the data. In this
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
scenario, students are more engaged in the practice of argument.
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Students are working with objects in this lesson, not viewing images, and they are
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
working toward the practice of developing an explanation.
|| || || || || || ||
D. Students are investigating how speed and direction can change, but not in reference to a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
specific goal, such as designing an optimal solution. This scenario is more about the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
practices of engaging in argument and designing solutions than in analyzing and
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
interpreting data. ||
3. Students in a third-grade science class make claims about how a prototype design that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
they made for a weather-related problem works. This activity matches which of the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
following disciplinary core ideas? || || ||
A. wave properties
|| ||
B. natural resources
|| ||
C. developing possible solutions
|| || ||
D. defining and delimiting engineering problems - ✔✔A. Third-grade students should not
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
yet be learning about wave properties, which would include discussions of amplitude,
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
frequency, and wavelength. Moreover, these properties only relate to weather tangentially.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
B. While weather is a naturally occurring phenomenon and so might be considered a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
natural resource, this concept is not helpful in designing solutions for a weather-related
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
problem.
C. CORRECT. Communicating with other students about their prototypes is an important
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
part of the developing possible solutions portion of the engineering design process and aids
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
in the development of ideas, including generating improvements.
|| || || || || || ||
D. The students should have already completed defining and delimiting their current
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
engineering problems because they are described as being at the point of making claims
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
about how their prototypes work.
|| || || ||
, 2
4. Which of the following activities effectively integrates the patterns crosscutting concept
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
into a first-grade space systems unit?
|| || || || ||
A. recording information to describe how much light is available on a given day
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. providing evidence of objects only being seen when they are illuminated
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. observing the sun, moon, and stars to predict daily and monthly events
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. communicating solutions to reduce the amount of junk orbiting Earth - ✔✔A.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Examining only one day's data will not provide enough information to find a pattern
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
because multiple data points are needed.
|| || || || ||
B. Providing evidence in this way relates better to the crosscutting concept of cause and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
effect because being seen relies on the illumination of an object.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
C. CORRECT. By making observations and learning about the sun, moon, and stars,
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
students can learn to recognize patterns, such as predicting the visible shape of the moon
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
over time, as well as the positions of various celestial objects.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
D. Examining the amount of junk orbiting Earth relates better to scale, proportion, and
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
quantity because it involves amounts of things.
|| || || || || ||
5. Prekindergarten children explore the concepts of sinking and floating by placing items in
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
water. Which of the following supplies would best support this investigation?
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. plastic building blocks that are different colors
|| || || || || || ||
