MTEL General Curriculum flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Phonemic awareness

The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, such as blending or segmenting sounds; it is oral and does not involve letters.

Phonics

The method of teaching reading that emphasizes the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes), helping students decode unfamiliar words by sounding them out.

Fluency

The ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression (prosody); fluent reading supports comprehension because less effort is spent decoding words.

Expository text structure

The organizational pattern of informational text, such as cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, chronological, or description; recognizing structure aids comprehension.

Simile vs. metaphor

A simile compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' (brave as a lion); a metaphor states one thing is another without those words (the classroom was a zoo).

Writing process stages

The recursive stages writers use: prewriting (planning), drafting, revising (content and organization), editing (grammar and conventions), and publishing or sharing the final piece.

Running record

An assessment in which a teacher records a student's oral reading behaviors, coding substitutions, omissions, insertions, and self-corrections to determine reading accuracy and instructional needs.

Checks and balances

The system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the others, such as a presidential veto, congressional override, and judicial review of laws.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central (national) government and regional (state) governments, each with its own responsibilities and authority.

Primary source

A firsthand account or artifact created during the time period under study, such as letters, diaries, photographs, speeches, or official records; it provides direct evidence.

Secondary source

A source that interprets or analyzes primary sources, such as a textbook, biography, or encyclopedia article; it is one step removed from the original event.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court case that established judicial review, the power of the Court to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, strengthening the judicial branch.

Opportunity cost

The value of the next best alternative given up when a choice is made; it reflects the trade-off involved in any economic decision due to scarcity.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, which protect individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

Order of operations

The standard sequence for evaluating expressions: parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.

Area of a triangle

The formula A = ½ × base × height (A = ½bh), where the height is the perpendicular distance from the base to the opposite vertex.

Pythagorean theorem

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides: a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse.

Mean, median, mode

Mean is the average of a data set; median is the middle value when data are ordered; mode is the most frequent value; each measures central tendency differently.

Probability of independent events

For independent events A and B, the probability that both occur is P(A) × P(B); independence means the outcome of one event does not affect the other.

Dividing fractions

To divide by a fraction, multiply by its reciprocal: a/b ÷ c/d = a/b × d/c. For example, 1/2 ÷ 1/4 = 1/2 × 4/1 = 2.

Volume of a cylinder

The formula V = πr²h, where r is the radius of the circular base and h is the height of the cylinder; the result is in cubic units.

Scientific method

A systematic process of inquiry: ask a question, research, form a hypothesis, conduct a controlled experiment, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and communicate results.

Cell theory

The principle that all living organisms are composed of one or more cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Photosynthesis equation

6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂; plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen in chloroplasts.

Newton's second law

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass, expressed as F = ma.

Rock types

Igneous rock forms from cooled magma or lava; sedimentary rock forms from compacted sediments; metamorphic rock forms when existing rock is changed by heat and pressure.

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and infiltration, driven by solar energy and gravity.

Food web

A model showing feeding relationships in an ecosystem, with producers at the base, consumers at higher levels, and decomposers breaking down dead matter; energy decreases at each level.

Engineering design process

A cyclical approach to solving problems: define the need, research, brainstorm solutions, select and plan, build a prototype, test and evaluate, then redesign based on results.

Constraints and criteria

In engineering design, constraints are limitations such as budget, time, or materials; criteria are the requirements a successful solution must meet.

Mechanical advantage

The ratio of output force to input force in a machine; for a lever, MA equals the effort arm length divided by the load arm length, indicating force multiplication.

Series vs. parallel circuits

In a series circuit, components form one path so current is the same and voltage divides; in a parallel circuit, multiple paths share voltage and current divides.