NYSTCE Social Studies case studies
NYSTCE Social Studies · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Social Studies CST (115) is one of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE), the content specialty tests used in New York State's educator certification process. Candidates typically take it to demonstrate subject-matter knowledge in social studies, often for certification in that field. The NYSTCE Social Studies case studies are 5 cases and about 2,942 words.
1The Handwritten Letter and the Octopus Cartoon
History class of 30 students is in the fourth week of a Progressive Era unit. The teacher has planned a 45-minute document analysis lesson around two sources: a 1904 magazine cartoon showing a giant octopus labeled "The Trusts" wrapping its tentacles around a factory, a farm, and a railroad; and a 1904 letter from a textile mill owner to his state senator arguing that a proposed child-labor law would "ruin honest families." Students work in groups of four for 20 minutes on the question "Did most Americans support federal regulation of business in 1904?" In the final 12 minutes the teacher circulates and hears three groups say the letter is "more reliable" because it is handwritten, signed, and addressed to a public official, while the cartoon is "just a drawing." One student adds that both sources are biased, so the question cannot really be answered.
616 words, about 3 min2The Columbian Exchange Item That Split the Class
At the end of a ninth grade Global History unit on the Columbian Exchange, 27 students take a 10-item multiple-choice quiz. One item reads: "Which of the following was a direct result of the Columbian Exchange in the Americas?" The keyed answer is "the introduction of horses, cattle, and wheat." Seventeen students choose "the decline of the encomienda system." In a post-quiz conference, several of those students explain that they learned the encomienda was a labor system and that "the exchange killed so many people that the system faded." The department chair asks whether the item should be discarded.
594 words, about 3 min3Rezoning Discussion and the Parent Complaint
A twelfth grade Participation in Government class of 32 students is studying federalism and local policy. The town board is scheduled to vote on a rezoning proposal that would allow a 240-unit apartment complex, including 48 units reserved for households earning below the area median income.
577 words, about 3 min4Rent Control and the Price-Ceiling Misconception
A tenth grade Economics class of 26 students is beginning a unit on government intervention. In a pre-assessment, 20 students agree with the statement "Rent control makes housing more affordable for everyone." The teacher has a 40-minute period, a supply-and-demand graph for the local rental market with equilibrium rent at 1,400 per month and 12,000 units, and a proposed ceiling at 1,000.
581 words, about 3 min5Timeline Cards in Reconstruction
A seventh grade U.S. History class of 24 students is studying Reconstruction.
574 words, about 3 min