Praxis Elem CKT Social Studies case studies
Praxis Elem CKT Social Studies · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Social Studies (5581) is one of the content-knowledge tests ETS offers within its elementary education assessment family, aimed at candidates preparing for a generalist elementary teaching license who need to demonstrate social studies knowledge before certification. The test is organized around four areas: concepts and methodologies, United States history, world history, and government and civics. The Praxis Elem CKT Social Studies case studies are 5 cases and about 3,255 words.
1Choosing the Anchor Source: A 1910 Census Page in a Fourth-Grade Town Study
At Lincoln Elementary, four fourth-grade teachers share a 45-minute social studies block twice a week. Their unit question is 'How did our town change between 1890 and 1950?' The team has three sources: a legible 1910 federal census page listing 40 residents with occupations and birthplaces; a 1950 chamber of commerce pamphlet with population figures and booster language; and a two-paragraph textbook summary.
726 words, about 4 min2Two Ideas at Once: Sharecropping Contracts in a Fifth-Grade Reconstruction Unit
Alvarez's fifth graders are studying Reconstruction. He gives pairs two documents: an 1875 sharecropping contract stating that the landowner furnishes land, seed, and mules while the family receives one-third of the cotton crop and may not sell to anyone else; and a Freedmen's Bureau agent's 1866 report describing a new school and complaints about contracts.
662 words, about 3 min3Did the Potato Cause the Population Boom? Sixth Graders and Causal Claims
Okafor's sixth graders are examining a table she built: rough European population estimates of about 100 million in 1650, 140 million in 1750, and 270 million in 1850; dates when potato cultivation spread in Ireland, Prussia, and France; and a note that maize yields per acre exceeded wheat. A student writes: 'The potato caused Europe's population to double because it has lots of calories.' The class splits.
616 words, about 3 min4Majority Rule and Its Limits: A Third-Grade Class Constitution
Brennan's third grade, the class writes a constitution in September. During a 22-student vote, 15 students vote to ban tag at recess because 'it gets too rough'; 7 vote to keep it.
619 words, about 3 min5Reading an 1872 Land Advertisement Against a Treaty: Fifth-Grade Westward Expansion
Nakamura's fifth-grade class is comparing two text sources about the 1870s Great Plains. Source A is an 1872 railroad land advertisement: '160 acres of rich prairie soil for $2.50 an acre; bring your family, build a home; the climate is healthful.' Source B is a short excerpt from a Lakota leader's 1876 statement: 'They promised us the Black Hills forever; we have not sold; we want to keep our country.' Students draft, 'Settlers moved west because land was cheap.' Four students ask why the Lakota 'didn't just move.' Mr.
632 words, about 3 min