Praxis 5004 case studies

Praxis 5004 · Put your knowledge to work in context.

Praxis Social Studies (5004) is one of four subtests in ETS's Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test (5001; subtests 5002, 5003, 5004, and 5005), which ETS describes as being "For a generalist elementary school license to teach english, mathematics, social studies, and science." Candidates who want a self-contained elementary classroom usually take the full multiple-subjects battery, and some states and preparation programs also accept or require the social studies subtest on its own. Either way, 5004 measures the social studies content knowledge and methods an elementary teacher needs: social studies concepts and methodologies, United States history, world history, government and civics, geography, and economics. The Praxis 5004 case studies are 5 cases and about 3,713 words.

The Box of Sources: Primary, Secondary, and the Age Trap

Okafor's third graders are studying how their town changed after a 1912 factory fire. The class reads roughly two years below grade level and meets for three 40-minute periods.

794 words, about 4 min 2

Why Twelve Years? Long-Term Causes vs. Triggers

Bell's fifth graders are building a timeline: Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767), Boston Massacre (1770), Tea Act (1773), Intolerable Acts (1774), Lexington and Concord (1775). Bell has one period before the unit test, which asks students to explain the causes of the American Revolution.

763 words, about 4 min 3

Four Cradles or One Origin? The Slide-Deck Misconception

Iyer's sixth-grade class is comparing early river civilizations. Her colleague's slideshow presents them one at a time, in sequence, each labeled "cradle of civilization," beginning with Sumer.

688 words, about 3 min 4

The Bag Ordinance: Who Actually Has the Power?

A city council passes an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags at grocery stores, effective January 1. A state statute enacted two years earlier says that "the regulation of solid waste collection and disposal is a matter of statewide concern and shall be administered exclusively under rules adopted by the state environmental agency." A grocery chain sues, arguing the city has no authority.

737 words, about 4 min 5

The Second-Grade Store: Price, Substitutes, and Opportunity Cost

Delgado's second-grade class runs a Friday store selling pencils and erasers to classmates. They buy pencils for 10 cents each and sell them for 25 cents.

731 words, about 4 min