Praxis General Science case studies
Praxis General Science · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Praxis General Science (5435) test is one of the Praxis Subject Assessments, the ETS testing program that states and educator-preparation programs use as part of teacher certification. Candidates take it to demonstrate the science content knowledge a beginning general science teacher is expected to have - most often people seeking a middle school or secondary science license, or a broad science endorsement rather than a single-discipline (biology, chemistry, physics) license. The Praxis General Science case studies are 5 cases and about 2,906 words.
1The 'Chemical-Free' Cleaner Pilot
At a middle school, the PTA proposes switching to a 'plant-based, chemical-free' cleaner. A parent cites a pilot: over 3 weeks, classrooms cleaned with the new product had 18% fewer student absences than classrooms cleaned with the district's standard disinfectant.
573 words, about 3 min2Nichrome Wire and the Vanishing Resistance Trend
Students test how the length of nichrome wire affects current. They cut 20, 40, 60, and 80 cm lengths, connect each to a 3 V battery and an ammeter in series, and record current after 5 seconds.
658 words, about 3 min3Compost Tea and the Confounded Tomato Plot
A garden club tests whether compost tea increases tomato yield. Plot A (8 plants) is watered with compost tea twice weekly; Plot B (8 plants) gets plain water.
634 words, about 3 min4Two Thermometers and a Warming Claim
A student downloads monthly mean temperatures from two weather stations: one at an airport 2 km from a city center, surrounded by asphalt and a parking lot, and one at a rural farm 40 km away. From 1970 to 2020, the airport station's annual mean rose 1.4 °C; the farm station's rose 0.5 °C.
551 words, about 3 min5The Antibiotic Disk and the 'Learning' Bacteria
In a lab, students model antibiotic resistance. They spread a non-pathogenic bacterial culture on four agar plates and apply disks: plate 1 has no antibiotic, plates 2-4 have increasing antibiotic concentrations.
490 words, about 2 min