OKLAHOMA SCHOOL TESTING PROGRAM
OKLAHOMA CORE CURRICULUM TESTS
ITEM SPECIFICATIONS
Social Studies
Grade 5
Sandy Garrett
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Revised
May 2008
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
1
Purpose
The purpose of the Grade 5 Social Studies Test is to measure Oklahoma students’ level of
proficiency. On this test, students are required to respond to a variety of items linked to the
fifth-grade Social Studies content standards identified in the Priority Academic Student Skills
(PASS). Each Social Studies Test form tests each identified content standard and objective listed
below. The following standards and objectives are intended to summarize the knowledge as
identified in PASS.
PASS Content Standards and Objectives
Early Exploration
•
Expeditions (2.1)
•
Native American Reaction (2.2)
Colonial America
•
Settlements and Migration (3.1)
•
Colonial Life (3.2)
•
Individuals and Groups (3.3)
American Revolution
•
Causes and Results (4.1)
•
Declaration of Independence (4.3)
•
Individuals (4.4)
Early Federal Period
•
Constitutional Provisions (5.2)
•
Ratification and Rights (5.3)
Geographic Skills
•
Maps/Charts/Graphs Usage (7.1)
•
Human/Environment Interaction (7.2)
•
Historical Places (7.3)
•
Westward Movement (7.4)
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
2
General Considerations
It is necessary to create test items that are reliable, fair, and targeted to the PASS standards listed
on the following pages. There are some general considerations and procedures for effective item
development. These considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Each test form contains items assessing all standards and objectives listed in the Test
Blueprint for fifth-grade social studies.
2. Test items that assess each standard are not limited to one particular type of response format.
3. Test questions attempt to focus on content that is authentic and that fifth-grade students can
relate to and understand.
4. Test items are worded precisely and clearly.
5. All items are reviewed to eliminate language that shows bias or is otherwise likely to
disadvantage a particular group of students. That is, items do not display unfair
representations of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, culture, or religion; nor do items contain
elements that are offensive to any such groups.
6. All answer choices in multiple-choice items (the key and all distractors) are similar in length
and in syntax. Students should not be able to rule out a wrong answer or identify a correct
response solely because it looks or sounds different from the other answer choices.
Distractors are created so that students reason their way to the correct answer rather than
simply identify incorrect responses because of a distractor’s obviously inappropriate nature.
Distractors should always be plausible (but incorrect) in the context of the item stem. Correct
responses are approximately equally distributed among As, Bs, Cs, and Ds.
Universal Test Design Considerations
Universal design, as applied to assessments, is a concept that allows the widest possible range of
students to participate in assessments and may even reduce the need for accommodations and
alternative assessments by expanding access to the tests themselves. In the Oklahoma Core
Curriculum Tests, modifications have been made to some items that simplify and clarify
instructions, and provide maximum readability, comprehensibility, and legibility. This includes
such things as reduction of language load in content areas other than Reading, increased font
size, fewer items per page, and boxed items to assist visual focus. Reading tests will have
vocabulary at grade level. In all other tests, the vocabulary level will be below the grade being
tested except for content words. Grades 3 and 4 will be one grade level below, and grades 5, 6, 7,
and 8 will be two grade levels below. These modifications are evident in the sample items
included in this document.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
3
Multiple-Choice Item Rules
•
All items clearly indicate what is expected in a response and direct students to focus on
their response
•
Each multiple-choice item has a stem (question, statement, or incomplete statement, and/or
graphic component) and four answer (or completion) options, only one of which is correct
•
Multiple-choice item stems present a complete problem so that students know what to do
before looking at the answer choices; students should not need to read all answer choices
before knowing what is expected
In summary, social studies-test items assess whether students understand relevant concepts,
communicate their understandings effectively, approach problems, and develop viable solutions.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
4
OVERVIEW OF ITEM SPECIFICATIONS
For each PASS standard, item specifications are organized under the following headings:
• PASS Standard and PASS Objective
• Item Specifications
a. Emphasis
b. Stimulus Attributes
c. Format
d. Content Limits
e. Distractor Domain
f. Sample Test Items
The headings “PASS Standard” and “PASS Objective” state the standard and objective being
measured as found in the Grade 5 Social Studies section of the Priority Academic Student Skills
document.
The heading “Item Specifications” highlights important points about the items’ emphasis,
stimulus attributes, format, content limits, distractor domain, and sample test items. Although it
is sometimes possible to score single items for more than one concept, all items in these tests are
written to address a single content standard as the primary concept.
Note about the Item Specifications and Sample Test Items:
With the exception of content limits, the item specifications give suggestions of what
might be included but do not give an exhaustive list of what can be included. The sample
test items are not intended to be definitive in nature or construction—the stimuli and the test
items that follow them may differ from one test form to another, as may their presentations.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
5
PRIORITY ACADEMIC STUDENT SKILLS
SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade 5
The primary focus for fifth-grade students relates to the history of the United States from
early European explorations to approximately 1850. However, for the Grade 5 criterionreferenced test in Social Studies, the time frame is approximately 1492–1800, or from European
contact through the presidential election of 1800. Fifth graders will continue to learn
fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography. Students will study United States
times in our history. Fifth graders continue to review and strengthen map and globe skills, and
interpret geographical information presented in a variety of formats.
Asterisks (*) have been used to identify standards and objectives that must be assessed by the
local school district. All other skills may be assessed by the Oklahoma School Testing Program
(OSTP).
NOTE: Standard 1 process skills are integrated throughout the remaining content standards and
will be used to assess the content of standards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
*Standard 1: The student will develop and demonstrate the process skills of social studies.
*1.
Locate, gather, analyze, and apply information from primary and secondary sources
using examples of different perspectives and points of view.
*2.
Construct timelines from significant events in United States history.
Standard 2:
The student will describe the early exploration of America.
1.
Examine the reasons for, the problems faced in, and the results of key expeditions of
Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England (e.g., Columbus, Ponce de
León, Magellan, Coronado, Cortés, Hudson, Raleigh, and La Salle) and the
competition for control of North America.
2.
Identify the impact of the encounter between Native Americans and Europeans.
Standard 3:
The student will examine the growth and development of colonial America.
1.
Describe early European settlements in colonial America (e.g., Jamestown, Plymouth
Plantations, Massachusetts Bay, and New Amsterdam), and identify reasons people
came to the Americas (e.g., economic opportunity, slavery, escape from religious
persecution, military adventure, and release from prison).
2.
Describe the similarities and differences (e.g., social, agricultural, and economic) in
the New England, mid-Atlantic, and southern colonies, and compare and contrast life
in the colonies in the eighteenth century from various perspectives (e.g., large
landowners, farmers, artisans, women, slaves, and indentured servants).
3.
Relate the contributions of important individuals and groups (e.g., John Smith, John
Rolfe, Puritans, Pilgrims, Peter Stuyvesant, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Lord
Baltimore, Quakers, William Penn, and James Oglethorpe).
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Standard 4:
The student will examine the lasting impact of the American Revolution.
1.
Describe the causes and results of conflicts between England and Colonial America
(e.g., the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Intolerable Acts,
Battles of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Saratoga, and Battle of Yorktown).
*2.
Give examples that show how scarcity and choice govern economic decisions (e.g.,
Boston Tea Party and boycott).
3.
Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence
(e.g., “all men are created equal” and “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”).
4.
Recognize the contributions of key individuals and groups involved in the American
Revolution (e.g., Samuel Adams, the Sons of Liberty, Paul Revere, Mercy Otis
Warren, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Marquis de
Lafayette, King George III, Hessians, and Lord Cornwallis).
Standard 5:
*1.
6
The student will describe the changing nation during the early federal
period.
Explain the purposes of government.
2.
Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in and the reasons for writing the
United States Constitution (e.g., weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and
Shays’ Rebellion, and the goals listed in the Preamble), and outline the major
provisions of the Constitution, including the federal system and the three branches of
government.
3.
Describe the struggles involved in writing the United States Constitution (e.g., the
interests of large states and small states and the major compromises over
representation in Congress), its ratification (e.g., Federalists vs. Antifederalists), and
the addition of the Bill of Rights; and explain the rights and responsibilities
of citizens.
*4.
Describe the relationship between taxation and government services.
*Standard 6: The student will explore the growth and progress of the new nation.
*1.
Describe and sequence the territorial exploration, expansion, and settlement of the
United States, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and
the acquisitions of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California.
*2.
Explain the impact of Andrew Jackson’s presidency (e.g., the role of the “common
man” in politics and the significance of Jackson’s Indian policy).
*3.
Relate some of the major influences on westward expansion (e.g., the Monroe
Doctrine, canals and river systems, railroads, economic incentives, Manifest Destiny,
and the frontier spirit) to the distribution and movement of people, goods,
and services.
*4.
Identify the ways manufacturing and inventions (e.g., cotton gin, McCormick reaper,
and steam power) created an Industrial Revolution in the United States.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
*5.
7
Examine the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements and their leaders (e.g.,
Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, Sojourner Truth, Harriet
Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony).
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
1.
Identify, evaluate and draw conclusions from different kinds of maps, graphs, charts,
diagrams, and other sources and representations, such as aerial and shuttle
photographs, satellite-produced images, the geographic information system (GIS),
encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, atlases, and computer-based technologies; and
construct and use maps of locales, regions, continents, and the world that demonstrate
an understanding of mental mapping, relative location, direction, latitude, longitude,
key, legend, map symbols, scale, size, shape, and landforms.
2.
Evaluate how the physical environment affects humans and how humans modify their
physical environment.
3.
Analyze the physical characteristics of historical places in various regions and the
role they played (e.g., Jamestown for the English, St. Augustine for the Spanish, New
Orleans for the French, and the Cherokee lands in the Carolinas and Georgia) by
using a variety of visual materials and data sources at different scales (e.g.,
photographs, satellite and shuttle images, pictures, tables, charts, topographic and
historical maps, and primary documents).
4.
Interpret geographic information to explain how society changed as the population of
the United States moved west, including where Native Americans lived and how they
made their living.
*5.
Compare and contrast how different cultures adapt to, modify, and have an impact on
their physical environment (e.g., the use of natural resources, farming techniques or
other land use, recycling, housing, clothing, and physical environmental constraints
and hazards).
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
8
PASS Standard:
Standard 2: The student will describe the early exploration of America.
PASS Objective:
1.
Examine the reasons for, the problems faced in, and the results of key expeditions
of Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England (e.g., Columbus,
Ponce de León, Magellan, Coronado, Cortés, Hudson, Raleigh, and La Salle) and
the competition for control of North America.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Examine the problems faced by European countries in their efforts to colonize and control
North America
• Examine the results of key expeditions to the new world by European colonial powers
• Examine the competition European nations engaged in due to their efforts to control
North America
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
Items require students to analyze and explain European colonial issues described in given
source materials.
Content Limits:
Content should be limited to materials describing the European expansion and colonization of
North America provided by age-appropriate source materials.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials but irrelevant
to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 2.1 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
European exploration of the New World affected
relations among the exploring countries because
they
A
formed trade alliances.
B
cooperated to share information.
C
developed a common form of money.
D
competed for resources.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
In the 1600s, the area represented by the
Letter X was settled by
A
Spain.
B
Portugal.
C
France.
D
England.
9
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
Why did France want to control the land at
the mouth of the Mississippi River?
A
to start tobacco plantations
B
to access shipping routes
C
to make cooperation with New Spain easier
D
to prevent the growth of the British colonies
10
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
11
PASS Standard:
Standard 2: The student will describe the early exploration of America.
PASS Objective:
2.
Identify the impact of the encounter between Native Americans and Europeans.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Explain Native American ways of living prior to and following European exploration in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
• Examine the effects of items (e.g., plants, animals, diseases) and cultural elements (e.g.,
language, customs) exchanged between Native American and European settlers
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
Items require students to make conclusions based on personal knowledge and from readings,
graphs, charts, and other source materials provided.
Content Limits:
Topics include European nations engaging in seafaring and exploration (England, France,
Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands), regions they explored (Central and South America, the
“New World”), and items they exchanged (tobacco, metal tools, food, weapons, fur, metal
kettles, the horse, etc.).
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices contain items similar to the correct answer but inappropriate in the
context given. Choices also allow for the misinterpretation of provided data or source materials.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 2.2 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
Native Americans taught Europeans to grow corn.
How did the European colonists benefit from this?
A
Corn became an important cash crop.
B
Corn stalks were used as building material.
C
Corn growing led to plantation farming.
D
Corn became a primary source of food.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
How did the Europeans try to change the
Native American culture?
A
by opening trading for furs
B
by establishing Christian missions
C
by planting corn as a food source
D
by building forts in the Shenandoah Valley
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
What part of the Native Americans’ way of life
did Spanish missionaries try to change most?
A
work
B
housing
C
food
D
religion
12
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
13
PASS Standard:
Standard 3:
The student will examine the growth and development of colonial America.
PASS Objective:
1.
Describe early European settlements in colonial America (e.g., Jamestown,
Plymouth Plantations, Massachusetts Bay, and New Amsterdam), and identify
reasons people came to the Americas (e.g., economic opportunity, slavery, escape
from religious persecution, military adventure, and release from prison).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Identify characteristics of European life in colonial America
• Compare and contrast life in various colonial settlements
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
• Students identify early European settlements in colonial America
Content Limits:
Content is limited to age-appropriate source materials related to European settlements in
colonial America.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials but irrelevant
to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 3.1 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
How did weather in 1607 affect the success
of the Jamestown colony?
A
Spring storms wrecked their ship.
B
The hot summer killed their cattle.
C
Fall winds destroyed their shelters.
D
The cold winter limited their harvest.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
Which was the most profitable export of
the Jamestown settlement?
A
rice
B
cotton
C
lumber
D
tobacco
14
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
Attention!!!
STRONG WORKERS ARRIVE
MEN
WOMEN
CHILDREN
MAY 11, 1690
For ONLY the Price of Their Passage to
Norfolk, Virginia
Hire as Many Workers
As you need
THEY WILL WORK FOR YOU FOR
3 to 7 YEARS!!!
The people who were contracted at this event were known as
A
apprentices.
B
indentured servants.
C
wage earners.
D
slaves.
15
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
16
PASS Standard:
Standard 3: The student will examine the growth and development of colonial America.
PASS Objective:
2.
Describe the similarities and differences (e.g., social, agricultural, and economic)
in the New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the southern colonies, and compare
and contrast life in the colonies in the eighteenth century from various
perspectives (e.g., large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, slaves, and
indentured servants).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Explain the similarities and/or differences between the New England, mid-Atlantic, and
southern colonies
• Examine source materials to identify similarities and/or differences between social,
agricultural, and economic life in the colonial period
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
Items require students to examine different social, agricultural, and economic perspectives about
colonial life based on appropriate source materials.
Content Limits:
Content should be limited to source materials describing colonial life (up to 1775) in the New
England, mid-Atlantic, and southern colonies.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials but irrelevant
to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 3.2 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
At first, the Georgia colony was different from other
Southern colonies because James Oglethorpe outlawed
A
indentured servants.
B
private property.
C
firearms.
D
slaves.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
A colonial American farmer needs to
buy some supplies. He tells the
shopkeeper that he will pay for the
supplies when he sells his crops at the
end of the summer. The shopkeeper
agrees to sell the supplies to the farmer.
This is an example of what kind of
economic exchange?
A
paying with cash
B
using credit
C
writing checks
D
trading for goods
17
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
During the Colonial Era, a person who worked in
exchange for the ship fare to North America was
called
A
an apprentice.
B
a burgess.
C
a freed slave.
D
an indentured servant.
18
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
19
PASS Standard:
Standard 3: The student will examine the growth and development of colonial America.
PASS Objective:
3.
Relate the contributions of important individuals and groups (e.g., John Smith,
John Rolfe, Puritans, Pilgrims, Peter Stuyvesant, Roger Williams,
Anne Hutchinson, Lord Baltimore, Quakers, William Penn, and
James Oglethorpe).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Understand the significance of key figures in the founding and settlement of the British
colonies in North America
• Identify the role of key individuals
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
Students are presented with background or source materials relevant to the period or are asked to
state answers from their own knowledge.
Content Limits:
Content includes source materials and secondary items from the founding of the colonies in the
1600s up to the mid-1750s.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information related to source materials but irrelevant to the
question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 3.3 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: A
Roger Williams founded Rhode Island as a place of
religious freedom because he was
A
cast out by the Puritans.
B
inspired by the Quakers.
C
encouraged by William Penn.
D
persecuted by the king of England.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: B
What led Roger Williams to leave the Massachusetts
Bay Colony?
A
He wanted more land for his own farm.
B
He did not agree with the Puritan leaders.
C
He thought that he should start his own religion.
D
He wanted to learn about Native American culture.
20
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
In 1681, I received a charter to start a new colony. I made
this colony a safe place for Quakers, a religious group that
was not wanted in England. We practice religious freedom
in our colony and we have made peace with the Native
Americans. In our colony we have a city of brotherly love.
Who could have written this?
A
Roger Williams
B
James Oglethorpe
C
William Penn
D
John Smith
21
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
22
PASS Standard:
Standard 4: The student will examine the lasting impact of the American Revolution.
Objective:
1.
Describe the causes and results of conflicts between England and Colonial
America (e.g., the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Massacre,
Intolerable Acts, Battles of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Saratoga, and
Battle of Yorktown).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Identify historical concepts
• Sequence events
• Identify and analyze cause and effect
• Read and interpret graphs, maps, and charts
• Identify and analyze relevant vs. nonrelevant factors
• Timelines
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
Items require students to recall information and evaluate primary sources from the time period,
as well as contemporary source materials.
Content Limits:
Content should be limited to age-appropriate prompt materials and facts from the period.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect responses may be composed of events from the time period leading up to the American
Revolution but inappropriate or immaterial to the item at hand.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 4.1 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
Why was the Battle of Saratoga important?
A
It was the first time the American Navy was called into action.
B
The American victory persuaded the French to offer assistance.
C
It gave American troops time to escape from Valley Forge.
D
The large number of British troops forced Congress to draft
more soldiers.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: B
Which of these happened to cause tension between Great
Britain and the colonists following the French and Indian War?
A
The British refused to trade with the colonists.
B
The British raised colonial taxes to pay for the war.
C
The colonists were forced to give up land to the British.
D
The colonists no longer obeyed the orders of the British king.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
In the 1760s, the American colonists accused Great Britain
of “taxation without representation” because
A
the parliament taxed all imported goods.
B
the colonists did not have to pay taxes.
C
the citizens did not have to pay taxes.
D
the colonists were not involved in voting for the taxes.
23
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
24
PASS Standard:
Standard 4: The student will examine the lasting impact of the American Revolution.
PASS Objective:
3.
Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in the Declaration of
Independence (e.g., “all men are created equal” and “life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness”).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• The basic ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence
• The reasons the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, literature, or quotes from the Declaration of Independence.
Format:
• Items require students to evaluate the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence
Content Limits:
• Content includes source materials that focus on the ideals that historically contributed to the
creation of the Declaration of Independence
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices may include information possibly related to source materials but
irrelevant to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 4.3 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
One purpose for writing the Declaration of Independence was to
A
settle conflicts with foreign nations.
B
express loyalties to the British Parliament.
C
appoint governors for each colony.
D
justify separation from British rule.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
Which document stated that the American colonies
were no longer under British rule?
A
Mayflower Compact
B
Articles of Confederation
C
United States Constitution
D
Declaration of Independence
25
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
26
PASS Standard:
Standard 4: The student will examine the lasting impact of the American Revolution.
PASS Objective:
4.
Recognize the contributions of key individuals and groups involved in the
American Revolution (e.g., Samuel Adams, the Sons of Liberty, Paul Revere,
Mercy Otis Warren, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson,
Marquis de Lafayette, King George III, Hessians, and Lord Cornwallis).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
Identify key figures who made contributions to the American Revolution
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
• Items may require students to name key figures during the Revolutionary period
• Items may require students to draw conclusions regarding how key figures contributed to the
American Revolution
• Items may also require students to match the key figure with their contribution to the
American Revolution
Content Limits:
Content includes source materials and secondary data dealing with the Revolutionary period
1763–1783.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials but irrelevant
to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 4.4 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
What action by King George III led to the
American Revolution?
A
He sold land in the colonies to Spain.
B
He sent British troops to the colonies.
C
He invited the French to help rule the colonies.
D
He sent slaves in the colonies to Great Britain.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
The Sons of Liberty are best known for
A
enforcing the Intolerable Acts.
B
freeing slaves in the Spanish colonies.
C
writing laws for the American colonies.
D
organizing protests against British rule.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: A
Which group would most likely agree with
ideas presented in Common Sense?
A
Patriots
B
Loyalists
C
British officials
D
Native Americans
27
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
28
PASS Standard:
Standard 5: The student will describe the changing nation during the early federal period.
PASS Objective:
2.
Identify and interpret the basic ideals expressed in and the reasons for writing the
United States Constitution (e.g., weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and
Shays' Rebellion, and the goals listed in the Preamble), and outline the major
provisions of the Constitution, including the federal system and the three branches
of government.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Explain the functions of each branch of government
• Identify the duties carried out by each branch of government
• Explain the purpose of and examples of checks and balances
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
• Items may require students to distinguish between the functions of the branches
of government
• Items may require students to identify and describe the main provisions of the
U.S. Constitution
Content Limits:
Content is limited to the U.S. Constitution, its historical origins, and principles contained within.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials but irrelevant
to the question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 5.2 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to
A
veto bills.
B
make laws.
C
appoint judges.
D
enforce amendments.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
In the U.S. government, the judicial branch
can limit the powers of the legislative branch
by
A
vetoing bills.
B
overriding vetoes.
C
ruling laws unconstitutional.
D
approving federal judges.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
The ideal that one purpose of the United States government was
“to establish justice” is stated in which historical document?
A
Bill of Rights
B
Articles of Confederation
C
Declaration of Independence
D
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
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Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
Which part of the U. S. Constitution is a result this idea?
A
the Bill of Rights
B
the Electoral College
C
the amendment process
D
the three branches of government
30
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
31
PASS Standard:
Standard 5: The student will describe the changing nation during the early federal period.
PASS Objective:
3.
Describe the struggles involved in writing the United States Constitution (e.g., the
interests of large states and small states, and the major compromises over
representation in Congress), its ratification (e.g., Federalists vs. Antifederalists),
and the addition of the Bill of Rights; and explain the rights and responsibilities
of citizens.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Describe the issues confronting the new nation and the various interests involved
• Explain what compromises were reached to resolve these conflicts
• Identify and analyze cause and effect as it relates to individual rights
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, timelines, media, political cartoons,
advertisements, and literature.
Format:
• Items may be presented which ask students to identify political and economic conflicts and
state the methods used to resolve them
• Students may be asked to provide certain basic information and to read and interpret graphs,
charts, and other prompts relating to the Constitution and its provisions
• Students analyze and identify constitutional amendments that protect personal liberties
Content Limits:
• Readings either from the period or more recently written, graphs, charts, and other prompt
materials may be provided where appropriate
• Assess the major concepts of the Constitution as they relate to the individual and to society
at large
Distractor Domain:
• Incorrect answer choices include information possibly related to source materials or given
concepts but irrelevant or immaterial to the question being asked
• Incorrect answer choices include constitutional concepts inappropriate or misused in the
context given; these items reveal knowledge or misunderstanding on the part of students
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 5.3 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
The New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan both
addressed the states’ conflict over
A
natural resources.
B
geographic boundaries.
C
religious beliefs.
D
legislative representation.
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: C
One way the First Amendment protects individual
rights is by
A
guaranteeing a trial by jury.
B
preventing cruel punishments.
C
securing freedom of religion.
D
requiring rules for police searches.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
The Three-Fifths Compromise in the U.S.
Constitution was written to solve the issue of
A
women’s rights.
B
the powers of the president.
C
commerce between the states.
D
determining representation.
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Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: B
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution
are known as the
A
Preamble.
B
Bill of Rights.
C
Articles of Confederation.
D
Declaration of Independence.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: A
What constitutional right do “Letters to the Editor” in
newspapers best demonstrate?
A
speech
B
assembly
C
petition
D
religion
33
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
34
PASS Standard:
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
PASS Objective:
1.
Identify, evaluate and draw conclusions from different kinds of maps, graphs,
charts, diagrams, and other sources and representations, such as aerial and shuttle
photographs, satellite-produced images, the geographic information system (GIS),
encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, atlases, and computer-based technologies;
and construct and use maps of locales, regions, continents, and the world that
demonstrate an understanding of mental mapping, relative location, direction,
latitude, longitude, key, legend, map symbols, scale, size, shape, and landforms.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Identify differing viewpoints through a variety of source materials
• Demonstrate an ability to obtain information from various maps and globes
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items will include maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, geographical tools such as maps and
globes, and other sources and representations.
Format:
• Items require students to derive and interpret information from prompt materials consisting
of political, physical, and thematic maps and globes
Content Limits:
• Content should be limited to media, political cartoons, advertisements, literature, and
geographical tools (such as maps and globes) appropriate for fifth-grade students
• Content may use materials from 1492–present to assess geographic skills
Distractor Domain:
• Incorrect answer choices may include information possibly related to source materials but
unrelated to the question being asked
• Incorrect answer choices may include information based on prompt materials but unrelated to
the question being asked
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 7.1 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
What lies east of the forest?
A
lake
B
mountains
C
river
D
state park
35
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 1
Correct Answer: D
On the map, the line marked number 1 is the
A
international date line.
B
tropic of Cancer.
C
prime meridian.
D
equator.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: B
This key would most likely be found
on which kind of map?
A
Product
B
Political
C
Physical
D
Climate
36
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
During the American colonial period, the
mountains shown on the map had the greatest
impact on which group of people?
A
Revolutionary War soldiers
B
Native Americans moving to reservations
C
colonists who wanted to expand westward
D
merchants who wanted to trade with Europe
37
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
38
PASS Standard:
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
PASS Objective:
2.
Evaluate how the physical environment affects humans and how humans modify
their physical environment.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Analyze and evaluate the impact the physical environment has on human activities
• Analyze and evaluate the impact human activities have on the physical environment
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include geographical tools such as maps and globes.
Format:
Items require students to examine the interaction between the physical environment and
human activity.
Content Limits:
Content should be limited to human and environmental issues from 1492 to present.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices may include information related to source materials but unrelated to the
question being asked.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 7.2 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
Which of the following best describes the greenhouse effect?
A
Smoke in the air has harmed human health.
B
Pollution from factories has caused acid rain.
C
Burning fossil fuels has changed the atmosphere.
D
Building roads has damaged available farmland.
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
Which shelter was created by people who lived in a hot
climate with little vegetation?
A
B
C
D
39
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: A
By 1790, the American frontier extended
westward to which physical feature?
A
Ohio River
B
Gulf of Mexico
C
Rocky Mountains
D
Mississippi River
40
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
41
PASS Standard:
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
PASS Objective:
3.
Analyze the physical characteristics of historical places in various regions and the
role they played (e.g., Jamestown for the English, St. Augustine for the Spanish,
Quebec and New Orleans for the French, and the Cherokee lands in the Carolinas
and Georgia) by using a variety of visual materials and data sources at different
scales (e.g., photographs, satellite and shuttle images, pictures, tables, charts,
topographic and historical maps, and primary documents).
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of important American historical sites
• Identify and describe patterns of migration and their results on American society
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items should include visual materials and data sources (e.g., photographs, satellite and
shuttle images, pictures, tables, charts, topographic and historical maps, and primary documents).
Format:
Items require students to demonstrate familiarity with historical places and the effects of
population changes.
Content Limits:
Content is in the form of primary and secondary sources, including, but not limited to, writings,
maps, graphs, tables, and visual imagery.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices may be based on misunderstandings and/or inaccurate interpretations of
subject materials.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 7.3 Sample Test Items:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
• Atlantic Ocean
• Appalachian Mountains
• Mississippi River
• Dense forests
Which is the best title for the list above?
A
Cultural Regions of the United States
B
North America’s Largest Physical Regions
C
Obstacles to Early North American Settlement
D
Locations of the First Revolutionary War Battles
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: C
Agriculture was more important to the
economies of southern colonies than to those
of the New England colonies because the
A
climate was cooler.
B
wind was less damaging.
C
growing season was longer.
D
rainfall was more predictable.
42
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: D
Colonial Cities
•
•
•
•
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Jamestown, Virginia
Which geographic feature is common to the cities listed?
A
warm climate
B
dense forests
C
large coal deposits
D
river location
43
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
44
PASS Standard:
Standard 7: The student will review and strengthen geographic skills.
PASS Objective:
4.
Interpret geographic information to explain how society changed as the
population of the United States moved west, including where Native Americans
lived and how they made their living.
Item Specifications:
Emphasis:
• Identify changes in living environments and locations of Native Americans from Columbian
contact to 1800
• Interpret maps, charts, and other source materials
Stimulus Attributes:
Test items may include maps, charts, graphs, tables, geographical tools such as maps and globes,
and other source materials (e.g., writings and visual imagery).
Format:
Items require students to identify change over time and give reasons why this change occurred as
it relates to Native Americans and settlers.
Content Limits:
Content is in the form of primary and secondary sources, including, but not limited to, writings,
maps, graphs, tables, and visual imagery. For example, the impacts on Native Americans.
Distractor Domain:
Incorrect answer choices may be based on misunderstandings and/or inaccurate interpretations of
the given materials and/or stimulus.
Grade 5 Social Studies Item Specifications
PASS 7.4 Sample Test Item:
Depth of Knowledge: 2
Correct Answer: A
Early European settlers changed the lives of Native Americans
the most by the
A
contagious epidemic diseases that they carried.
B
new ways of hunting that they taught.
C
trade for furs that they engaged in.
D
food supplies that they shared.
45