MULTIPLE CHOICE PRACTICE
Directions: Read the question. Circle the key words/phrases in the question. Attach the key words/phrases to a definition or an
alternate word to help you understand the question better. Read each distracter. If it is a possible correct answer, write a “?” next
to it. If you know it is incorrect, draw a slash (/) through the letter. (If it is an EXCEPT question, then just write T or F next to the
letter) Then write your rationale as to why it is wrong. Continue eliminating distracters as far as you can. Then circle the letter of the
most correct choice.
1.
During the 20th century, the
Topeka that:
Supreme Court ruled in
A. the theory of evolution was acceptable
to teach in schools rather than creation.
B. schools must achieve racial balance in
schools even if it meant busing students
far from home.
C. prayer in schools was contradictory to
the separation of church and state.
D. Horace Mann was correct in
demanding that teachers attend some
teacher training.
E. public schools must end racial
segregation
Brown v. Board of Education of
A. Brown v. Board is not about evolution
and creation. They are trying to trick me
with the Scopes Monkey Trial
B. maybe...it’s about a race issue….no,
because Brown is not about busing kids
to school.
C. that might be true, but Brown has
nothing to do with prayer in school.
D. That Horace Mann guy did something
big with public schools, but that was way
before the 1900’s.
E. I think this is it. Even if I am not
positive, I already know for sure that the
other ones are wrong, so I will make this
my best answer.
CHANE’S NOTES TO TEACHERS:
This is a multiple choice example that some teachers might think is mid-range in difficulty depending on the level of students and the
level of the class that is being taught. The part in italics is what I would hope the students will write.
This strategy is effective when the question is placed on the overhead. This is a step by step method to ensure that the students don’t
learn incorrect content by being distracted by the distracters. Don’t forget to have the students engaged in processing loops to help
them learn from each other and then report out once you are sure all students can be successful. Always keep them accountable, yet
safe. This is a great double dip. That is, it’s great practice at learning the skill of multiple choice and it an excellent way to DP and ID it.
(distributed practice and incremental development)
The first time this is explained to the students, it must be done slowly and could take up to 30 minutes
or longer to go over in a step by step manner. Speeding over the details of this method of answering
multiple choice questions could lead to the students not being as precise as we want them to be.
Chane Beam - St. Petersburg High School - St. Petersburg, FL
Chapter 6 - Standardized Test Preparation
95
MULTIPLE CHOICE PRACTICE
This form could be used for any multiple choice question that you might want your students to practice. Use the
same procedure as above and have your students practice often.
US History
Name:
Multi Choice Practice
Date:
Period:
Directions: Read the question. Circle the key words/phrases in the question. Attach the key words/phrases
to a definition or an alternate word to help you understand the question better. Read each distracter. If it is
a possible correct answer, write a “?” next to it. If you know it is incorrect, draw a slash (/) through the letter.
(If it is an EXCEPT question, then just write T or F next to the letter) Then write your rationale for each
distracter. Continue eliminating distracters as far as you can. Then circle the letter of the “best answer”.
1.
A)_________________________________________
___________________________________________
B)_________________________________________
___________________________________________
C)_________________________________________
___________________________________________
D)_________________________________________
___________________________________________
E)_________________________________________
___________________________________________
96
Teaching for Excellence: Social Studies
MULTIPLE CHOICE BREAKDOWN
Topic: American Land Gain
1.
Circle and Define the content based words in the question
2.
Re-write or give a quick definitions of the responses
3.
Eliminate two most likely wrong answers
What is the best description of the belief in Manifest Destiny?
a. The United States would always be the Thirteen States
b. The U.S. would be able to expand to the Mississippi River
c. The U.S. would depend on other nations in order to grow
d. The US would inevitably gain all the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific
_____________________________________________________________________
Complete the following: Louisiana Purchase is to Doubling the size of the U.S. as the Adams-Onis treaty
is to ______________________.
a. opening up the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans
b. gaining the territory of California, New Mexico and Arizona
c. Gaining the territory of Guam, Philippines, and Puerto Rico
d. Gaining the territory of Florida
__________________________________________________________
Which of the following would President James K. Polk most likely support?
a. President Woodrow Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”:
b. President George Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality
c. Alfred T. Mahan’s book The Influence of Sea Power on History
d. Andrew Jackson’s Spoil System
Scott McCandlish - Mallard Creek High School - Charlotte, NC
Chapter 6 - Standardized Test Preparation
97
ANSWER STATION
Scott McCandlish - Mallard Creek High School - Charlotte, NC
98
Teaching for Excellence: Social Studies
MULTIPLE CHOICE BREAKDOWN CONTINUED
Scott McCandlish teaches US History in Charlotte, North Carolina. He teaches the skill of taking multiple
choice tests to his students. This page shows the three questions from the topic of States Rights. Page 98 shows
what Scott teaches his students to do early in the process. This is the actual Learning Support Station his students
may use to double check their answers. His student do not just circle and answer. They have to explain why
each of the distracters is incorrect. This forces the students to think while they are answering these questions,
rather than just make a random guess. It also teaches the students the value of narrowing down the options by
eliminating the distracters they know are wrong.
Topic: States Rights
Multiple Choice Breakdowns
1.
Circle and Define the content based words in the question
2.
Re-write or give a quick description of the responses.
3.
Eliminate two most likely wrong answers
What is the best description of the term “State’s Rights”?
a. the states power is limited by the federal government.
b. The states can nullify federal laws
c. The states can select congressman to serve in the federal government
d. The states can create laws for the federal government to enforce
______________________________________________________________________
How did Thomas Jefferson try applying the concept of States’ Rights during the presidency of John
Adams?
e. He supported Hamilton’s Economic Plan
f.
He supported the Alien and Sedition Acts
g. He supported the undeclared Naval War with France
h. He supported the VA and KY resolutions
________________________________________________________________
Which of the following events would John C. Calhoun most likely support?
a. The ruling of the Supreme Court in the McCullough vs Maryland case.
b. Henry Clay’s “American System”.
c. The secession of the southern states in 1860.
d. The presidency of John Adams
Chapter 6 - Standardized Test Preparation
99
MULTIPLE CHOICE - MIDDLE SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY
A map titled “The population density of North Africa and Southwest Asia” would be an example
of :
This is a specific idea
A)A) A physical map
B) A political map
C) A flow-line map
D) A thematic map
It’s not an example of A because a physical map shows
landforms and bodies of water.
It’s not an example of B because a political map shows the
features on the Earth that humans have created such as
cities, states, provinces, territories, and countries.
It’s not an example of C because flow-line maps show the
movement of people, ideas, and goods.
It is an example of D because a thematic map focuses on a
specific idea – in this case, the population density of North
Africa and Southwest Asia.
Tracie Russo
Carwise Middle School
Palm Harbor, FL
100
Teaching for Excellence: Social Studies
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Teaching the skill of answering multiple choice questions is absolutely necessary if we want our students to score as
high as they can on standardized tests. As a rule, PEAK recommends that teachers not give multiple choice test in the
traditional way. The rationale for this is found in chapter five of the Teaching For Excellence. On the other hand, we also
recognize the need for students to engage with multiple choice questions in order to become familiar with them before
going into a high stakes test. Pages 95 through 101 show us several examples of the recommended method for teaching
students how to analyze and answer a multiple choice question. The document on this page is a handout that would be
given to the students several months before the high stakes test, but only after the teacher has taught the students how to
attack a multiple choice question. The premise of this document states that each Parallel Assessment will now include
one additional objective with only multiple choice questions, how it would be graded and what the corrective loop
would entail.
Advanced Placement United States History
Multiple Choice Practice Assessments
The AP US History exam has the following components:
80 Multiple Choice Questions
1 Document Based Question
2 Free Response Essays
In an effort to help you be fully prepared to conquer the AP US History
exam, we will be practicing each of these types of questions. In
particular, for the rest of the year, we will be focusing on the skill of
analyzing and answering multiple choice questions.
For the rest of the year, each assessment will have our normal four
objectives over both new and old content and additionally, each will
now have one objective using multiple choice questions. The content
of the review questions will cover material from previous units.
Each of these additional objectives will consist of five multiple choice
questions worth four points each for a total of twenty possible points.
This objective will be graded A/B/NY just like all other objectives.
Points will be awarded as follows:
4 pts for each correct answer with correct explanation
0 pts for a correct answer with no explanation
0 pts for a skipped problem
-1 pt for a wrong answer regardless of explanation
The point system explained above mimics the actual point system used
when scoring the multiple choice section of the actual AP exam.
Retakes will be required for those getting less than 4 correct.
However, correctives won’t be fun so study and do your best the first
time.
For each question answered incorrectly or not answered, test
correctives will include …
1. completing the question practice form using notes or textbook
2. creating a parallel question with reasonable distracters
3. completing the question practive form for your newly created
parallel question
Chapter 6 - Standardized Test Preparation
101