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Section 8: Sample Selected-Response Questions
Core Subjects EC–6 Subject Exam V—Fine Arts, Health and Physical Education (905)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for this Subject Exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.

For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the Subject Exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

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Subject Exam V Sample Questions

Competency 001—(Visual Arts): The teacher understands the concepts, processes and skills involved in the creation, appreciation and evaluation of art and uses that knowledge to plan and implement effective and engaging visual arts instruction.

1. An art teacher has her sixth-grade students use a compass, ruler and colored pencils to create a design that will be woven onto a pegged piece of wood in the form of string art as shown below.

The image shows three pegboards.

Each pegboard includes twelve pegs that form a circle. The string patterns on each pegboard is different. On the first pegboard a piece of string is wrapped around every fourth peg in the circle; each individual string pattern uses three pegs which creates four similar overlapping patterns. On the second pegboard a piece of string is wrapped around every other peg; each individual string pattern uses six pegs which creates two similar overlapping patterns. On the third pegboard a piece of string is wrapped around every third peg in the circle; each individual string pattern uses four pegs which creates three similar overlapping patterns.

The activity would be most appropriate for which of the following interdisciplinary units?

  1. A social studies unit on Medieval stained glass
  2. A science unit about rain and snow
  3. A reading unit focused on sequencing ideas
  4. A math unit on geometric shapes and angles
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because wrapping the string on the pegs in different patterns creates corresponding differences in angles and shapes. Option A is incorrect because only a subset of Medieval stained glass consists of circular, geometric designs; most of it is pictorial. Option B is incorrect because although snowflakes are radial forms, they contain six points whereas the pegboards each include twelve pegs and rain is unrelated to the activity. Option C is incorrect because the sequence of ideas in reading is linear, unlike these circular patterns.

2. Students are each given three identical small lumps of modeling clay and are asked to sculpt three different hearts from the lumps. For example, the hearts can be plump or slender, with varying proportions. The activity will best help students understand the art element of

  1. line.
  2. form.
  3. texture.
  4. light.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because form means the volume and shape of a three-dimensional object. Varying the physical characteristics of the hearts made from the same amount of clay will create different forms. Option A is incorrect because line, at the level of elementary students, is understood as an element of two-dimensional art. Option C is incorrect because even though students might choose to vary the texture of the hearts, texture would still be secondary to the art element of form. Option D is incorrect because light is not part of this activity.

3. During a unit on fiber art, it would be most appropriate for students to learn how to use a

  1. handloom.
  2. press mold.
  3. palette knife.
  4. lathe chisel.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because a handloom is a tool for weaving, a common kind of fiber art. Options B, C and D are incorrect because, while they are all tools that are used with other art media, they are not used in fiber arts.

4. A fifth-grade teacher instructs students to use a camera to take pictures of various objects around the school. The students are to use the following methods when taking pictures.

The activity will best help students understand the visual concept of

  1. balance.
  2. narrative.
  3. symbolism.
  4. perspective.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the resulting photographs will demonstrate to the students how perspective (the illusion that images diminish in space along converging lines) is affected by different angles. Options A, B and C are incorrect because they could be part of a student's photograph but the exercise itself will not elicit any of them.

5. Second-grade students each place thin paper over an object they have found in the classroom and rub a crayon over the paper on part of the surface of the object. The activity can most effectively be used to introduce students to which of the following elements of art?

  1. Texture
  2. Space
  3. Line
  4. Shape
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the texture of each object will directly affect what the rubbings look like. Options B, C and D are incorrect because they are not part of this activity and will not naturally be present in the rubbings.

Competency 002—(Music): The teacher understands the concepts, processes and skills involved in the creation, appreciation and evaluation of music and uses that knowledge to plan and implement effective and engaging music instruction.

6. When teaching students about the lines and spaces of the grand staff, the mnemonic "All Cows Eat Grass" helps them remember

  1. the lines of the treble clef.
  2. the spaces of the treble clef.
  3. the lines of the bass clef.
  4. the spaces of the bass clef.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the spaces of the bass clef, beginning with the lowest space, are A-C-E-G. Option A is incorrect because the lines of the treble clef, beginning with the lowest line are E-G-B-D-F. Option B is incorrect because the spaces of the treble clef, beginning with the lowest space, are F-A-C-E. Option C is incorrect because the lines of the bass clef, beginning with the lowest line, are G-B-D-F-A.

7. A type of song in which a second voice exactly imitates a leading voice at different places in the melody is a

  1. Round
  2. Partner song
  3. Lullaby
  4. Game song
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because a round is a song in which a leader is imitated exactly at one or more certain points within the song. Option B is incorrect because a partner song is a song that can be paired with another song and sung in unison to create harmony. Option C is incorrect because a lullaby is a song that is associated with engendering sleep. Option D is incorrect because a game song is a song that is associated with playing general or specific games.

8. Which of the following traditional folk songs promotes the heritage of Texas?

  1. "The Old Chisholm Trail"
  2. "Cotton-Eyed Joe"
  3. "Casey Jones"
  4. "Sweet Betsy from Pike"
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because Texas ranchers used the Chisholm trail to drive cattle to the rail yards in Kansas. Option B is incorrect because the song originated in the Southern United States. Option C is incorrect because the song originated in the Northern Mid-West United States. Option D is incorrect because the lyrics describe travelling to the California Gold Rush.

9. Which of the following types of children's songs combine singing and movement in order to promote enjoyment of music and develop music literacy in students?

  1. Work songs
  2. Spirituals
  3. Jingles
  4. Game songs
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because game songs are used throughout the world and by different cultures for play and enjoyment. Game songs often use movement and dance. Learning game songs helps to promote musicality among children and is the basis for becoming musically literate. Option A is incorrect because work songs are used by persons who are doing manual labor in order to pace them-selves and to pass the time. Option B is incorrect because a spiritual is a song that is generally religious in nature and is not considered a child's song. Spirituals are not typically used in education to promote music literacy. Option C is incorrect because a jingle is a short song created for marketing and business purposes.

10. Which of the following should students be able to do in order to begin improvising songs?

  1. Notate from dictation
  2. Sing in tune
  3. Read music
  4. Know the blues style
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because students must sing in-tune before they can improvise tonally. Option A is incorrect because, just as one may improvise using language without knowing how to write language, one may improvise music without being able to write music. Option C is incorrect because persons learning language and music do not need to learn how to read those forms of communication before they can improvise them. Option D is incorrect because students do not need to begin improvising by learning to improvise in the blues style.

11. When teaching students to sing using the Kodály method, which of the following is the first interval taken from folk songs and used in echo singing?

  1. Ti-do
  2. Mi-do
  3. Sol-mi
  4. La-ti
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option C is correct because it is the first interval that is within the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option A is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option B is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option D is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals.

12. Which of the following musical terms tells the performer to play loudly, then immediately play quietly?

  1. cresc.
  2. mf
  3. dim.
  4. fp
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the symbol means to perform loudly then immediately quietly. Option A is incorrect because the symbol means to play increasingly louder. Option B is incorrect because it means to perform moderately loudly. Option C is incorrect because the symbol means to play increasingly more quietly.

Competency 003—(Health): The teacher uses knowledge of the concepts and purposes of health education to plan and implement effective and engaging health instruction.

13. A common type of family abuse characterized by verbal put-downs and criticisms is known as

  1. abuse of power.
  2. emotional abuse.
  3. physical abuse.
  4. sexual abuse.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because hurtful language can cause emotional distress and is recognized as a form of abuse. Option A is incorrect because abuse of power is typically misconduct committed by someone as part of a job or elected position. Option C is incorrect because physical abuse has to include physical violence, mistreatment, or neglect. Option D is incorrect because sexual abuse involves sexual activity against a person's will or with a person who cannot legally consent to the activity. (Sexual harassment can be of the verbal variety; however, it is not listed as one of the choices and is a different type of sexual abuse.)

14. Which of the following phrases best describes the human digestive system?

  1. A group of similar organs that function independently
  2. A continuous tube with attached organs that performed different functions
  3. A group of similar organs connected by a network of blood vessels
  4. A system of organs that provide for food storage in the body
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the digestive system is a continuous tube that runs from the mouth to the anus and contains attached organs that perform different functions that aid in digestion and the breakdown of food. Option A is incorrect because while the organs in the digestive system do function somewhat independently, they are not all similar and have different functions. Option C is incorrect because the organs in the digestive system are not connected by blood vessels. Option D is incorrect because the digestive system does not store food; it breaks it down so the body can process nutrients and create waste products.

15. Which of the following behaviors is most likely to reduce a person's risk of developing melanoma?

  1. Avoiding cigarettes
  2. Abstaining from alcohol use
  3. Avoiding exposure to carcinogenic chemicals
  4. Protecting the skin against excessive exposure to the sun
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because melanoma is a type of skin cancer that is primarily caused by long-term unprotected exposure to the sun. Option A is incorrect because smoking tobacco products is more commonly associated with lung cancer. Option B is incorrect because alcohol use does not lead to any known cancers. Option C is incorrect because exposure to various carcinogenic chemicals can cause any number of different types of cancer, but is not a primary cause of melanoma.

Competency 004—(Physical Education): The teacher uses knowledge of the concepts, principles, skills and practices of physical education to plan and implement effective and engaging physical education instruction.

16. Which of the following terms describes the phenomenon of a young child having greater control of his or her upper torso than of his or her legs or feet?

  1. Component stages
  2. Proximodistal development
  3. Developmental biodynamics
  4. Cephalocaudal development
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option D is correct because cephalocaudal development describes physical development that starts from the head, then progresses to the lower parts of the body, such as the legs and feet. Option A is incorrect because component stages are not a part of physical development. Option B is incorrect because proximodistal development describes physical development from the center of the body, such as the spinal cord, with progression outward to the fingers and toes. Option C is incorrect because developmental biodynamics is a field that describes brain, body, and behavior connections as related to motor development.

17. Which of the following forms of movement most clearly demonstrates basic skill in nonlocomotor body management?

  1. Hopping up and down
  2. Standing on a balance beam
  3. Leaping with variation in distance
  4. Throwing an object various distances
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because standing on a balance beam is a form of movement that demonstrates the basic skill of nonlocomotor body management and balance. Option A and C are incorrect because hopping and leaping are locomotor skills. Option D is correct because throwing is a manipulative skill.

18. A first-grade teacher is having students march to the sound of a drum. Which of the following instructions is most appropriate for teaching the movement concepts of spatial awareness and relationship awareness?

  1. Follow the person in front of you, but keep a comfortable distance between you.
  2. Stomp your foot on the fourth beat of each measure, and turn to your right.
  3. March faster as the drumbeat gets faster, but freeze when the drumbeat stops.
  4. Time your steps so that your foot touches the ground at the same time that the drumbeat occurs.
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the direction to follow the person in front but keep comfortable distance is focused on the movement concept of spatial awareness. Spatial awareness is the ability to understand the position of objects in relation to each other and to oneself. It includes understanding the relationship of objects when there is a change in position. Options B, C and D are incorrect because the directions focus on how the body moves, not where the body moves.

19. Several students in a physical education class are having difficulty reaching the basketball goal with their shots, even while using a youth-sized basketball. Which of the following options is most appropriate for the teacher to introduce to increase the students' success?

  1. Allowing students to use a balloon instead of a basketball
  2. Lowering the height of the basket
  3. Raising the height of the basket
  4. Using a bouncy playground ball instead of a basketball
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option B is correct because by lowering the height of the basket, the teacher is decreasing the distance the students need to shoot and increasing the likelihood that they will succeed in making a basket. Options A and D are incorrect because modifying the ball will not make it easier for the students to reach the basket because a balloon will not travel that far and the playground ball will be too bouncy. Option C is incorrect because increasing the height of the basket will increase the distance the ball must travel and make the task more challenging for the students.

20. During a lesson on hitting a ball placed on a tee, a third-grade student is swinging the bat down on the ball from above rather than swinging parallel to the ground. Which of the following is most appropriate for the teacher to use first to help the student improve batting form?

  1. Physically guiding the swing to give the student the experience of proper technique
  2. Having the student watch other students perform the skill correctly and pointing out the other students' strengths
  3. Reminding the student to swing the bat in a plane that is parallel to the ground rather than in a vertical arc
  4. Using the bat to strike the ball from above, then from the side, and asking the student to watch where the ball goes each time
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because students in a physical education setting generally learn best by doing. Option B is incorrect because actually performing the skill correctly with guidance is better for learning than watching others performing the skill correctly. Option C is incorrect because a third-grade student may not understand the meaning of "parallel to the ground" or "in a vertical arc."
Option D is incorrect because proper form is the main concern of the teacher, not the direction the ball travels.

21. According to current research in the field of physical education, which of the following best promotes student participation in lifelong physical activity?

  1. Learning how to play popular sports and games
  2. Playing for a team that wins games regularly
  3. Acquiring basic skills needed to participate in a variety of activities
  4. Becoming familiar with common gymnasium equipment
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option C is correct because current research indicates that when students acquire the basic skills they need to participate in a variety of activities, they are more willing to do so and more confident in their ability. Option A is incorrect because not all popular sports and games will appeal to all students. Option B is incorrect because it is unlikely that students will always be on a winning team, and it is important for students to learn to win and lose gracefully. Option D is incorrect because becoming familiar with common gymnasium equipment will not teach skills or instill in students a desire to participate in lifelong physical activity.

Competency 005—(Theatre): The teacher understands the concepts, processes and skills involved in the creation, appreciation and evaluation of theatre and uses that knowledge to plan and implement effective and engaging theatre instruction.

22. A fourth-grade teacher has students read about famous figures from Texas history and then takes the class to see a play about the life and times of Davy Crockett. Taking the class to see the play will best accomplish which of the following objectives?

  1. Enhancing lessons in social studies through a culturally relevant theatrical event
  2. Creating critical consumers of theatre arts through an evaluation of historical fiction
  3. Having students use social studies skills to compare and contrast primary and secondary sources
  4. Having students recognize the influence of theatre on historical events
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option A is correct because students will have an opportunity to enrich their studies through a relevant theatrical experience. Option B is incorrect because the purpose is not to evaluate the performance; the students have not been instructed in how to evaluate or why they should do so. Option C is incorrect because there is no evidence that any primary sources (artifacts) were included in the students study or the play. Option D is incorrect because taking students to see the play would illustrate the influence of historical events on theatre, not the reverse.

23. Which of the following is most likely to help fourth-grade students understand the concept of characterization?

  1. Having students read and watch a variety of interviews with a noted author
  2. Having students act out the sounds and movements of various animals from a familiar story
  3. Directing students in a classroom performance of a play that is based on a familiar story
  4. Coaching individual students on the use of vocal inflection in reciting stories
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option C is correct because directing students in a classroom performance will help them understand characterization as they act out characters and actions as described by the author. Option A is incorrect because having students read and watch a variety of interviews with a noted author is best suited to helping students learn about that particular author's work. Option B is incorrect because having students act out the sounds and movements of various animals is unlikely to help them understand the concept of characterization without additional instruction. Option D is incorrect because coaching individual students on the use of vocal inflection is more likely to help students understand intonation than characterization.

24. While discussing a play they recently saw, students note that one of the characters often appeared onstage in the shadows. When confronted with upsetting news, the same character was shown in red light. As described, which of the following is a primary purpose of the lighting?

  1. Enhancing performance visibility
  2. Directing an actor's movement
  3. Prompting inferences about the character's personality
  4. Developing a realistic setting for the character
Answer. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Option C is correct because specifically placed lighting or colored transparencies over the lights helps cue an inference regarding the character's personality. Option A is incorrect because while making an actor more visible is often the purpose of lighting, red light and shadows will have the opposite effect. Option B is incorrect because there is no evidence that the actor was being directed to move by the light. Option D is incorrect because the use of red light at moments when a character is receiving upsetting news helps to develop an expressionistic, rather than a realistic, effect.
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