Preparation Manual

Subject Exam III Sample Questions

Competency 001—(History): The teacher understands and applies knowledge of significant historical events and developments, multiple historical interpretations and ideas and relationships between the past, the present and the future, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

1. Sam Houston was removed from office as governor of Texas for which of the following reasons?

1. He opposed the secession of Texas from the Union.
2. He was in office during a severe financial crisis that crippled the Texas economy.
3. He disagreed completely with Radical Republicans over the abolition of slavery in Texas.
4. He obtained a military commission to command a group of Texas Rangers during the U.S.-Mexican War.

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Option A is correct because Sam Houston was a Unionist who became unpopular among his constituents who supported Texas annexation. The Secession Convention of 1861 convened and began a series of actions that withdrew Texas from the Union. When Houston refused to take the oath of loyalty to the newly formed Confederate States of America, the Texas Secession Convention removed him from office on March 16 and two days later replaced him with Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark. Option B is incorrect because this was true of Mirabeau Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas (Lamar was not, however, asked to leave office). Option C is incorrect because although Houston was not a supporter of the institution of slavery, he himself owned slaves. Option D is incorrect because it is true of the first governor of Texas, James Pinckney Henderson, who left office for a brief period during the war but was not asked to relinquish his power.

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2. In the 1790s, Spain discouraged the illegal immigration of Anglo Americans to Texas because Spain was concerned that they would

1. take jobs on farms and ranches from the Spanish settlers.
2. disrupt the relationship between Spanish settlers and American Indians in the region.
3. provoke the Spanish settlers to revolt and declare their independence from Spain.
4. deplete, pollute or destroy the natural resources of Texas.

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Option B is correct because during the 1790s, the Spanish began to discourage the illegal immigration of Anglo settlers to Texas; attempts at peaceful relations made by Spanish missionaries and American Indians were often disrupted by American settlers seeking land. Option A is incorrect because American settlers did not often take farmland away from Spanish settlers. Option C is incorrect because American settlers did not cause the Mexican Revolution. Option D is incorrect because the depletion of natural resources was not documented during the eighteenth century and it is very unlikely that such an observation would be made.

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3. Which of the following was the main objection of the Anti-Federalists to the United States Constitution?

1. Under the proposed Constitution, Congress would not have enough power to control the states.
2. The proposed Constitution did not contain a bill of rights.
3. The proposed Constitution contained no mention of religious observances.
4. Under the proposed Constitution, the Supreme Court would not be able to overturn state laws as unconstitutional.

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Option B is correct because Anti-Federalists feared that the United States Constitution granted the federal government too much power and that a bill of rights was needed to protect individual citizens. Option A is incorrect because this was not the major argument against the Constitution, as the Constitution accorded less power to the states than did the Articles of Confederation. Option C is incorrect because although freedom of religion is an individual right, it was not the Anti-Federalists’ main objection to the Constitution. Option D is incorrect because the Supreme Court had this power under the Constitution.

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4. In addition to being a leader in the Civil Rights movement, Barbara Jordan of Houston, Texas, is widely known for which of the following?

Select all that apply.

1. Becoming the first African American to serve as lieutenant governor of Texas
2. Being the first woman elected to represent Texas in the United States House of Representatives
3. Being nominated as a presidential candidate at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
4. Becoming the first African American to serve in the Texas state senate since 1883

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Options B and D are correct because Barbara Jordan served as the first female representative in Congress from 1973 to 1979. Jordan was also the first twentieth-century African American to serve in the Texas state senate from 1967 to 1973. Option A is incorrect because Barbara Jordan did not serve as lieutenant governor in Texas. Option C is incorrect because she was not nominated as a presidential candidate but was considered as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

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5. Southern states attempted to limit the voting power of African Americans during the 1870s in which of the following ways?

1. They mandated poll taxes and literacy requirements for voting privileges.
2. They required citizens to own property to vote in elections.
3. They dramatically reduced the number of polling places.
4. They revoked the citizenship of many African Americans.

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Option A is correct because, as a reaction to the Reconstruction era, many former Confederate states mandated literacy tests and poll taxes in an attempt to prevent African Americans from voting in elections. Option B is incorrect because land ownership mandates had been mostly eradicated during the Jacksonian era. Additionally, many White voters did not own property. Option C is incorrect because, while states may have in several ways made it difficult for African Americans to vote, they did not drastically reduce the number of polling places. Option D is incorrect because citizenship was not revoked based on the basis of race or ethnicity.

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Competency 002—(Geography): The teacher understands and applies knowledge of geographic relationships involving people, places and environments in Texas, the United States and the world, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

6. A primary contributing factor in the development of major urban centers in Houston, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, and New Orleans was

1. the location of each city along major transportation routes.
2. the temperate climates of the areas throughout the year.
3. the fertility of the soil in the areas.
4. each city’s origin as a military outpost.

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Option A is correct because the primary contributing factor in the development of these cities was that they were located along major transportation routes. The introduction of railroads and other transport innovations increased the numbers of people and products and the amount of capital entering the areas, which supported their development. Option B is incorrect because although climate can be an important factor in the settlement of regions, the development of urban centers is not as closely dependent on temperate climates. Option C is incorrect because major urban development is not dependent on the quality of soil. Option D is incorrect because not all of these cities were originally military locations.

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7. The emergence of early agricultural civilizations along river valleys suggests that

1. the success of democratic societies gave rise to market-based civilizations.
2. the development of complex civilizations was based on peaceful interactions.
3. understanding the environment was a primary factor in the survival of early civilizations.
4. preserving valuable resources was a primary factor in the success of farming societies.

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Option C is correct because the earliest civilizations depended on detailed knowledge of their environments for survival and growth. Option A is incorrect because early river-valley civilizations are not believed to have had democratic forms of government. Option B is incorrect because in many cases the development of civilizations coincided with periods of warfare and unrest. Option D is incorrect because the preservation of natural resources is a modern concept that is not likely to have been held by early river-valley civilizations.

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Competency 003—(Economics): The teacher understands and applies knowledge of economic systems and how people organize economic systems to produce, distribute and consume goods and services, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

8. Which of the following hypothetical situations best illustrates for students in grades 5 and 6 the core economic principle that people respond to incentives in predictable ways?

1. Bud must pay the library fine before his borrowing privileges are restored.
2. Suzie donates some of her birthday money to help build an Afghan school.
3. Charlie can buy a DVD or download a book using his allowance, but he cannot do both.
4. Grace willingly takes on more responsibilities at home when her allowance is increased.

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Option D is correct because, in this situation, Grace responds positively to the prospect of being rewarded for extra work. The incentive is that her work will earn her more money. Option A is incorrect because forcing Bud to pay a library fee before he can borrow another book is not an economic incentive for him to continue visiting the library. Option B is incorrect because Suzie is not rewarded for her good deed economically. While Suzie donates money for a good cause, there is no economic incentive for this action. Option C is incorrect because this situation displays opportunity cost and no economic incentives. The opportunity cost of Charlie buying a DVD is that he will then not be able to afford the book.

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Competency 004—(Government and Citizenship): The teacher understands and applies knowledge of government, democracy and citizenship, including ways in which individuals and groups achieve their goals through political systems, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

9. From which of the following sources do independent school districts in Texas get most of their funding?

1. Local property taxes
2. State sales taxes
3. Federal funds
4. State income taxes

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Option A is correct because local property tax revenue is the largest source of funding for independent school districts in the state of Texas. Option B is incorrect because state sales taxes do not contribute to school funding in Texas. Option C is incorrect because, while federal funds do contribute to public school funding, the majority of the funding is sourced by property taxes on the local level. Option D is incorrect because there is no Texas state income tax in effect.

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10. Which of the following best describes the form of government of the Roman Republic?

1. Legislative representatives were elected by the citizens and subject to term limits in order to prevent corruption.
2. Citizens who had completed military service voted directly on pending legislation.
3. Governmental power was highly centralized in coequal legislative, executive and judicial branches.
4. The appointed members of the senate met frequently to pass advisory decrees to more powerful local magistrates.

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Option D is correct because, under the Roman constitution, de facto power was exercised largely by senators who instructed magistrates and other officials on policy. Option A is incorrect because legislative representatives such as senators were not elected by the people. Option B is incorrect because, while citizens did need to fulfill certain duties to achieve such status, they did not vote directly on pending legislation. Option C is incorrect because the powers of government were not divided in this fashion in the Roman Republic.

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11. Which of the following philosophical positions is most commonly associated with the Declaration of Independence?

1. Locke’s argument that governments should protect individual rights
2. Rousseau’s argument that social contracts are the basis of a government’s legitimacy
3. Hobbes’s argument that strong central governments are necessary to prevent violence
4. Montesquieu’s argument for separating the powers of government into different branches

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Option A is correct because John Locke’s argument published in Two Treatises of Government served as an influential basis for the Declaration of Independence; many passages in the declaration draw heavily upon Locke’s work. Option B is incorrect, as Rousseau’s theory of the social contract was not directly related to the Declaration of Independence. Option C is incorrect because Hobbes’s argument for strong central governments is contradictory to the message of the Declaration of Independence. Option D is incorrect because Montesquieu’s argument for the separation of government powers was a major influence on the United States Constitution, not the Declaration of Independence.

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Competency 005—(Culture; Science, Technology and Society): The teacher understands and applies knowledge of cultural development, adaptation and diversity and understands and applies knowledge of interactions among science, technology and society, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Read the paragraph and answer the following question.

During the late 1800s, a group of education reformers began a movement to educate Native Americans. They built boarding schools in which Native American children were taught English and various aspects of American social behavior. The children were forbidden to speak their native languages or wear their native clothing. The intention of these schools was to educate Native American children so that they could integrate into the dominant American culture and economy.

12. The placement of American Indian children in boarding schools best illustrates an attempt at

1. relocation diffusion.
2. cultural pluralism.
3. cultural assimilation.
4. cultural diffusion.

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Option C is correct because the placement of American Indian children in boarding schools is an example of cultural assimilation, which is the adaptation of an individual or group to new cultural surroundings. Option A is incorrect because “relocation diffusion” refers to the spread of culture through the physical movement or migration of a people from one location to another. Option B is incorrect because the American Indian children are being taught to assimilate to American culture. They are not being allowed to simultaneously maintain their culture within the context of a new society. Option D is incorrect because “cultural diffusion” refers to the spread of culture among populations. The example of the Native American children in the boarding schools does not suggest that the two cultures are intermingling.

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13. Oil discoveries, such as the one at Spindletop in 1901, affected the development of Texas in which of the following ways?

1. The number of large corporations began to increase as petroleum-based products became popular.
2. The average employment wage began to fall because of the high demand for oil workers.
3. The federal funding for school systems and public services was reduced because of oil profits.
4. The size of the workforce began to decrease as migrant workers sought jobs outside the state.

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Option A is correct because with the discovery of oil at Spindletop in 1901, the Texas economy began to develop at an increasing rate. Companies began to search for more oil deposits, refineries began to process the crude oil and new petroleum-based products were developed by manufacturers. This led to the success of major corporations in Texas that are still in existence today. Option B is incorrect because the demand for oil workers did not have a significant effect on the wage of oil workers. Option C is incorrect because the funding of public school systems was not dependent on the oil profits made by private companies. Option D is incorrect because migrant workers more likely sought jobs within Texas because of the high demand for labor.

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Competency 006—(Social Studies Foundations and Skills): The teacher understands the foundations of social studies education and applies knowledge of skills used in the social sciences.

14. An engraving made by Paul Revere depicts British soldiers attacking unarmed colonists during the Boston Massacre. Which of the following best explains why some viewers might consider the engraving to be biased?

1. The engraving does not reflect other events of the American Revolution.
2. The event illustrated in the engraving reflects only one side of the story.
3. King George III reacted apologetically to the events depicted in the engraving.
4. Most colonists believed that the British troops had a right to protect themselves.

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Option B is correct because Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre depicts only one view of the event: the exact moment when British soldiers fired upon American colonists. The engraving was specifically tailored to promote the cause of achieving greater independence from colonial rule. Option A is incorrect because, although the engraving only depicts one event, this would not necessarily suggest bias. Option C is incorrect because King George III did not react apologetically. Option D is incorrect because there was not a popular belief that British troops had the right to protect themselves.

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