Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 249: Social Science: Sociology and Anthropology

Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."

The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Social Science Foundational Skills

Objective 0001—Understand basic sources, tools, and methods of social science inquiry and interdisciplinary connections among the social sciences.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics and uses of various types of source materials and tools of social science inquiry.
• Apply knowledge of the methods social scientists use to investigate and answer questions about the human experience and the methods and technologies used to gather and analyze social science data from multiple sources.
• Recognize appropriate research questions and apply knowledge of procedures for interpreting research results and for organizing and presenting research findings in an appropriate format.
• Apply knowledge of ethical practices for conducting research and interpreting findings.
• Apply knowledge of the structures, purposes, and methodologies within the social science disciplines.
• Analyze connections among history, geography, political science, economics, and the behavioral sciences; relationships between the social sciences and other learning areas; and interdisciplinary approaches to social science instruction.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students how to use basic sources, tools, and methods of social science inquiry and make connections among the social sciences and with other learning areas, including using grade-level-appropriate literature and resources, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0002—Understand the use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry and basic historical concepts.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the strengths and limitations of primary and secondary sources of evidence (e.g., documents, artifacts, Internet), the importance of using multiple credible sources before reaching a conclusion or making an interpretation, and how to assess the credibility and authority of sources and research findings.
• Distinguish between fact and conjecture, fact and interpretation, and evidence and assertion, and recognize the value of informed opinion based on systematic analysis of evidence.
• Recognize the complexity of causation, analyze cause-and-effect relationships, distinguish between causation and correlation, compare and contrast competing narratives and multiple perspectives, and critique conclusions.
• Identify the central concepts addressed in a narrative and draw inferences and summarize information from a variety of sources.
• Compare and contrast alternative interpretations and points of view in the social sciences.
• Apply knowledge of the tentative nature of interpretation in the social sciences, the role of culture in interpretation, and differences among perspectives in the social sciences.
• Interpret and evaluate information presented in various formats (e.g., maps, charts, tables, other graphic representations).
• Apply knowledge of basic historical concepts (e.g., chronological thinking, periodization, cause-and-effect relationships, historical succession and duration, patterns of continuity and change, historical context).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students how to use analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry, basic historical concepts, and major historical interpretations, including using grade-level-appropriate literature and resources, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0003—Understand the process of reading, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' reading development in the social science classroom.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the reading process (e.g., the construction of meaning through interactions between a reader's prior knowledge, information in the text, and the purpose of the reading situation), and apply knowledge of strategies for integrating the language arts into social science instruction to support students' reading and concept development (e.g., providing purposeful opportunities for students to read, write about, and discuss content in order to improve their understanding).
• Apply knowledge of strategies that foster reading in the social science classroom (e.g., incorporating relevant literature for adolescents in the curriculum; building and maintaining a classroom library; encouraging students' independent reading, research, and inquiry related to social science).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of vocabulary knowledge in supporting students' reading comprehension and concept development, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' discipline-specific vocabulary development (e.g., recognizing structural and/or meaning-based relationships between words, using context clues, distinguishing denotative and connotative meanings of words, interpreting idioms and figurative language, consulting specialized reference materials).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for preparing students to read text effectively and teaching and modeling the use of comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading, including strategies that promote close reading (e.g., breaking down complex sentences, monitoring for comprehension to correct confusions and misunderstandings that arise during reading).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for developing students' ability to comprehend and critically analyze discipline-specific texts, including recognizing organizational patterns unique to informational texts; using graphic organizers as an aid for analyzing and recalling information from texts; analyzing and summarizing an author's argument, claims, evidence, and point of view; evaluating the credibility of sources; and synthesizing multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for evaluating, selecting, modifying, and designing reading materials appropriate to the academic task and students' reading abilities (e.g., analyzing instructional materials in terms of readability, content, length, format, illustrations, and other pertinent factors).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for providing continuous monitoring of students' reading progress through observations, work samples, and various informal assessments and for differentiating social science instruction to address all students' assessed reading needs.

 

Subarea 2—Social Science Foundational Knowledge

Objective 0004—Understand political concepts, systems, features, and processes in the United States and other world areas.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of the basic functions of government and important concepts used in the study of government and politics (e.g., political socialization, representation, authority).
• Demonstrate knowledge of different types of political systems (e.g., democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, monarchy, totalitarianism), their characteristics, and their significance for different people and regions of the world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of constitutional government (e.g., separation of powers, checks and balances, individual rights, federalism), the historical development of constitutional government in the United States, the sources and functions of law, and the rule of law.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the organization and functions of government at the national, state, and local levels in the United States (e.g., roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; functions of and relationships between national, state, and local governments).
• Analyze how public policy is formulated and implemented in the United States at the local, state, and national levels; the public policy role of each branch of government; factors that influence public policy debates (e.g., interest groups, political parties, public opinion, mass media); public policy formation and implementation in other nations; and differing perspectives on public policy issues.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society (e.g., rights extended to U.S. citizens through the Bill of Rights and other amendments, role of the U.S. Supreme Court in defining and protecting rights, responsibilities of citizenship and their significance) and how to promote students' civic engagement and social responsibility.
• Analyze the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and various influences on U.S. foreign policy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the functions of major international organizations (e.g., UN, NATO, NGOs, trade alliances) and the influence of international organizations on world affairs.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about political concepts, systems, features, and processes in the United States and other regions of the world, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0005—Understand economic concepts and systems, the operation of the U.S. and world economies, and personal finance.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic economic concepts, terms, and theories (e.g., scarcity, opportunity cost, incentives, voluntary exchange, supply and demand theory, characteristics and functions of money, marginal analysis).
• Recognize and compare different types of economic systems (e.g., command, traditional, market, mixed), including factors that influence consumer and producer decisions (e.g., government roles and policies, values and beliefs) and the role of financial institutions in saving, borrowing, and investing in a market economy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the key components and operation of the U.S. economy (e.g., principles of free enterprise; competition; entrepreneurship; investment; roles of the federal government and the Federal Reserve System and effects of their policies; causes and effects of inflation and unemployment; relationships between households, firms, and government agencies).
• Apply knowledge of personal finance and consumer decision making (e.g., credit, budgeting, insurance, purchasing, influence of advertising) and how to promote students' financial literacy and consumer skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of international economic structures, processes, and relationships (e.g., specialization, globalization, comparative advantage, economic interdependence, free trade, trade incentives and disincentives, factors affecting economic growth and stability, global effects of resource supply and demand, international economic organizations).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about economic concepts and systems, the operation of the U.S. and world economies, and personal finance, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0006—Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in world history.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the progression from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural and industrial societies and the evolution and distinctive characteristics of major Asian, African, and American societies and cultures prior to 1500 CE.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development of ancient and classical civilizations of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe; their major achievements and legacies; and factors contributing to their historical changes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins, central ideas, and historical influences of major religious and philosophical traditions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation periods, including the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of each period.
• Demonstrate knowledge of political, religious, scientific, and industrial revolutions from 1450 to 1850 and how these revolutions contributed to social, political, economic, and cultural change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the culture and ideals of the modern world since the Age of Enlightenment and the origin and impact of capitalism and other economic systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth- and twentieth-century ideologies (e.g., liberalism, republicanism, socialism, Marxism, nationalism, communism, fascism, Nazism) and their global influence; and the causes, major events, and consequences of twentieth-century world wars, the Holocaust, and other examples of genocide.
• Analyze the origins and consequences of cultural encounters (e.g., exploration, imperialism, independence and decolonization); factors and contexts that influenced people's perspectives during different historical eras; the process of cultural diffusion; the effects of religious and ethnic diversity; and changing relations among social classes, ethnic groups, religious denominations, and genders.
• Demonstrate knowledge of environmental factors in human and technological development; the economic and environmental significance of technological changes; the influence of changes in transportation and communication on societies; and the effects of the globalization of the world economy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about major developments and patterns of continuity and change in different historical eras and regions of the world, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0007—Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the migration and settlement patterns of people moving to and within the United States from prehistory to the present and the interaction and contributions of various peoples in North America.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins and development of democracy in the United States, including political ideas that influenced the development of U.S. constitutional government, the evolution of the two-party system, and the development of government and political institutions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of U.S. foreign policy, relationships between foreign policy and domestic affairs, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and the role of the United States in world affairs (e.g., wars, trade, human rights, alliances, peacekeeping) in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
• Analyze the social, economic, and political tensions that led to various conflicts and examine the effects of these conflicts on the United States.
• Analyze causes and effects of major social, political, and economic policies and movements (e.g., abolition, woman's suffrage, immigration, labor, civil rights, Native American rights) in U.S. history.
• Analyze examples of continuity and change in U.S. society, culture, arts, literature, education, religion, and values.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development of the U.S. economy, including the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors; the relationship between geography and economic developments in the United States; and the changing role of corporations and labor.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of economic and technological change in the transformation of U.S. society, the impact of capitalism and urbanization, and the changing role of the U.S. economy within the global economy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0008—Understand tools, concepts, and processes of human and physical geography.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of geographic representations, tools, and technologies (e.g., mental and other maps, aerial photography, satellite images, geographic information system [GIS]) and their use in obtaining information about people, places, and environments; making decisions about location; forming public policy; posing and answering questions about spatial distributions and patterns; and solving problems.
• Analyze how culture, cultural change, experience, and technology influence human perceptions and use of places and regions and how places and regions serve as cultural symbols.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the human and physical characteristics of places and regions, the role of human and physical processes in creating different types of places and regions, the effects of changes in places and regions over time, and connections among places and regions.
• Analyze how physical processes and human activities influence spatial distributions, including world population trends, issues, and patterns; the effects of human migration on physical and human systems; and the influence of cooperation and conflict on spatial patterns.
• Analyze the role of science and technology in expanding the human capacity to modify physical and human environments; the functions and spatial arrangements of cities and other human environments; factors influencing spatial patterns and interactions within and among urban, suburban, and rural regions; changes affecting physical and human environments; and the global impact of human action on the physical environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes and effects of increased global interdependence, including how the spatial distribution of resources affects the location of economic activities and contributes to conflict and cooperation and how international economic issues, opportunities, and problems result from increased global interdependence.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about tools, concepts, and processes of human and physical geography, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0009—Understand concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, the study of cultures, the structure and organization of human societies, and the processes of social interaction.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic psychological concepts (e.g., cognition, development, personality, behavior); psychological perspectives and methods of inquiry; fundamental theories of learning, motivation, and development; cognitive, physiological, emotional, and motivational influences on behavior; and applications of psychological knowledge.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major theories of personality (e.g., psychoanalytic, trait, behaviorist, humanist, social-cognitive); types of psychological disorders; and the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral changes associated with different stages of life.
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic sociological and anthropological concepts (e.g., acculturation, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, institutions), sociological and anthropological perspectives, and methods of inquiry, and how to apply a behavioral science point of view to general social phenomena and specific social situations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of social organization in various time periods (e.g., ancient, preindustrial, industrial, postindustrial) and how social institutions (e.g., educational, religious), social relationships, social class, social customs, cultural values, and norms influence behavior and life decisions.
• Analyze how common values and beliefs develop within societies; the nature and significance of human unity and cultural diversity; and the roles of tradition, the arts, and social institutions in the development and transmission of culture.
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociological approaches to and perspectives on conformity and deviancy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, the study of cultures, the structure and organization of human societies, and the processes of social interaction, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 3—Sociology

Objective 0010—Understand basic sociological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic sociological terms and concepts (e.g., role, status, social class, conformity, deviance).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the sociological perspective and the relationship between sociology and other social sciences.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major theoretical perspectives in sociology (e.g., structural-functionalist, conflict, symbolic, interactionist).
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociological modes of inquiry (e.g., surveys, observations, experiments, content analysis) and their uses, advantages, and limitations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of social context or environment, the components that comprise social context, and the ways in which social context influences individuals and human behavior.
• Apply knowledge of how to use sociological concepts, theories, and modes of inquiry to examine persistent sociological issues and problems.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about basic sociological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry, including using grade-level appropriate literature and resources, sociology processes and skills, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0011—Understand concepts and processes related to culture, groups, institutions, and society.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of the major components of culture; how cultural influences (e.g., religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) contribute to a sense of self; and how ethnic, national, and cultural influences interact in relation to specific situations or events.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of groups and the relationships between groups, individuals, and society, including the distinction between in-groups and out-groups and the role of groups in shaping norms.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the various forms of social institutions; the functions of institutions in society; the role of institutions in influencing both continuity and change; relationships between social institutions; and how institutions, social structures, and cultures develop and change over time.
• Analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and elements of culture; how various types of behavior (e.g., stereotyping, conformity, altruism) affect individuals and groups; and how groups and institutions meet individual needs and influence and/or promote the common good in contemporary and historical settings.
• Analyze how science and technology influence societal values, beliefs, and attitudes; how societal attitudes shape scientific and technological change; and how scientific and technological change lead to societal change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the formation, types, and stages of social movements and related sociological theories.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about culture, groups, institutions, and society, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level appropriate literature and resources; sociology processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0012—Understand social relationships and processes related to socialization, social stratification and inequality, and cultural conformity and deviance.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of socialization processes, including agents of socialization (e.g., family, peers, institutions, media) and their influence, and how identity is constructed through relationships between individuals, groups, and society as a whole.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of role, status, and social class and how to use these concepts to explore connections and interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions in society.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how social class, group relations, gender, race, ethnicity, and age relate to social inequalities, including the influence of these and other factors on the opportunities available to individuals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of patterns of social inequality (e.g., inequality in relation to poverty, employment, education, protection of law) and the nature, causes, and effects of social inequality, social stratification, discrimination, and social mobility for groups and individuals.
• Analyze how group membership and identity can contribute to, create, and reinforce social stratification and how the distribution of power and inequalities can result in conflict.
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociological explanations of deviance, agents and methods of social control, examples of tensions between expressions of individuality and efforts by groups and institutions (e.g., family, religion, government, education, economics) to promote social conformity, and relationships between inequality and deviance.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about social relationships, socialization, social stratification and inequality, and cultural conformity and deviance, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level appropriate literature and resources; sociology processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 4—Anthropology

Objective 0013—Understand basic anthropological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic anthropological terms and concepts (e.g., cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, cultural diffusion).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the comparative nature of anthropology and the relationship between anthropology and other social sciences.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the major branches of anthropology (e.g., ethnology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, physical/biological anthropology), their perspectives, and the topics and types of questions each branch explores.
• Demonstrate knowledge of modes of inquiry used by anthropologists to conduct research (e.g., analysis of excavated material remains, DNA analysis, direct participation in and observation of a group's daily life) and ethical issues associated with the practice of anthropological research.
• Apply knowledge of how to use anthropological ideas, theories, and modes of inquiry to examine social change, conflict, and other persistent issues and social problems (e.g., environmental degradation, migrations across national borders).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about basic anthropological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry, including using grade-level appropriate literature and resources, anthropology processes and skills, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0014—Understand patterns and processes related to human unity and diversity, culture, and cultural evolution and change.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the anthropological focus on human unity and cultural diversity within and across groups; similarities and differences among peoples from around the world; and how human diversity is affected by local, national, regional, and global patterns (e.g., human migration, cultural diffusion).
• Demonstrate knowledge of culture as an integrated system, ways in which cultures address human needs and concerns, and specific cultural responses to persistent human issues.
• Analyze the role of traditions, beliefs, values, language, literature, the arts, and social institutions in preserving and transmitting culture and how cultures adapt to environmental and social change.
• Analyze the ways in which cultures determine groupings (e.g., age, class) and organize families and kinship.
• Demonstrate knowledge of cultural developments among prehistoric people, the development of ancient civilizations, and the influence of ancient civilizations on modern cultures.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about human unity and diversity, culture, and cultural evolution and change, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level appropriate literature and resources; anthropology processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0015—Understand the construction of individual identity, boundaries between human groups, and global connections.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the dynamic nature of individual identity and the social and cultural processes by which individuals take on gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and other identities (e.g., adulthood) over the course of their lives.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ways in which various factors (e.g., culture, religion, environment, technology) influence personality and behavior.
• Apply knowledge of the nature of boundaries between human groups; how people draw boundaries based on language, religion, gender, and other factors; and the effects of boundaries within and between societies (e.g., nationalism; preservation of culture; identity; exclusion; power and status differences; racial, ethnic, and religious conflict).
• Analyze values, attitudes, cultural assumptions, and behavior patterns that cause obstacles to cross-cultural understanding; how people from diverse cultures and frames of reference can interpret information and experiences differently; and the manifestations and consequences of ethnocentrism in an interconnected world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of changing connections among peoples from around the world; the global movement of people, ideas, and goods; and the causes and consequences of globalization, including cultural homogenization.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how local actions can influence or promote global responses.
• Analyze how global patterns and processes can affect local actions and global and local perspectives on important world issues (e.g., global warming, wars, human rights versus local cultural rights).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about the construction of individual identity, boundaries between human groups, and global connections, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level appropriate literature and resources; anthropology processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

---