Praxis 5001 Elementary Mathematics Instruction 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student uses base-ten blocks to represent 347. How many tens blocks are needed?
- 3
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 7
- 34
Correct answer: 4
In 347, the digit 4 is in the tens place, so 4 tens blocks are needed to represent the tens value.
Question 2: Which strategy involves breaking apart numbers into friendlier parts to make addition easier?
- Standard algorithm
- Decomposition (Correct answer)
- Rounding to estimate
- Counting on
Correct answer: Decomposition
Decomposition (or 'breaking apart') splits numbers into parts (like tens and ones) to simplify mental addition.
Question 3: According to the Common Core, which concept should students understand about multiplication by the end of third grade?
- Multiplication as repeated addition and equal groups (Correct answer)
- Long multiplication with multi-digit numbers
- Multiplying fractions
- Prime factorization
Correct answer: Multiplication as repeated addition and equal groups
Third-grade standards focus on understanding multiplication as repeated addition and equal groups, building conceptual foundation before procedures.
Question 4: A teacher shows students that 4 × 7 = 7 × 4. This illustrates which property of multiplication?
- Associative property
- Distributive property
- Commutative property (Correct answer)
- Identity property
Correct answer: Commutative property
The commutative property states that the order of factors does not change the product: a × b = b × a.
Question 5: A student estimates 493 + 312 by rounding each number to the nearest hundred. What is the estimate?
- 700
- 800 (Correct answer)
- 750
- 900
Correct answer: 800
493 rounds to 500 and 312 rounds to 300; 500 + 300 = 800.
Question 6: Which model best helps students understand fractions as parts of a whole?
- Number line only
- Area model (like a circle or rectangle divided into equal parts) (Correct answer)
- Tally marks
- Place value chart
Correct answer: Area model (like a circle or rectangle divided into equal parts)
Area models like fraction circles or fraction bars visually divide a whole into equal parts, making the part-whole relationship concrete.
Praxis 5001 Elementary Mathematics Instruction 1
A student uses base-ten blocks to represent 347.
How many tens blocks are needed?