Study Guide

Field 012: Physical Education/Health/Safety 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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General Test Directions

This test consists of two sections: 1) a section with selected-response questions and 2) a constructed-response section.

Each question in the first section is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

The second section of this test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You will be asked to provide a written response to the assignment. Directions for completing your written response to the constructed-response assignment appear immediately before the assignment.

You may  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  use any type of calculator or reference materials during the test session.

Sample Selected-Response Questions

Competency 0001 
Demonstrate knowledge of the stages and characteristics of human growth and development.

1. The signs of a common childhood dietary deficiency include shortened attention span, limited ability to persevere in challenging academic tasks, and decreased overall cognitive performance. Which of the following nutritional problems is closely linked to these negative influences on learning?

  1. a low intake of fiber
  2. a vitamin A deficiency
  3. a high intake of protein
  4. an iron deficiency

Correct Response: D. Iron is a dietary mineral that is essential for various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood. It is vital for healthy brain development. Children are often at risk for iron deficiency primarily because as they grow, their increased need for iron may not be met through their diets. Without intervention, a child whose intake of iron is low will eventually develop iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include weakness, fatigue, problems with memory and thinking processes, decreased work and school performance, slow cognitive and social development during childhood, and decreased immune function.

Competency 0007 
Apply knowledge of principles, procedures, and activities for developing cardiovascular fitness.

2. A ninth grader who wishes to improve cardiorespiratory endurance and decrease body fat has devised a personal fitness plan. An excerpt of the fitness plan is shown below.

Fitness Plan

Frequency of Workout: 5 days per week

Intensity of Workout: moderate

Workout Components

  1. Warm-up (10 minutes): brisk walking or jogging in place followed by dynamic stretching
  2. Aerobic workout (at least 30 minutes): cycling or running
  3. Cool-down (10–15 minutes): walking or jogging followed by flexibility exercises

Which of the following changes would be most appropriate for increasing the effectiveness of this fitness plan in helping the student achieve his or her goals?

  1. stretching before, not after, the warm-up activity
  2. incorporating agility and power training into the aerobic portion of the workout
  3. increasing the frequency of the entire workout
  4. adding a resistance or weight training component two or three days per week

Correct Response: D. Adding a weight-bearing component to this personal fitness plan, in the form of body-support, resistance machine, or weight-lifting activities, will help the student increase muscle mass and decrease body fat. These types of strength training activities raise the body's basal metabolic rate, which allows the body to burn more calories during exercise and at rest, thus aiding in weight management. Engaging in this workout component two or three days per week will permit the student's muscles to rest, recover, and become stronger between workouts. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity will increase the student's cardiorespiratory capacity and stamina; dynamic stretching and other flexibility activities will improve the student's joint range of motion and posture; and resistance, body-support, or weight training activities will round out this personal fitness plan by enhancing the student's muscular strength and ability to burn fat efficiently, thereby improving body composition.

Competency 0008 
Apply knowledge of principles, procedures, and activities for promoting health-related muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.

3. In the exercise shown below, the student pushes his elbow toward his chest and holds the stretch for 15 seconds. This exercise targets which of the following muscles?

There is a frontal drawing of a person with his left arm extended horizontally across his chest and his right hand pressing his left elbow toward his chest.

  1. deltoid
  2. rotator cuff
  3. latissimus dorsi
  4. brachialis

Correct Response: A. The exercise shown in the diagram is known as a shoulder or deltoid stretch. In a deltoid stretch, the participant reaches one arm across the chest toward the opposite shoulder. The free hand is placed on the elbow and pulls it gently in toward the chest until a stretch in the side of the shoulder is felt. The stretch is then repeated on the other side. The lateral part of the deltoid muscle is mainly responsible for abducting the shoulder and arm (moving them away from the middle of the body to the side). The deltoids are used in conjunction with other muscles for many movements, such as throwing a ball or swinging a golf club or baseball bat. Performing deltoid stretches helps keep the shoulders flexible, which in turn helps prevent injuries associated with overuse or overextension of the joint and surrounding muscles.

Competency 0012 
Analyze principles and concepts of biomechanics and their applications to movement activities.

4. A physical education class is working on outdoor adventure activities that require understanding and application of static and dynamic balance skills (e.g., balancing on a small platform, walking across a log). Which of the following biomechanical concepts would be most important to introduce as part of this unit?

  1. center of gravity
  2. angular momentum
  3. torque
  4. centripetal force

Correct Response: A. It would be most appropriate to introduce the concept of center of gravity, as it is directly applicable to the balance skills being practiced by the class. Activities that allow students to explore the concept of center of gravity will help them learn about the effects of gravity on balance. One important concept to introduce is that the center of gravity occurs in the body at a point where weight is equally distributed on all sides. Base of support is another important concept related to center of gravity. When standing, increasing the distance between the feet increases one's base of support. The height of one's center of gravity above one's base of support affects balance and stability: lowering one's center of gravity by squatting down improves stability, and standing up straight, which raises one's center of gravity, decreases stability.

Competency 0013 
Apply knowledge of techniques, skills, activities, and safety practices for traditional and nontraditional team activities and sports.

5. The following goal is a primary aim of a middle school physical education program.

Appreciate the value of teamwork in group activities and apply cooperative skills during physical activities.

During a unit on volleyball, which of the following types of activities would be most effective for encouraging students to work toward this program goal?

  1. involving students in lead-up games in which the objective is to have each student serve as many times as possible
  2. encouraging students who are temporarily rotated out of games to support teammates with positive comments
  3. asking students to choose teammates and form their own teams at the beginning of each class period
  4. having students focus on passing and setting skills while playing their own positions in practice games

Correct Response: D. Passing and setting, as opposed to serving and spiking, are the elements of volleyball that require the most cooperation and communication between players. Emphasizing the importance of players' keeping to their own positions and maintaining frequent communication helps develop an overall sense of team dynamics and strategy among players and limits the inclination of players to act individually.

Competency 0019 
Apply knowledge of principles and strategies for conflict resolution and bullying and violence prevention.

6. In a school district, the elementary, middle, and high schools offer a coordinated, well-established conflict-resolution program. Having well-known and established procedures for conflict resolution helps prevent violence primarily by:

  1. increasing teachers' awareness of potential interpersonal conflicts between students.
  2. providing students with prevention strategies and defined alternatives to violence.
  3. rewarding students for engaging in nonviolent behavior.
  4. communicating clearly to students and staff that violence is unacceptable in all situations.

Correct Response: B. Having established routines for how to handle conflict demonstrates an understanding that some conflicts will naturally occur but can be managed in proactive, peaceful ways. Engaging students in role plays and other conflict-resolution activities that involve recognizing emotions, handling anger in appropriate ways, and using active listening and negotiation skills provides students with valuable practice in avoiding, preventing, and managing conflicts. Peer mediation programs, in which trained students facilitate resolving conflicts between two student disputants or small groups, have proven effective in changing the way students understand and resolve conflict in their lives. These activities and programs improve students' self-management, listening, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills, as well as improve school climate.

Competency 0022 
Analyze concepts, principles, and issues associated with environmental health.

7. Even small amounts of some environmental substances are dangerous to children because they tend to bioaccumulate in the human body, increasing in concentration over time. Some can cause neurophysical effects in children, including nervous system damage, liver and kidney damage, stomach and intestinal irritation, anemia, and migraines. Which of the following types of exposures is most closely associated with these characteristics and symptoms?

  1. exposure to hydrofluorocarbons used in aerosol products, refrigeration, air-conditioning, and the production of insulating foams
  2. exposure to ground-level ozone produced when air pollutants from automobile emissions and manufacturing operations interact with sunlight
  3. exposure to heavy metals via pathways such as food, ambient air, soil and dust, drinking water supplies, and contact with household items
  4. exposure to trace amounts of prescription drugs, including antiseizure and other psychiatric medications, found in streams, storm runoffs, and water supplies

Correct Response: C. Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic can occur via pathways such as food; air; soil and dust in agricultural, residential, and industrial settings; drinking water supplies; and contact with household items. Heavy metals become toxic when they are not metabolized or excreted by the body and accumulate in the soft tissues; they are especially dangerous for children's growing bodies because they target developing organs. Ingestion is a common route of exposure in children, who may develop toxic levels from normal hand-to-mouth activity while playing in contaminated soil, or by inhaling, tasting, or eating objects that contain heavy metals (e.g., paint chips, dirt, toys). Lead, a soft metal that was used in paint, pipes, and drains for many years, accounts for most cases of heavy metal poisoning in children. Children can be exposed to methylmercury by eating contaminated fish and shellfish. Mercury is also used in paint, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and many other industrial and household items.

Competency 0023 
Apply knowledge of the roles of community, private, and public services and agencies in supporting safe and healthy communities.

8. Which of the following tasks is a primary mission of the  U S  Food and Drug Administration ( F D A )?

  1. prohibiting and prosecuting "unfair or deceptive acts or practices" related to wholesale and retail sales and trade
  2. ensuring that pesticides used in agricultural food crops do not threaten domestic animals or endangered species
  3. pursuing food safety using a system of regulatory provisions and inspections "from farm to table" and for imported foods
  4. testing all ingredients in cosmetics and herbal products for safety and conformity with no-testing-on-animals regulations

Correct Response: C. The Food and Drug Administration (F D A) is the federal agency that is responsible for overseeing most of the U S food supply. A vital part of the F D A's mission and a primary task of F D A’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (C F S A N) is to protect public health by ensuring the safety and security of food through a system of regulatory provisions and inspections. C F S A N's responsibilities include establishing science-based standards for preventing foodborne illness and ensuring compliance with these standards; certifying the safety of food, food additives, and animal feed; protecting the food and feed supply from contamination; and ensuring that food labels are truthful and contain reliable information. The F D A Food Safety Modernization Act grants the F D A the authority to recall food products, calls for more frequent inspections of food facilities, and provides significant enhancements to the F D A's ability to oversee food produced in foreign countries and imported into the United States.

Competency 0025 
Apply knowledge of significant concepts, issues, trends, goals, and purposes associated with planning health and physical education programs.

9. Before the start of a school year, a health education teacher sends a notice home to the parents/guardians of students enrolled in a health class in which the topic of sexuality will be covered. The notice includes learning goals and objectives for the semester and briefly describes the lessons that will be presented to students. According to the Oklahoma School Code and the "Healthy Students Act of 2012," a parent/guardian who has a child enrolled in a class that covers sexual health education has the right to:

  1. exempt his or her child from such instruction.
  2. attend staff development programs for teachers who provide instruction related to sexual health.
  3. verify that no more than three hours of instructional time are devoted to sex education.
  4. review and amend sexual health education materials prior to their use in class.

Correct Response: A. The Oklahoma School Code provides parents/guardians with the right to exempt a student from a class or program in which sexual topics, behaviors, or attitudes are to be discussed. No student is required to participate in a sex education class or program if a parent/guardian of the student objects in writing to such participation.

Competency 0027 
Apply knowledge of how to use health and physical education assessment strategies to foster students' physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development.

10. A health education teacher relies largely on ongoing informal performance assessments to evaluate students' progress in class. To ensure that these performance assessments are useful to students, it is most important for the teacher to follow which of the following guidelines?

  1. Ensure that each student's assessment of his or her own performance is factored into any teacher assessment of performance.
  2. Provide students with highly specific and concrete feedback about both their strengths and areas needing improvement.
  3. Ensure that students are given prior notification about upcoming assessments and ample opportunity to prepare.
  4. Encourage each student to provide input with regard to selecting specific skills and activities to be assessed.

Correct Response: B. Students need detailed, constructive feedback in order to be able to accurately assess and understand for themselves both their progress and areas that require further work. Such feedback is critical in allowing students to recognize precisely what specific steps and strategies will best help them improve their future performance.