Study Guide

Field 112: 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 that includes two writing assignments.

Each question in the first section of this test is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question 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 two constructed-response assignments. You will be asked to provide a written response to each assignment. Directions for completing your written responses to the constructed-response assignments will appear immediately before the assignments.

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. The human body needs iron to create hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen throughout the body. An insufficient amount of iron therefore can result in a variety of symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. All of these symptoms negatively impact attention span, perseverance in challenging tasks, and overall cognitive performance.

Competency 0002 
Apply knowledge of the structures, functions, and interactions of human body systems.

2.  start bold Use the information below to answer the question that follows. end bold 

A ninth-grade student 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 their 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. Lifting weights and resistance training—working against body weight in exercises like push-ups—build muscle, and studies show they also help burn fat. Such training will do little to improve the student's cardiorespiratory endurance, but the fitness plan already includes brisk walking, jogging in place, and an aerobic workout, which will improve cardiorespiratory endurance and decrease body fat.

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

3.  start bold Use the graph below to answer the question that follows. end bold 

A person stands up straight with legs about shoulder width apart. The person's right elbow is bent about 45 degrees and the right hand holds the left arm just above the left elbow. The left arm is extended across the body, against the chest, and held in place by the right hand.

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

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

Correct Response: A. The deltoid is a large, triangular-shaped muscle that lies over the ball and socket joint of the shoulder and forms its rounded contour. In the stretch shown, the rear part (posterior) of the deltoid muscle is stretched.

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. Gravity refers to the downward pull that the earth exerts on all objects. A person's center of gravity is the point where the mass of the body—the total amount of physical material that comprises the body—is equally balanced. Static and dynamic balancing requires the body's mass to be equally balanced in whatever position the body is in.

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 within their own space in practice games

Correct Response: D. In volleyball, setting refers to setting up a teammate with a pass that the teammate then strikes over the net. Passing is a fundamental component of many team sports. Students will better understand the value of teamwork by passing to their volleyball teammates. Playing within their own space, rather than playing out of position, will likely enhance their cooperative skills.

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 a clearly defined conflict-resolution program will ensure that students know violence is unacceptable and provide them with tools to help prevent violence and address conflict when it arises. Without such a well-established plan, students are less likely to be able to help prevent and find alternatives to violence.

Competency 0022 
Demonstrate knowledge of 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. Heavy metals are naturally existing elements that are used in many industries and in homes, which means they are widely distributed in the environment. Most heavy metals are toxic to the human body, and health consequences of exposure to them is more severe in children than in adults. People can be exposed to heavy metals in many ways, including ingestion and inhalation. Exposure to heavy metals such as lead and mercury can lead to a wide variety of harmful consequences in children, including neurocognitive disorders, behavioral disorders, respiratory problems, nervous system damage, liver and kidney damage, stomach and intestinal irritation, anemia, and migraines.

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 U S Food and Drug Administration (F D A) is a federal agency whose stated mission includes "… ensuring the safety of our nation's food supply …." It is a regulatory agency that inspects domestic and imported foods.

Credit: [Public Domain] Food and Drug Administration. FDA Mission. Current as of 03/28/2018. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/what-we-do#mission

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 educator 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, a parent/guardian who has a child enrolled in a class that covers sexual health education has the right to:

  1. exempt their 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. provide alternative curriculum materials for use by the teacher with the student in class.

Correct Response: A. Section 429(A) of the Oklahoma School Code states that no student is required to participate "in a sex education class or program which discusses sexual behavior or attitudes if a parent or guardian of the student objects in writing to such participation."

Credit: https://www.ossba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/law_book_2022.pdf

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 educator relies largely on ongoing informal performance assessments to evaluate students' progress in class. To ensure that these performance assessments are useful to students, the teacher should follow which of the following guidelines?

  1. Ensure that each student's assessment of their 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. Ongoing informal performance assessments are formative assessments. The goal of formative assessment is to provide clear feedback to students while they are in the process of learning. Providing clear feedback to students about their strengths and areas that need improvement is useful in guiding the students' progress.