As our social science for teachers major is being phased out, it looks like we won't need an assessment exam in the social sciences. Still, I'd like to get a sense of where your students stand in disciplines other than history. In 2008, More than 14,000 college students took a "Civil Literacy" test sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. According to ISI, students didn't do so well. The average college freshman got about 50% of the questions right. Seniors did only a bit better, averaging 54% on the quiz. Harvard seniors were the nation's best, averaging 69% on the survey. Can you do better? Take the quiz at the link below and find out! Did you do better than the average freshman? Better than the average senior? Better than the average Harvard student? Better than Harry the talking hand? (Harry got 58/60 right, as did Professor Jon Schaff). What do you think of the quiz? Is this stuff students should really know, or does it seem like trivial pursuit? You can post your score here along with your comments on the exam or you can e-mail me you score separately.
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx
You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %
ReplyDeleteYou can consult the following table to see how citizens and elected officials scored on each question.
I thought the quiz was definitely college level. I know Had I taken the quiz a couple years ago, before I became a social science major, I wouldn't have done so well. Found it funny that only 4 questions did the knowledge gap tip in favor of the elected officials. 4 of the lowest answered correctly by either group, I might add, 2 questions involved Lincoln.
You answered 28 out of 33 correctly — 84.85 %
ReplyDeleteI actually should have done better than I did. I was kicking myself for the questions that I got wrong. But I believe that this test is what students should know. Especially anything dealing with the Constitution or some of those earlier documents in our country's history. However, without having taken both American history and political science courses I know I would have been in trouble.
My score was 25 out of 33 75% .I botched a few easy ones but answered most of the budget or economics questions wrong.
ReplyDeleteI thought the test was good though, some of the questions would have been tricky if you did not take a Government class to learn that we get our stance on church and state from a personal letter from Jefferson. I think that most of these are questions that a senior should be able to answer.
I got 24 out of 33 for a 72%. I made all of the easy ones some of the economic questions I had problems with.
ReplyDeleteThe test was good but some questions were hard or I found worded a little tricky. And like Baker said if you had not taken a government class or an economics class you would have a hard time with a lot of the questions. I think that a senior should be able to get at least a passing grade on this quiz over all.
ReplyDeleteYou answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %
If you have any comments or questions about the quiz, please email americancivicliteracy@isi.org.
You can consult the following table to see how citizens and elected officials scored on each question.
Incorrect Answers
Question: International trade and specialization most often lead to which of the following?
Your Answer: an increase in a nation’s import tariffs
Correct Answer: an increase in a nation’s productivity
Question: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that:
Your Answer: all moral and political truth is relative to one’s time and place
Correct Answer: certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason
Question: The phrase that in America there should be a “wall of separation” between church and state appears in:
Your Answer: the Constitution
Correct Answer: Thomas Jefferson’s letters
Question: Which of the following fiscal policy combinations has the federal government most often followed to stimulate economic activity when the economy is in a severe recession?
Your Answer: increasing taxes and decreasing spending
Correct Answer: decreasing taxes and increasing spending
You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %
ReplyDeleteSome of the economic or other questions were wordy and involved a little more thought. But, material they went threw is very important and tests one what they know about their country. A lot of the questions brought up facts that affect us directly now days, so it was interesting for the ones they picked.