1. Which one of the following is the most accurate statement about group differences among students?
a. When we have knowledge about typical group differences, we have a very good idea of how individual students are likely to perform in the classroom.
b. We can make fairly accurate predictions about individual students when we know their gender, but not when we know their ethnic background.
c. We can make fairly accurate predictions about individual students when we know their ethnic background, but not when we know their gender.
d. The average for two groups may be different, but variability within each group keeps us from predicting individual performance.
2. Ten-year-old Svana has recently immigrated from Iceland to the United States. If we say that Svana is undergoing acculturation, we mean that she is:
a. refusing to speak any English at school.
b. afraid to engage in social activities with her American peers.
c. adopting some American behaviors and attitudes.
d. maintaining all of the customs of her homeland.
3. Three of the following are likely to give you reasonable clues about a student's cultural background and/or ethnic group membership. Which one is probably least dependable as an indicator of a student's cultural background and ethnicity?
a. the color of a student's skin
b. what language is most often spoken at home
c. the ethnicity of the student's parents
d. the cultural and religious activities in which a student regularly participates
4. Which one of the following is the best example of playing the dozens?
a. Jameel says to Ronald, "Your momma's so fat her picture takes two frames." Ronald responds, "Yeah? Well, your momma's so fat it took three cows to make her a pair of shoes."
b. Helena tells her friend Mary that Wendy has been saying unkind things behind Mary's back. She then goes to Wendy and tells her that Mary has been saying unkind things behind her back.
c. Tariq devoutly follows Muslim practices (e.g., praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan) on weekends and school holidays, but he tries to behave as his American classmates do on days when he attends school.
d. When Alegria finishes her own classwork, she goes to the assistance of classmates who appear to be struggling with theirs.
5. A student says to you, "My momma, she be singin' all da time." This student appears to:
a. have a speech disorder that sometimes results from environmental toxins (e.g., lead-based paint).
b. have had little exposure to language during a critical period in her language development.
c. be using African American English, a dialect with some grammatical constructions different from those of Standard English.
d. have grown up in Northern Ireland and so is using idioms typical of that country.