• ATexas Three Step...?
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    There are easy questions and there are hard questions.  An easy question is a Two Step question.  The student reads the question and then either finds the definition asked for or identifies the person or concept associated with the question.  Like a Texas Two Step, there aren’t many steps necessary to answer the question.  
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      In fact, the answers to these Two Step questions are so obvious and easy that they require little thought. 
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    The following question is an example of a two step question:

    The unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck demonstrates the

    (1) influence of Marxist ideology

    (2) impact of nationalism

    (3) force of civil disobedience
    (4) power of democratic ideals

     Footprints

    First Step:

      Read the question.

     Reading

    Second Step:

      Make the connection:

         Otto von Bismarck à Nationalism

    Easy!  Just like dancing…Dancing
     
      But a Three Step Question can send Fear into the Hearts of even the Most Intrepid Students!
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    The following question is an example of a three step question:

    What was a result of the Industrial Revolution in Europe?

    (1) the growth of the middle class

    (2) an increase in nomadic herding

    (3) a decline in urban population

    (4) a decrease in international trade

    The First Step:

        Read the question.
    Reading

     The Second Step:

          Think about the question’s “big” idea…

                     Hmmm…The Industrial Revolution…

    ·       Machines and factories to produce goods

    ·       Faster production
    ·       More goods at lower prices

    ·       Standard of living increases

    ·       Need for factory managers

    ·       Capital and skills are important
    ·       Skilled workers and managers receive higher salaries than factory workers

    ·       This leads to the growth of the middle class

    ·       The Middle Class is the social class between the upper classes and the working classes
    Factory Worker

    The Third Step: Find the answer

                 After much thinking, the answer is the growth of the middle class.
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                  However, if the student is still lost after thinking, the student must use P.O.E. or Process of Elimination.

    ·       The answer cannot be the growth of nomadic herding because nomads and herders have nothing to do with factories.

    ·       The answer cannot be a decline in urban population because the growth of cities due to factories leads to an increase in urban population.

    ·       The answer cannot be a decrease in international trade because with increased production comes increased opportunities for trade.
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     Therefore, with deep thinking and P.O.E. (Process of Elimination), the answer is found.
    Student
      A Three Step question is much harder to answer but a Three Step question respects your intelligence.  You are a smart thinker and some questions should challenge your thinking ability.  Remember the more you practice smart questions, the smarter you become.
    Students
    So, on this page, Three Step questions will be posted to allow students opportunities to practice these thinking questions.  As Sandy Koufax once said, “People who write about spring training not being necessary have never tried to throw a baseball.”  And as every test taker knows, people who say that practicing is not necessary have rarely achieved the results they wanted.  But with practice, mastery is possible.
    Baseball 

    So, let’s try some more Three Step questions:

    Which change to Christian church practice was suggested by Martin Luther?

    (1) increasing the sale of indulgences

    (2) installing statues of saints in churches

    (3) saying the mass in Latin so the faithful would learn it

    (4) printing the Bible in the vernacular so all could read it
     

    The First Step:

        Read the question.
    Reading

    The Second Step:

          Think about the question’s “big” idea…

                Hmmm…Martin Luther…
    Martin Luther

    ·       An important person of the Protestant Reformation

    ·       Protesting against the Roman Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences or pardons for sins

    ·       Challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church

    ·       Believed that only through faith alone could a person be saved

    ·       Believed that the Bible was the authority as opposed to the Roman Catholic Pope

    ·       Due to the importance of the Bible, individuals had to read the Bible

    ·       Since Latin was no longer the living language of the people, Luther believed that the Bible had to be written in the vernacular or the language of the people
    Happy Face
     

    Third Step: Find the Answer

              After much thinking, the answer is printing the Bible in the vernacular so that all could read it.

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    However, if the student is still lost after thinking, the student must use P.O.E. or Process of Elimination.
     

    ·       The answer cannot be increasing the sale of indulgences because Luther was opposed to or against the sale of indulgences.

    ·       The answer cannot be installing statues of saints in churches because Luther believed in faith in God alone.

    ·       The answer cannot be saying the mass in Latin so the faithful would learn it because Luther believed that the faithful needed to hear religious sermons in the languages they spoke or the vernacular.
    Winner with MoneyNow, let's practice with a series of ten question quizzes of the most challenging questions from the Global History and Geography Regents: