Mastering WGU D681 – Elementary Social Studies Methods

Mastering WGU D681 – Elementary Social Studies Methods

Introduction

WGU D681 – Elementary Social Studies Methods focuses on teaching social studies in elementary classrooms. Searching for “WGU D681 tips,” “how to pass WGU D681,” or “WGU D681 Reddit”? This guide provides resources, strategies, and student insights to succeed.

Course Description

D681 covers instructional methods for teaching history, geography, and civics, emphasizing NCSS standards and student engagement. Students design lessons to foster critical thinking, preparing for teaching roles. See the WGU Education Program Guide.

Useful Resources & Tips

Student-recommended resources:

  • WGU Materials: Use NCSS-aligned lesson templates.
  • Reddit (r/WGU): Find D681 tips in education threads. Visit r/WGU.
  • NCSS: Explore social studies teaching strategies.
  • YouTube: Watch Teach Like a Champion for teaching techniques.
  • Studocu: Reference D681 lesson plan samples.
  • WGU Cohorts: Join for peer and instructor support.

Mode of Assessment

D681 is a Performance Assessment (PA) requiring social studies lesson plans and a reflective report. No Objective Assessment (OA).

Common Challenges

Reported issues:

  • Designing engaging social studies lessons.
  • Aligning with NCSS standards.
  • Meeting rubric requirements for reports.
  • Managing time for lesson planning.

How to Pass Easily

Strategies for D681:

  1. Study the Rubric: Align lessons with PA requirements.
  2. Explore NCSS: Review standards for social studies.
  3. Use Templates: Reference WGU or Studocu lesson plans.
  4. Watch Tutorials: Learn from Teach Like a Champion videos.
  5. Seek Feedback: Submit drafts to instructors early.

Conclusion

WGU D681 – Elementary Social Studies Methods enhances teaching skills. With resources and focus, you’ll pass confidently. See WGU course guides for more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WGU D681 hard?

D681 is manageable with teaching method practice and rubric focus.

How long does WGU D681 take?

Typically 3–5 weeks, depending on teaching experience.

Is WGU D681 an OA or PA?

It’s a Performance Assessment (PA) with lesson plans and reports.

What are the key topics on the exam?

Social studies instruction, NCSS alignment, and student engagement.

What’s the best way to study for WGU D681?

Use WGU materials, explore NCSS, follow the rubric, and join cohorts.

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Question 1

Question #1 CF is the new controller for the consumer division of ABC company. In the past five years, ABC?s earnings have grown by at least 15% annually, with the consumer division?s earnings growing by over 20% annually over the same time-period. In the 4th quarter of the current year, however, it is projected that consumer?s income will grow by 8% and ABC?s will grow by 10%. ML, consumer division?s president, wants CF to take some of the following ?end of the year? actions in order to improve consumer?s reported earnings. Under the previous controller, these types of actions were more or less taken as acceptable practices. 1) Deferring routine monthly maintenance on equipment by an outside vendor until January. 2) Extending the close of the fiscal year beyond December 31 so that some sales from next year are counted in the current fiscal year. 3) Altering dates on shipping documents so that sales made in January of the next year appear to have occurred in December of the current year. 4) Giving salespeople a double bonus to exceed December targets. 5) Reducing the number of December advertising spots and increasing the number to be run in January. 6) Deferring advertising costs by asking the outside advertising agency to delay sending out bills for December advertisements until January or by having the agency indicate that advertisements run in December were run in January. 7) Persuading customers to accept merchandise for shipment in December that they would normally not order until the following year. a) Classify each of these possible actions as ?acceptable? or ?unacceptable? according to the IMA Standards of Ethical Behavior for Practitioners of Management Accounting and Financial Management. Be sure to justify / explain your classifications. b) What should CF do if ML suggests that these actions are taken in every division of ABC and that the consumer division will be greatly harmed if its results are not portrayed in the it does not present ?better? results than 8% growth? Question #2 Consider the following information, prepared based on a capacity of 40,000 units: Category Cost per Unit Variable manufacturing costs $5.00 Fixed manufacturing costs $1.50 Variable marketing costs $1.00 Fixed marketing costs $0.50 Capacity cannot be added in the short run and the firm currently sells the product for $10 per unit. Consider each of these scenarios independent of each other. a) The company is currently producing 30,000 units per month. A potential customer has contacted the firm and offered to purchase 10,000 units this month only. The customer is willing to pay $5.50 per unit. Since the potential customer approached the firm, there will be no variable marketing costs incurred. Should the company accept the special order? Why or why not? Be specific. b) Assume the same facts as in part a, except that the company is producing 40,000 units per month. Should the company accept the special order? Why or why not? Be specific. c) List and describe other factors should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to accept a special order? Be specific in your responses.

Question 2

Turn in Part 3 of the project The third and final part of this project,will be a PowerPoint presentation with voiceover. You will, in essence, be making a presentation to the Board of Directors of your organization. 1. Begin with a brief review of the performance evaluation, organizational problem, and decision alternatives. Again, be sure to include the proper data (financial and/or nonfinancial) to support the validity of the problem and the appropriateness of the identified decision alternatives. Keep in mind that the members of the board may or may not have read the report you completed in Parts 1 and 2 of the project. So while brief, your presentation should include all essential information and data. 2. Continue with a discussion of 2-3 potential biases that could potentially color the outcome of the decision making process related to the organizational problem, and which decision alternatives would be most affected by these biases. This aspect of the presentation is very important in assuring that the Board not only has the information, but also the proper perspective they need to make the right decision. 3. Conclude your presentation with a personal recommendation as to which decision alternative you feel would best benefit the organization. Discuss why you feel that decision alternative would be most appropriate, and what changes you anticipate will result. The PowerPoint presentation should include 15 ? 20 slides. The presentation itself (voiceover) should be 8-10 minutes long.,I cannot download the attachment.

Question 3

1. Analyze Aspen Ski Company, using ratio analysis. Compute the ratios above for Aspen and compare them to the industry data that is given. Discuss the weak points, strong points, and what you think should be done to improve the company?s performance 2. In your analysis, calculate the overall break-even point in sales dollars and the cash break-even point. Also compute the degree of operating leverage, degree of financial leverage, and degree of combined leverage. 3. Use the information in parts a and b to discuss the risk associated with this company. Given the risk, decide whether a bank should loan funds to Aspen Ski. Aspen Ski Company is trying to plan the funds needed for 2009. The management anticipates an increase in sales of 20 percent, which can be absorbed without increasing fixed assets. 4. What would be Aspen?s needs for external funds based on the current balance sheet? Compute RNF (required new funds). Notes payable (current) are not part of the liability calculation. 5. What would be the required new funds if the company brings its ratios into line with the industry average during 2009? Specifically examine receivables turn- over, inventory turnover, and the profit margin. Use the new values to recompute the factors in RNF (assume liabilities stay the same). 6. Do not calculate, only comment on these questions. How would required new funds change if the company: a. Were at full capacity? b. Raised the dividend payout ratio? c. Suffered a decreased growth in sales? d. Faced an accelerated inflation rate? (as cited in Block, Hirt, & Danielsen, 2009, p. 149)

Question 4

Entries for bonds payable and installment note transaction The following transactions were completed by Wilkerson Inc., whose fiscal year is the calender year: 2012 July 1. Issued $42000,000 of 10-year, 13% callable bonds dated July 1, 2012, at a market (effective) rate of 10%, receiving cash of $49,851,213. Interest is payable semiannually on december 31 and June 30. Oct. 1. Borrowed $510,000 as a six-year, 9% installment note from Challenger Bank. The note requires annual payments of $113,689, with the first payment occurring on September 30, 2013 Dec. 31. Accrued $11,475 of interest on the installment note. The interest is payable on the date of the installment note payment 31. Paid the semiannual interest on the bonds. The bonds discount is amortized annually in a separate journal entry. 31. Recorded bond premium amortization of $392,561, which was determined using the straight-line method. 31. closed the interest expense account. 2013 June 30. Paid the semiannual interest on the bonds Sept. 30. Paid the annual payment on the note, which consisted of interest of $45,900 and principal of $67,789 Dec. 31. Accrued $9,950 of interest on the installment note. The interest is payable on the date of the next installment note payment. Dec. 31. Paid the semiannual interest on the bonds. The bond discount is amortized annually in a separate journal entry. 31. Recorded bond premium amortization of $785,122, which was determined using the straight-line method. 31. Closed the interest expense account. 2014 June 30. Recorded the redemption of the bonds, which were called at 102. The balance in the bond premium account is $6,280,969 after payment of interest and amortization of premium have been recorded. (record the redemption only.) Sept. 30. Paid the second annual payment on the note, which consisted of interest of $39,799 and principal of $73,890.,let me no if it opens,try now,did it open,ok try this one

Question 5

ok I will increase the amt and due date time, but I really would like it before this requested time u want me to change it to. There are 20 questions. Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. Which one of the following statements is most CORRECT? a. Very few projects actually have real options. They are theoretically interesting but of little practical importance. b. Real options change the risk, but not the size, of projects' expected NPVs. c. Real options are more valuable when there is very little uncertainty about the true values of future sales and costs. d. Real options change the size, but not the risk, of projects' expected NPVs. e. Real options can reduce the cost of capital that should be used to discount a project's expected cash flows. ____ 2. Lindley Corp. is considering a new product that would require an investment of $10 million now, at t = 0. If the new product is well received, then the project would produce after-tax cash flows of $5 million at the end of each of the next 3 years (t = 1, 2, 3), but if the market does not like the product, then the cash flows would be only $2 million per year. There is a 50% probability that the market will be good. The firm could delay the project for a year while it conducts a test to determine if demand is likely to be strong or weak. The project's cost and expected annual cash flows would be the same whether the project is delayed or not. The project's WACC is 13.0%. What is the value (in thousands) of the project after considering the investment timing option? a. $839 b. $799 c. $703 d. $655 e. $607 ____ 3. Carlson Inc. is evaluating a project in India that would require a $6.2 million investment today (t = 0). The after-tax cash flows would depend on whether India imposes a new property tax. There is a 50-50 chance that the tax will pass, in which case the project will produce after-tax cash flows of $1,350,000 at the end of each of the next 5 years. If the tax doesn't pass, the after-tax cash flows will be $2,000,000 for 5 years. The project has a WACC of 12.9%. The firm would have the option to abandon the project 1 year from now, and if it is abandoned, the firm would receive the expected $1.35 million cash flow at t = 1 and would also sell the property for $4.75 million at t = 1. If the project is abandoned, the company would receive no further cash inflows from it. What is the difference (in thousands) in the NPVs of this project with and without the abandonment option? a. $270 b. $322 c. $302 d. $379 e. $399 Norris Production Company (NPC) is considering a project that has an up-front cost at t = 0 of $2,500. (All dollars in this problem are in thousands.) The project's subsequent cash flows are critically dependent on whether a competitor's product is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. If the FDA rejects the competitive product, NPC's product will have high sales and cash flows, but if the competitive product is approved, that will negatively impact NPC. There is a 75% chance that the competitive product will be rejected, in which case NPC's expected cash flows will be $750 at the end of each of the next seven years (t = 1 to 7). There is a 25% chance that the competitor's product will be approved, in which case the expected cash flows will be only $50 at the end of each of the next seven years (t = 1 to 7). NPC will know for sure one year from today whether the competitor's product has been approved. NPC is considering whether to make the investment today or to wait a year to find out about the FDA's decision. If it waits a year, the project's up-front cost at t = 1 will remain at $2,500, the subsequent cash flows will remain at $750 per year if the competitor's product is rejected and $50 per year if the alternative product is approved. However, if NPC decides to wait, the subsequent cash flows will be received only for six years (t = 2 ... 7). In addition, once NPC knows the outcome of the FDA's decision, it will not take on the project if its NPV is negative. ____ 4. This is a risky project, so a WACC of 16.0% is to be used. If NPC chooses to wait a year before proceeding, how much will this increase or decrease the project's expected NPV in today's dollars? (Hint: Find the NPV for "go now" and for "wait," then discount the wait-NPV back for one year since it will occur one year later, and then find the difference between the two NPVs.) a. $435.28 b. $351.71 c. $302.96 d. $348.22 e. $282.06 ____ 5. Which of the following statements best describes the optimal capital structure? a. The optimal capital structure is the mix of debt, equity, and preferred stock that maximizes the company's earnings per share (EPS). b. The optimal capital structure is the mix of debt, equity, and preferred stock that maximizes the company's stock price. c. The optimal capital structure is the mix of debt, equity, and preferred stock that minimizes the company's cost of equity. d. The optimal capital structure is the mix of debt, equity, and preferred stock that minimizes the company's cost of debt. e. The optimal capital structure is the mix of debt, equity, and preferred stock that minimizes the company's cost of preferred stock. ____ 6. Which of the following events is likely to encourage a company to raise its target debt ratio, other things held constant? a. An increase in the corporate tax rate. b. An increase in the personal tax rate. c. An increase in the company's operating leverage. d. The Federal Reserve tightens interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. e. The company's stock price hits a new high. ____ 7. Which of the following would tend to increase a firm's target debt ratio, other things held constant? a. The costs associated with filing for bankruptcy increase. b. The corporate tax rate is increased. c. The personal tax rate is increased. d. The Federal Reserve tightens interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. e. The company's stock price hits a new low. ____ 8. Your firm is currently 100% equity financed. The CFO is considering a recapitalization plan under which the firm would issue long-term debt with a yield of 9% and use the proceeds to repurchase some of its common stock. The recapitalization would not change the company's total assets, nor would it affect the firm's basic earning power, which is 15%. The CFO believes that this recapitalization would reduce the firm's WACC and increase its stock price. Which of the following would be likely to occur if the company goes ahead with the recapitalization plan? a. The company's net income would increase. b. The company's earnings per share would decline. c. The company's cost of equity would increase. d. The company's ROA would increase. e. The company's ROE would decline. ____ 9. Your firm has $500 million of total assets, its basic earning power is 15%, and it currently has no debt in its capital structure. The CFO is contemplating a recapitalization where it would issue debt at a cost of 10% and use the proceeds to buy back some of its common stock, paying book value. If the company goes ahead with the recapitalization, its operating income, total assets, and tax rate would remain unchanged. Which of the following is most likely to occur as a result of the recapitalization? a. The ROA would increase. b. The ROA would remain unchanged. c. The basic earning power ratio would decline. d. The basic earning power ratio would increase. e. The ROE would increase. ____ 10. Companies HD and LD have the same total assets, operating income (EBIT), tax rate, and business risk. Company HD, however, has a much higher debt ratio than LD. Also, both companies' basic earning power (BEP) ratios exceed their cost of debt (r). Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. HD should have a higher return on assets (ROA) than LD. b. HD should have a higher times interest earned (TIE) ratio than LD. c. HD should have a higher return on equity (ROE) than LD, but its risk, as measured by the standard deviation of ROE, should also be higher than LD's. d. Given that BEP > r, HD's stock price must exceed that of LD. e. Given that BEP > r, LD's stock price must exceed that of HD. ____ 11. Other things held constant, which of the following events would be most likely to encourage a firm to increase the amount of debt in its capital structure? a. Its sales are projected to become less stable in the future. b. The bankruptcy laws are changed in a way that would make bankruptcy more costly to the firm and its stockholders. c. Management believes that the firm's stock is currently overvalued. d. The firm decides to automate its factory with specialized equipment and thus increase its use of operating leverage. e. The corporate tax rate is increased. ____ 12. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. A firm can use retained earnings without paying a flotation cost. Therefore, while the cost of retained earnings is not zero, its cost is generally lower than the after-tax cost of debt. b. The capital structure that minimizes a firm's weighted average cost of capital is also the capital structure that maximizes its stock price. c. The capital structure that minimizes the firm's weighted average cost of capital is also the capital structure that maximizes its earnings per share. d. If a firm finds that the cost of debt is less than the cost of equity, increasing its debt ratio must reduce its WACC. e. Other things held constant, if corporate tax rates declined, then the Modigliani-Miller tax-adjusted theory would suggest that firms should increase their use of debt. ____ 13. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. The capital structure that maximizes the stock price is also the capital structure that minimizes the cost of equity from retained earnings (r). b. The capital structure that maximizes the stock price is also the capital structure that maximizes earnings per share. c. The capital structure that maximizes the stock price is also the capital structure that maximizes the firm's times interest earned (TIE) ratio. d. If a company increases its debt ratio, this will typically increase the marginal costs of both debt and equity, but it still may reduce the company's WACC. e. If Congress were to pass legislation that increases the personal tax rate but decreases the corporate tax rate, this would encourage companies to increase their debt ratios. ____ 14. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. When a company increases its debt ratio, the costs of equity and debt both increase. Therefore, the WACC must also increase. b. The capital structure that maximizes the stock price is generally the capital structure that also maximizes earnings per share. c. All else equal, an increase in the corporate tax rate would tend to encourage companies to increase their debt ratios. d. Since debt financing raises the firm's financial risk, increasing a company's debt ratio will always increase its WACC. e. Since the cost of debt is generally fixed, increasing the debt ratio tends to stabilize net income. ____ 15. You work for the CEO of a new company that plans to manufacture and sell a new product, a watch that has an embedded TV set and a magnifying glass crystal. The issue now is how to finance the company, with only equity or with a mix of debt and equity. Expected operating income is $240,000. Other data for the firm are shown below. How much higher or lower will the firm's expected ROE be if it uses some debt rather than all equity, i.e., what is ROE - ROE? 0% Debt, U 60% Debt, L Oper. income (EBIT) $240,000 $240,000 Required investment $2,500,000 $2,500,000 % Debt 0.0% 60.0% $ of Debt $0.00 $1,500,000 $ of Common equity $2,500,000 $1,000,000 Interest rate NA 10.00% Tax rate 35% 35% a. ?0.44% b. ?0.45% c. ?0.39% d. ?0.37% e. ?0.34% ____ 16. El Capitan Foods has a capital structure of 40% debt and 60% equity, its tax rate is 35%, and its beta (leveraged) is 1.15. Based on the Hamada equation, what would the firm's beta be if it used no debt, i.e., what is its unlevered beta? a. 0.94 b. 0.80 c. 1.00 d. 0.87 e. 0.78 ____ 17. Firms HD and LD are identical except for their use of debt and the interest rates they pay--HD has more debt and thus must pay a higher interest rate. Based on the data given below, how much higher or lower will HD's ROE be versus that of LD, i.e., what is ROE - ROE? Applicable to Both Firms Firm HD's Data Firm LD's Data Assets $3,000,000 Debt ratio 70% Debt ratio 20% EBIT $620,000 Int. rate 12% Int. rate 10% Tax rate 35% a. 10.73% b. 11.41% c. 13.35% d. 11.07% e. 9.93% ____ 18. Your firm's debt ratio is only 5.00%, but the new CFO thinks that more debt should be employed. She wants to sell bonds and use the proceeds to buy back and retire some stock, which sells at its book value. Other things held constant, and based on the data below, if the firm increases its debt ratio to 60.0%, by how much would the ROE change, i.e., what is ROE - ROE? Operating Data Other Data Assets $150,000 New debt ratio 60% EBIT/Assets = BEP 13.00% Old debt ratio 5% Tax rate 35% New interest rate 12% Old interest rate 10% a. 0.98% b. 0.87% c. 0.75% d. 0.92% e. 0.72% ____ 19. You have been hired by a new firm that is just being started. The CFO wants to finance with 60% debt, but the president thinks it would be better to hold the debt ratio to only 10%. Other things held constant, and based on the data below, if the firm uses the higher debt ratio, by how much would the ROE change, i.e., what is ROE - ROE? Operating Data Other Data Assets $4,000 Higher debt ratio 60% EBIT/Assets = BEP 27.00% Lower debt ratio 10% Tax rate 35% Higher interest rate 13% Lower interest rate 9% a. 11.24% b. 14.45% c. 11.98% d. 12.35% e. 10.37% ____ 20. Dyson Inc. currently finances with 20.0% debt, but its new CFO is considering changing the capital structure to 70.0% debt by issuing additional bonds and using the proceeds to repurchase and retire some common stock at book value. Given the data shown below, by how much would this recapitalization change the firm's cost of equity? (Hint: You must unlever the current beta and then use the unlevered beta to solve the problem.) Risk-free rate, rRF 5.00% Tax rate, T 40% Market risk prem, RPM 6.00% Current debt ratio 20% Current beta, bL1 1.15 Target debt ratio 70% a. 7.35% b. 6.45% c. 7.50% d. 8.93% e. 8.85% "