Transcript File - AC Flora Guidance and Counseling

Understanding The ACT
Joe Barantovich
Richland One
What a great opportunity!
Why are we here?
Sun Tzu and The Art
^
Of War
“Therefore, a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a
defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of
a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will
also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every
battle.”
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.”
Improving Scores
Take a Pretest.
Input answers.
View and attack Weakest Skills…Step 4
Rework all questions wrong or
unanswered…Step 5
What’s a good score?
Good scores are relative!
College Readiness
ACT
SC
NCAA
Eng Math Read Science Comp
18
22
21
24
21
18
22
22
23
21
Dependent on GPA
3.0 52
2.5 68
2.0 86
South Carolina State Scholarships
LIFE
Palmetto
24
27
Let the state pay!
What’s on the ACT?
# of
Time
Questions (Minutes)
English
75
45
Math
60
60
Reading
40
35
Science
40
35
Total Time 2 hrs 55 min
Optional: 30 Minute Essay
This is a test of endurance as much as of academics
What Does It Take To Go
From a 15 to an 19 On the ACT?
15
19
Difference
English
33 - 35
41 - 42
6-9
Math
14 - 16
24 - 25
8 - 11
Reading
16 -17
19 - 22
3-6
Science
13
16 - 17
3-4
What raises ACT scores?
Understanding the Test
10%
Taking a pretest/reviewing weakest skills/reworking
missed questions 70%
Understanding Test Taking Strategies
20%
Breaks
• Students will get a short break between each test and a
10-15 minute break after the Mathematics test.
–Make sure you stretch (stand up if possible) between each test.
• During the 10-15 minute break quickly get up and go to
the restroom.
–This is also the time to eat a snack or get a drink of water.
Don’t forget, the next test will begin whether
you are there or not, so don’t be late!
ACT Scoring
• The ACT scoring system is very straightforward
Students get a point for a correct answer.
There are no deductions for wrong or unanswered questions.
• Raw scores are then converted to scale scores ranging from 1-36
Each of the four subtests (English, Mathematics, Reading, and
Science) receives a score.
Students also receive a Composite Score, which is the average of
the four subtests.
• The national average on the ACT is around 21 for the Composite and
each subject test.
• The optional essay is scored on a 2 to 12 scale
The national average is about an 8.
• Students who take the essay will receive a combined English/Writing
score from 1 to 36.
ACT Scoring
NEVER
leave a question unanswered
on your answer sheet!!
If you’re running out of time …
just “bubble in” an answer.
Comparing ACT & SAT Scores
SAT CR+M (Score Range)
ACT Composite Score
SAT CR+M (Single Score)
1600
36
1600
1540–1590
35
1560
1490–1530
34
1510
1440–1480
33
1460
1400–1430
32
1420
1360–1390
31
1380
1330–1350
30
1340
1290–1320
29
1300
1250–1280
28
1260
1210–1240
27
1220
1170–1200
26
1190
1130–1160
25
1150
1090–1120
24
1110
1050–1080
23
1070
1020–1040
22
1030
980–1010
21
990
940–970
20
950
900–930
19
910
Source:
860–890
18
870
www.ACT.org
820–850
17
830
770–810
16
790
720–760
15
740
Pacing
If you are trying to score a 21
How much time can you spend on each question?
(This assumes you get each question right)
Test
Time
(minutes)
# of
Questions
# Questions
Right
Time per
question
English
45
75
49 - 51
~1 minute
Math
60
60
31 - 32
~2 minutes
Reading
35
40
22
~1 minute
Science
35
40
21 - 22
~1 minute
Rushing through questions leads to careless mistakes
Develop a pacing plan for your score goal
English Test
• No comprehension questions like on the Reading test.
– focus on your grammar and revision skills.
• Read each passage in 1 to 11/2 minutes, then answer the
questions
– You’ll have about 30 seconds per question to answer all the questions
– Practice reading at this pace
• Only read the part of the passage that relates to the question.
– Read, Answer Question, Read
– You may have trouble with the questions that ask about the passage as
a whole. (You will probably have to guess or do them last)
“Listen” for the Error
• As you read the sentence, “listen” for the error
• You can often “hear” the error as you say the
sentence in your head
– there is no substitute for knowing your grammar rules
Writer’s Style
• Sometimes you can identify the correct answer or
eliminate a wrong answer by paying attention to the
writer's style.
– A formal essay with a very informal portion underlined will need
to be changed.
– A more personal essay will require the answers to be in an
informal tone.
– Read more of the passage if the style is not clear to you.
4 Step Process
To Answer English Questions
1. Read ALL the answers carefully
–
Answers often look very similar, sometimes differing by just a
comma.
2. Think how the underlined portion would best be phrased
in standard written English
– look for it among the answers offered.
3. If no change is required, choose “NO CHANGE.”
– About 20% of the questions have NO CHANGE as the answer
4. Re-read the passage with your answer
– Make sure it fits in the context of the passage and to
make sure you have not made a careless error.
Question Types
• Usage and Mechanics
• Punctuation
• Grammar and Usage
• Sentence Structure
10 Questions
12 Questions
18 Questions
Question Types
• Rhetorical Skills
• Strategy
• Organization
• Style
12 Questions
11 Questions
12 Questions
Points/Question Type
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7 Connections
6 Writing Strategy
5 Punctuation
5 Sentence Sense
4 Word Choice
4 Wordiness
3 Verb Tenses
1 Organization
1 Idiom
RS
RS
UM
UM
UM
RS
UM
RS
UM
7 Connections
• Sentence and Paragraph Transitions
• Do they agree or disagree?
• Clausal Linkage
• Conjunctions
6 Writing Strategy
1 Organization
• Paragraph Level…numbers before each
sentence.
• Passage Level…numbers before each
paragraph or letters within the text.
• Look for answers that allow sentences or
paragraphs to be organized logically.
• What does the author want me to know?
• Why does the author want me to know
this?
5 Punctuation
•
•
•
•
•
:
;
,
‘
-
Colon
Semicolon
Comma
Apostrophe
Dash
: Colons
• Use a colon to:
• Introduce a phrase
• Emphasize a quote, example, short phrase
• Introduce a list
; Semicolons
• Used to:
• Combine two independent clauses
• Separate items in a list when the items contain
commas
, Commas
• Things in a list
• Introductory Phrase…Gerunds,
Participles,Prepositions
• Independent Clause…followed by a
conjunction.
• Appositives
‘ Apostrophes - Dashes
• Apostrophes are used to show possession
or contractions.
• Dashes indicate hesitation or interruption
of the main thought or to enclose
explanations where ( ) are possible.
5 Sentence Sense
• Look for:
• Sentence Fragments…add a , ; conjunction, make
one subordinate or two sentences.
• Incorrect Modifier or Clause…keep modifiers as
close as possible.
• Passive Voice…use Active Voice as much as
possible.
• Active…someone or something “does” or “is’
something
• Passive…something is “done” to it
4 Word Choice
• Subject/Verb Agreement…in sequence
• Pronoun Usage…Compound Pronouns
• Context/Idioms…Prepositions
4 Wordiness
•
•
•
•
•
Be Concise
Too many words
Irrelevant
Redundant
Don’t say things twice…”omit” if it is not
relevant
3 Verb Tenses
• Does the tense of the verb match the
context?
• Often must look for the sequence of verbs
within the sentence.
Answering Process
• Read quickly.
• Examine the underlined portion.
• What is being questioned?
• Grammar
• Style
• Organization
Answering Process
• Identify the error.
• Predict your answer.
• Eliminate answers that don’t match your
prediction.
• Choose “best” answer from the remaining
choices.
Math Test
60 Questions in 60 Minutes
Pre Algebra
Elementary Algebra
Algebra II (Intermediate)
Coordinate Geometry
Plane Geometry
Trigonometry
14 Questions
10 Questions
9 Questions
9 Questions
14 Questions
4 Questions
24 Pre-Alg./Elem Alg.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Absolute Value
Ratio/Probability
FOIL
Percents and Calculating Interest
Simple Square Roots/Exponents
Averages
Rational Numbers
18 Inter. Alg./Coord. Geo.
•
•
•
•
x,y planes
Exponent Rules/ Advanced Square Roots
f(x)
Slope
18 Plane Geo./Trig.
•
•
•
•
•
Parallel Lines…Joe’s Rules
Triangle Rules
Straight Line Rules
Area of a Cylinder, Volume of a Cube
Cos…Tan…Sin
ACT Math
•
•
•
•
•
No Reference Information
Students must “KNOW” all formulas
Area…circle, triangle,square
Volume…square,cylinder
Circumference
Reading Test
• Choose a Plan of Attack
• The Reading Test consists of 4 passages
with 10 questions each in 35 minutes.
• Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative, Social
Science, Humanities, Natural Science.
• Spend about 8 minutes reading a single
passage and answering the questions that
follow.
• Know how many questions you need to
get correct
Test Strategy
• Read Actively
• Know which of the 4 types of passages you’re
reading
• Know what to to look for in each
• Summarize each paragraph as you read
Test Strategy
• Attack the questions
• Look at the wording of each question to
determine…
what the question is asking
what type of question it is
• Think of the strategy to answer that type of
question
Test Strategy
• Answer the questions
• Use your summaries to go back and REREAD
• Predict an answer if you can
• Look to see how the answer choices compare to
your prediction…Look for what makes the answer
wrong!
• If you can’t make a prediction…this may be a
question where you want to guess.
Types of Passages
• Students need to know the types of
passages to know how to actively read
each.
Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative
•
•
•
•
Narration of Events
Revelation of Character
Fiction
Pay Attention to…
• Mood/Tone
• Relationship of Characters
• Emotion
Humanities
•
•
•
•
Describe Analyze Ideas/ Works of Art
Memoirs, Personal Essays
Seems Like Fiction But NOT
Read for…
•
•
•
•
Information
Author Point of View
Author’s Opinion
Events, Ideas, Trends
Social Science
• History, PAC, Psychological Experiment
• Pay Attention to…
•
•
•
•
Names, Dates, Concepts
Cause/Effect
Comparisons
Sequence of Events
• Information Gathered by Research
Natural Science
• Science Topic
• Explanation of Topic’s Significance
• Concern With Relationships BETWEEN
Natural Phenomena NOT Characters
• Laws, Rules, Theories
• Like Social Science…
• Cause/Effect
• Comparisons
• Sequence of Events
Methods For Approaching The
Reading Passage
Do NOT read the questions first.
• Very few questions have line numbers.
• The questions DO NOT go in order of appearance
To be successful you must…
Read the passage first and then answer the questions.
• As you read the passage think about each paragraph individually
and the type of information you’re looking for in each
type of passage.
Remember to think about how many questions you need to answer to
achieve the score you’re looking for.
Reading Strategy
• Focus is the main concern.
• Students should read each paragraph and
summarize the information within.
• Get the “GIST”… “HEADLINE”
• Annotate in the margin information
contained in that paragraph…succinctly!
• Concentrating on one paragraph at a time
allows the students to stay focused on the
reading.
Be an Active Reader
• Underline or circle key points/ideas/words
– Helps you get a feel for the author’s tone, main ideas and vocabulary
usage.
• Pay attention to words that show which way the passage is
going.
– Helps you better understand the points the author is trying to make.
– Words that show contrast (but, however) and similarity (also, likewise)
• Summarize each paragraph in the margin with a couple
words.
– Helps with recall
– Makes it easier/faster for the student to re-read to find the answer
– Think of it as a “HEADLINE”
Key Points
• Don’t Skip the Introduction
– Provides information about the passage
– Gives an idea of what the passage is about
• Don’t Get “Caught-Up” in the Passage
– You don’t need to memorize information. You can look back at
the passage as often as you need to.
– Think about the “why the author wants me to know this” more
than “what” is going on in the passage
Use Line References
• A few questions refer to a specific line or lines.
• Read above and below the specific line references in the
question to understand the context
Types of Questions
• Students need to know the types of
questions being asked.
• This way they can develop an answering
strategy to use consistently throughout the
test.
Detail
• According to the author, narrator,
passage…
• The passage states…the narrator
indicates
• On the narrators account
• Use your HEADLINES to find the
information.
• Then reread as necessary. Usually easier.
Detail
• “NOT” and “EXCEPT” questions
• These take longer to answer.
• You must find the answers that “ARE” there.
Don’t make a prediction to these questions.
Author’s Craft
• The phrase “primarily serves to”…
• Main purpose of…some small part of the
passage
• The main/primary function of…
• Quotation is meant to…
• Transition questions
• For these questions simply ask yourself
the question…”WHY” did the author put it
there?
Vocabulary in Context
• As it is used in line 58, the word humor
most nearly means:
• Treat these as SAT Sentence Completion
questions worked backward.
• Predict your answer or plug the answers
in.
Inference/Generalization
• Inferred
• Implied, Feels, Seems, Most likely to
• Something happening in the future
• Read “between the lines”.
• Look at what is written and figure out what
is being said.
Answering Questions
• For all questions except “NOT”, “EXCEPT”
and “ROMAN NUMERAL” questions…
• Understand the question
• After you’ve REREAD…
• Predict your answer before looking at the
answer choices.
• For the questions you can’t predict an
answer for…leave blank and return if time
permits or guess.
Wrong Answers
• Opposite
• Misused detail
– May be true, but not for this question
• Distortion
– Changes the details
• What????
– Nothing to do with the question
• Extreme
– Some/All, Always/Never
Point Values
• 12
• 16
• 6
• 1
• 1
Detail
Inference/Generalization
Author’s Craft
Vocabulary in Context
Writer’s View
• 36
TOTAL POINTS
Science Test
• The skills required for the Science test are very
similar to those needed for the Reading test
– Read a passage and answer questions related to that passage.
• The same reading strategy might not work equally well for
all types of passages.
– The type of passage will dictate the best way to approach it.
• There is really no need to understand the science
being discussed
– It’s helpful when you can recognize things like periodic table
symbols, units of measure, and temperature.
Content Areas
•
•
•
•
Biology
Chemistry
Earth/Space Sciences
Physics
Types of Passages
• Data Representation
– 3 passages
– 5 questions each
• Research Summaries
– 3 passages
– 6 questions each
• Conflicting Viewpoints
– 1 passage
– 7 questions
Questions by PassageType
• Data Representation - 5 Questions
•
•
•
•
Read graphs
Interpret charts and graphs
Evaluate scatterplots
Analyze information presented in diagrams
Questions by Passage Type
• Research Summaries – 6 Questions
• Understand, evaluate and interpret the design and
procedures of an experiment
• Analyze the results of an experiment
Questions by Passage Type
• Conflicting Viewpoints – 7 Questions
• Understand, analyze and COMPARE several
theories or viewpoints
Pacing
• You don’t have to do the passages in order.
 If a passage seems difficult or tricky to you then skip it
and do one you’re more comfortable with.
 If you have time, go back to the passage you skipped.
• Consider leaving the conflicting viewpoints
passage to the end
• Remember to think about the number of
questions you need to answer for the score
you’re trying to achieve.
Key Points
• Think with your pencil—this will help you from getting
confused or looking at the wrong data.
– put a mark by the table or graph the question refers to
– mark the rows and columns you are asked to look at to answer
the question
– write down or mark the variables you’re asked about in the
question
– use symbols and arrows to convert the problem from words into
a form you can quickly grasp
• Be aware of words like increasing, decreasing, and
not in the question.
– Underline these types of words so you don’t forget what you’re
looking for.
Look for Patterns
• Look at the tables and charts to determine:
– what data is being shown (axes labels for
graphs, row and column labels for tables)
– are there trends in the data – up, down, no
pattern, direct or inverse variation, max/min
points
Don’t Read for Comprehension
• Most of the information needed to answer
questions is contained in the charts and
graphs.
• DO NOT get caught up reading the
introduction of the experiments.
– Quickly skim the passages to get a “feel” for
the experiment if needed.
The conflicting viewpoints passage
should be read “actively”
Divide and Conquer
Conflicting Viewpoints Passage
1. Read the Introduction
•
Answer questions about the passage (there will be no mention of the
two opposing viewpoints 1 or 2).
2. Read the views of the first person (scientist, student, etc)
•
Then answer only questions pertaining to that person’s views.
3. Read the views of the second person
•
Then answer only questions pertaining to that person’s views.
4. Answer the questions that compare both people’s views.
Writing
Prewrite
List of Ideas, Reasons and Examples
Counterargument Refuted
Organization
Writing
Write
Explain yourself in a clear and logical
way.
Use a counterargument and refute it.
Vary sentence structures.
Use varied and precise word choices.
Use transitional words and phrases.
Writing
Review
Check for mistakes in grammar, usage,
punctuation and spelling.
Readers know it is a rough draft.
Be sure you’ve hit all the landmarks the
readers are looking for.
Joe Barantovich
[email protected]