You CAN go to college! The ACT at Maui High 11 th grade

GENERAL TEST DETAILS The what, when, where, how, and why

WHEN is the ACT at MHS? Tuesday, March 3, 2015

How LONG is the test?

WHAT do you need to bring with you?  #2 pencils (at least two; sharpened)  Photo ID  Approved calculator Your phone IS NOT allowed Check out website to see if your calculator is okay. It’s YOUR responsibility:  tml  Sweater / Jacket (maybe in air conditioned room)

WHERE is the test taking place?  At Maui High  You will be given a specific room where to report to. Note: You may or may not know the teacher or other students in the class.

Is EVERYONE taking the test? NO  Freshmen – ACT Explore  Sophomores – ACT PLAN  Juniors – the actual ACT TEST  Seniors – None

How MANY SECTIONS are there and what are they? FIVE In order… 1) English 2) Math 3) Reading 4) Science 5) Essay Writing

What is the SCORE range?

WHY is the ACT important? Used for…  College admissions  Placement in courses  Scholarships

GENERAL TEST- TAKING STRATEGIES

Should you guess if you’re not 100% sure of the answer ? ABSOLUTELY!!! Answer every question. No penalty for wrong answers

How should you PACE yourself? BUDGET YOUR TIME! Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Quickly determine how long a question will take to answer, and then decide whether to work on it now, return to it later, or guess.

How should you prepare? Take a PRACTICE TEST. Know the directions and question types ahead of time. You’ll save time by not having to read the directions during the test.

Test prep Links (also on mauihigh.org) df df 3. ACT Math Cheat Sheets.pdf ACT Math Cheat Sheets.pdf 4. A Quick Guide to Basic Parts of Speech.pdf A Quick Guide to Basic Parts of Speech.pdf

Should you stay up all night the night before studying doing last- minute studying for the test? NO! Get a good night’s sleep. The next morning: EAT BREAKFAST and arrive to your testing room early.

Other Test-Taking Strategies  Difficult questions are worth the same points as easy questions. ANSWER EVERY QUESTION.  Use PROCESS OF ELIMINATION: eliminate wrong answers.  When all else fails…GUESS!!!  Mark up the test booklet.  Be precise in marking your answer document. Fill in correct oval completely.  Erase completely if changing answer.

The READING TEST Presented by Social Studies Teachers

Logistics of Reading Test  # of Questions  40 questions  Time  35 minutes

What does the Reading Test of the ACT consist of? 4 Passages 1) Prose Fiction 2) Social Science 3) Humanities 4) Science  Always in this order  10 questions per passage

4 Passages  Know what type of passage is EASIEST for you. Do that one FIRST. 1. Prose Fiction : excerpts from short stories and novels 2. Social Science : history, economics, psychology, political science 3. Humanities : art, music, architecture, dance 4. Science : biology, chemistry, physics

2 Types of Questions 1. Referring 2. Reasoning

2 Types of Questions Which one – Referring or Reasoning? Students take stated/implied information and answer complex questions REASONING

2 Types of Questions Information is clearly stated in the passage REFERRING

Skills 1. Identifying and interpreting details 2. Finding main ideas 3. Comparing and contrasting 4. Understanding cause and effect 5. Identifying generalizations 6. Understanding the meaning of words from context 7. Understanding the sequence of events 8. Making conclusions about voice and method

Example Passage

Example Questions

Strategies 1. Quickly skim the reading to get a general sense of the passage.  Sometimes you need to read the entire passage to answer the questions. 2. Answer the questions that refer to specific words or sentences first.  Make sure to read around the sentences to understand the context.

Strategies 3. Move on to the questions that require you to actually read the paragraphs. 4. When reading Science and Social Studies passages, focus on MAIN IDEAS.  usually expressed in the first or last sentences of paragraphs  don’t get bogged down by details

Strategies 5. For Literature and Humanities/Arts passages, focus on DEVELOPMENT / VOICE OF THE NARRATIVE. 6. Mark the Text regarding the main ideas as you read.  circle key terms  underline definitions, descriptions, details, evidence, etc. 7. Look back to the passage for reference as you answer questions.

Any Questions?

HW: Prepare for next week’s Practice ENGLISH ACT Test:  TO DO: Review and study before the Practice ACT English Test that you’ll be taking in your English classes next week.  Check out the links on the Maui High website.

Please… Turn off your phones. Take out your #2 pencils. Turn your desks forward. Use the answer document to record your answers (not the booklet). NO TALKING throughout the DURATION of the exam. 5 minute warning.

Scoring Time

What’s Next? Go to the ACT Workshop Focus: READING  When:  Thursday, February 5, 2015  3:00 – 4:00pm  Where:  P36  What:  Go over answers from today’s practice test.  Get explanations.

The ENGLISH / WRITING TEST Presented by English Teachers

Logistics of English Test  # of Questions  75 questions  Time  45 minutes

What does the English Test of the ACT consist of? 5 Essays with underlined words or phrases  You will be asked whether the underlined portion is correct as written or whether one of the three alternatives listed would be better.

Example Passage

Example Question

What does the English Test of the ACT consist of? 5 Essays with underlined words or phrases  Questions about overall organization and style or how the writing could be revised.  This is a test of:  Punctuation  Grammar / Usage  Sentence structure  Rhetorical skills

Strategies 1. Read answer choices carefully to identify subtle differences between them. 2. Focus on underlined portions of sentences  Read from the beginning until you get to an underlined selection, work that question, then resume reading until the next underlined selection. 3. Often, the shortest choice is the answer because questions often test for redundancy, verbosity, and irrelevance. 4. Trust your ear – if it sounds weird, it’s probably wrong. 5. Come up with your own answer before looking at the answer choices.

Strategies 6. Be careful on question stems that say “not” or “except.”

Strategies 7. Look for the “best” answer among the choices offered. 8. Re-read each sentence with your answers to see if the sentence makes sense. 9. Be aware of connotations.

Strategies 10. Know the type of questions:  Usage / Mechanics  Rhetorical Skills

Any Questions?

HW: Prepare for next week’s Practice MATH ACT Test:  TO DO: Review and study before the Practice ACT Math Test that you’ll be taking in your Math classes next week.  Check out the links on the Maui High website.

Please… Turn off your phones. Take out your #2 pencils. Turn your desks forward. Use the answer document to record your answers (not the booklet). NO TALKING throughout the DURATION of the exam. 5 minute warning.

Scoring Time

What’s Next? Go to the ACT Workshop Focus: ENGLISH / WRITING  When:  Thursday, February 12, 2015  3:00 – 4:00pm  Where:  P36  What:  Go over answers from today’s practice test.  Get explanations.

Logistics of Writing Test  # of Questions  1 prompt  Time  30 minutes

How is the Writing Test scored? On your ability to…  formulate an opinion  maintain focus on your topic  thoroughly defend your opinion using reason and supporting ideas  organize your ideas in a logical way  use language clearly & effectively

How should you divide up your time? 1. Prep work (5–10 minutes)  Don’t start writing your essay until you’ve brainstormed your ideas, organized them, and written your thesis statement. 2. Essay writing (15–20 minutes) 3. Editing (1–5 minutes) if you have time.

What does a 5-paragraph essay look like? 1. Opening Paragraph 2. Three Supporting Paragraphs 3. Closing Paragraph

Opening Paragraph 1. How many sentences should the Opening Paragraph be?  3-5 sentences 2. Other details:  Starts broad and then gradually narrows to the thesis. In other words: 1. Begin with a general statement about the subject (you can restate the question in your own words, showing your understanding of the topic). 2. Then start discussing your position. 3. End the opening paragraph with your thesis statement.

Three Supporting Paragraphs 1. How many sentences should your THREE Supporting Paragraphs be?  5-8 sentences EACH 2. Other details:  One counter-argument paragraph and two additional supporting paragraphs. Discuss one example in each paragraph.  Make sure to explain how each example supports your argument.  Go beyond superficial statements.  End each supporting paragraph with a statement directly explaining how this example supports your thesis.

Closing Paragraph 1. How many sentences should your Closing Paragraph be?  3-5 sentences EACH 2. Other details:  Your closing paragraph can either start with a restatement of your thesis and then broaden, or begin with a broad summary and end with a restatement of your thesis.  Summarize your arguments.  Feel free to include one last thought-provoking comment to show that you understand the topic.

Sample Essay Prompt #1 A school board is concerned that the state’s requirements for core courses in mathematics, English, science, and social studies may prevent students from taking important elective courses like music, other languages, and vocational education. The school board would like to encourage more high school students to take elective courses and is considering two proposals. One proposal is to lengthen the school day to provide students with the opportunity to take elective courses. The other proposal is to offer elective courses in the summer. Write a letter to the school board in which you argue for lengthening the school day or for offering elective courses during the summer. Explain why you think your choice will encourage more students to take elective courses. Begin your letter: “Dear School Board:”

Sample Essay Prompt #2 Many successful adults recall a time in life when they were considered a failure at one pursuit or another. Some of these people feel strongly that their previous failures taught them valuable lessons and led to their later successes. Others maintain that they went on to achieve success for entirely different reasons. In your opinion, can failure lead to success? Or is failure simply its own experience? In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

What’s Next? Go to the ACT Workshop Focus: ENGLISH / WRITING  When:  Thursday, February 12, 2015  3:00 – 4:00pm  Where:  P36  What:  Take your essay there to get peer/teacher feedback.

The MATH TEST Presented by Math Teachers

Logistics of Math Test  # of Questions  60 questions  Time  60 minutes

What does the Math Test of the ACT consist of? Mostly Algebra and Geometry questions  Only 4 out of 60 questions are from trigonometry

What do you need to know? Basic math terms, principles, and formulas. NO FORMULAS ARE GIVEN.

Strategies 1. Questions tend to get more difficult near the end of the test. 2. Go through the questions in TWO passes:  Pass ONE – questions that are easier/faster for you  Pass TWO – tackle questions that will take more time for you to complete

Strategies 3. When in doubt, try multiple strategies:  Look at the answers and plug them in (start with the middle answer).  Substitute numbers for variables.  Reason out the answer by viewing the question as a logic puzzle rather than a math problem. 4. Make sure you understand exactly what each question is asking.

Strategies 5. For Geometry problems, look at the diagram for clues.  If there is no diagram, SKETCH ONE. 6. Use the calculator to perform quick/simple calculations.

Any Questions?

HW: Prepare for next week’s Practice SCIENCE ACT Test:  TO DO: Review and study before the Practice ACT Science Test that you’ll be taking in your Science classes next week.  Check out the links on the Maui High website.

Please… Turn off your phones. Take out your #2 pencils. Turn your desks forward. Use the answer document to record your answers (not the booklet). NO TALKING throughout the DURATION of the exam. 5 minute warning.

Scoring Time

What’s Next? Go to the ACT Workshop Focus: MATH  When:  Thursday, February 19, 2015  3:00 – 4:00pm  Where:  P36  What:  Go over answers from today’s practice test.  Get explanations.

The SCIENCE TEST Presented by Science Teachers

Logistics of Science Test  # of Questions  40 questions  Time  35 minutes

What does the Science Test of the ACT consist of? Involves:  Biology  Chemistry  Earth/Space Science  Physics

Science Test also involves…  Interpreting data representation (graphics and tables)  Understanding research summaries  Identifying conflicting viewpoints

Tips  CANNOT use calculators  Only a few questions require knowledge of scientific facts (approx. 3 out of 40).  Answers might not be in the same measurement units used in the graphs and tables. PAY ATTENTION.

Strategies Look at…  the questions before you read the experiment summaries or graphs/charts  Most questions require you to interpret a graph or chart.  Don’t get lost in numbers, jargon, or details. Focus on the MAIN IDEAS first, and see how many questions you can answer by looking at graphs/charts.

Strategies Look at…  graphs and tables carefully to identify the following: what labels mean what the table shows trends units of measurement

Strategies Look for patterns:  extremes  critical points (points of change)  variation (the way two things change in relation to each other)

Strategies Know the types of passages and develop strategies for each:  data representation  research summaries  conflicting viewpoints

Any Questions?

Please… Turn off your phones. Take out your #2 pencils. Turn your desks forward. Use the answer document to record your answers (not the booklet). NO TALKING throughout the DURATION of the exam. 5 minute warning.

Scoring Time

What’s Next? Go to the ACT Workshop Focus: SCIENCE  When:  Thursday, February 26, 2015  3:00 – 4:00pm  Where:  P36  What:  Go over answers from today’s practice test.  Get explanations.