1. ACT Science Reasoning Basic Format

2. ACT Science Reasoning Layout You will have 35 minutes to answer a total of 40 questions There are 7 passages with 5-6 questions per passage o 3 data representation passages o 3 research summary passages o 1 conflicting viewpoint passage

3. ACT Science Reasoning Tips You do not need to know a lot about science! You will need to be able to: o Read & interpret graphs, charts, tables, diagrams o Understand how experiments work o Make conclusions about different viewpoints

4. ACT Science Reasoning Tips Answer every question. You will not be penalized for a wrong answer. Eliminate choices. Make an educated guess. Answer the first couple of questions for each passage. They tend to be easiest. Know how to recognize the 3 different types of passages Skim through all the science passages before you answer any question. Start with the type of passage you feel most comfortable.

5. ACT Science Reasoning Tips Mark up the test booklets o Order of Difficulty: most of the passages have questions in increasing difficulty but this does not always hold. But usually if you are stuck on the last question of a passage and time is running out, then guess and move on. Pace yourself. Do not spend more than 30 seconds on a question. You have just 5 minutes for each passage.

6. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation Passages: Strategies

7. What is this question about? You must understand and evaluate information from tables, graphs, charts and diagrams.

8. How to Recognize It? Data representations will not have any other heading except for the passage #.

9. 4 Chart Questions to Ask Yourself when looking at the diagrams 1. What does the figure represent? 2. What do the labels tell you? 3. What are the units of measurement? 4. What are the patterns in the data?

10. 3 Step Strategy 1.Highlight key words in the question. 2.Analyze the figure(s) by asking yourself the 4 strategic questions. 3.Find all questions about the figure and answer those first.

11. What are the different types of questions? What do you know? Underline keywords which tell you what you know Tells you: name of diagram, data point or trend known, title of column or axis for known data point or trend

12. What are the different types of questions? What do you need? Circle keywords which tell you what you need to find out Wants you to tell: the label of a specific column, row, or axis or info you need is a data point or trend.

13. What are some keyword clues? Directly proportional… Inversely proportional… Ratio… Consistent… Most likely… Expect… Respectively…

14. Now let’s practice go to PART A of your packet and answer questions 1-2. Underline the “What you know” and “What you need” keywords.

15. Now let’s go to PART B of the packet and answer questions 1- 5. Don’t forget to use the three step strategy.

16. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation: Understanding Diagrams

17. Quick Review of Tables & Figures Line graphs… Tables… Scatter plots… Vertical line graphs…

18. Let’s practice. Go to PART C of the packet and answer questions 1- 5. Do not forget to highlight keywords and ask yourself the 4 chart questions.

19. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation: Understanding Experiments

20. Key points in an experiment Independent variable Dependent variable Control

21. Now, let’s practice. Go to PART D of your packet. And answer questions 1-5.

22. In some questions, you will be asked about the design of the experiment How does changing the design change the results? How does changing one part of the design change another part? Explain why parts of the design were performed Identify the figures that illustrate the design Identity problems in the design (confounding variables) Identify a new experiment that would give more info

23. Now let’s answer question 6 and 7 on PART E of the packet

24. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation: Creating Graphs

25. Things to consider when creating a graph: You do not need to actually make a graph, visualize it and look for it in the answer choices. Determine which values are greater and lesser and ELIMINATE those which do not match Examine how much greater or how much lesser each data point is in comparison to those nearby

26. Now let’s practice with PART F of the packet. Answer questions 1 & 2 using Table 1

27. Using Information from 2 Tables: Use the 3 Step Strategy to determine correct data point, trend, or label from 1 st figure Use info from 1 st figure to apply the 3 Step Strategy on the 2 nd figure Match your results to the answer choices

28. Let’s look at PART G of the packet. Answer questions 1 and 2 using information provided in the two experiments.

29. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation: Solving Equations

30. Strategy: Read text around equation and write down what each variable means Find the values of each variable and plug- in Match results to answers

31. Let’s practice with PART H of the packet. Answer questions 1- 3 using the given chart.

32. ACT Science Reasoning Data Representation: Final Tips

33. The figures are more important than the text Refer back to the figures often. Never try to answer questions based on your memory. You don’t have to understand everything about a data rep passage. If you can answer the 4 Chart Questions, you’ll have enough info to answer many of the questions.

34. You gain points by answering the questions, not by understanding every scientific fact in the passage. Ignore all the technical jargon.

35. Now let’s take a practice test. Go to PART J in your packet. Answer questions 1-4.

36. ACT Science Reasoning Conflicting Viewpoints: Strategy

37. 3 Step Strategy: Summarize & scan the passages- Annotate in the margins: What is the writer’s theory? What evidence does each present Answer the easy questions o Details in intro: states the conflict, evidence already known, and what is agreed by both sides o Summarize 1 or the others o Locate supporting details for one or the other Then answer the harder questions o Compares both arguments

38. Go PART K of your packet. Answer questions 1-6 using the given passages. Follow the directions clearly.

39. ACT Science Reasoning Conflicting Viewpoints: Evaluating Evidence

40. How to Evaluate Evidence: Read the experiment or results and underline the keywords. Or you can do a Venn diagram. Look for similar keywords in the viewpoint, and reread the sentence. Determine whether the ideas in the question are the same as or the opposite of the ideas in the viewpoint.

41. Supporting & Contradicting Data: Some questions ask you to evaluate whether a piece of evidence strengthens or weakens an idea presented in one of the viewpoints…

42. Go to PART L of your packet. Answer question # 1 using the given package. Be sure to answer # 1 and the questions below.

43. Compare & Contrast: These questions ask you to determine which scientist supports a specific idea, or identify which theory could be strengthened or weakened by a new piece of evidence.

44. Let’s practice. Go to PART M in your packet. Answer Question 2 and the questions below it.

45. Predicting Results: Evaluating Evidence can be used for predicting the results of experiments as well. Simply treat each prediction as if it were evidence, and compare it to he evidence in the viewpoint.

46. Go to PART N in your packet. Answer Question 3 and the questions below it.

47. Now let’s take a practice test. Go to PART P in your packet and answer questions 1-5.

48. Let’s do another guided practice. Turn to the section after PART P.

49. ACT Science Reasoning Research Summaries

50. What are they? Provide you with descriptions of 2 or more scientific experiments You are presented with the purpose of the study, the methods the researchers used, and the results that were found You can ID them because they have headings which say Experiment 1 & Experiment 2 or Study 1 & Study 2

51. What types of questions are asked? Some asks about figures But some require you to dig deeper to make conclusions about results using the data

52. Strategy: 3 Steps Skim introduction quickly to get basic idea of experiment Identify parts of the Scientific Method including variables Answer experiment questions first o Questions about individual experiments o Compare and contrast both

53. What is the Scientific Method? Observation Question Hypothesis Prediction Experimentation Conclusion

54. We can also discuss the Experimental Design… Observe phenomena Research what is known Form a hypothesis Make a Prediction Design Experiment

55. Some key terms: Outliers: o data found which defies observed pattern. o Should determine their cause Lab Report: o scientific paper to communicate data and results

56. Go to PART Q in your packet. Identify the various parts of the Scientific Method using the given experiment.

57. Go to PART R and practice a Research Summaries passage. Answer questions 1-4.

58. Now turn to the last section of the packet after PART R for more guided practice.

59. ACT Science Reasoning More Practice

60. Many students are bogged down the wording on the science test… Let’s try to put these questions into our own words…

61. ZIPZAP containing ZAPPER is ejected from ZONGOS. The resulting ZAPPO rapidly cools over the ground. According to figure one, what is formed? Figure 2 indicates that as ZINGERS cool, the ratio of ZING in the ZINGERS: A portion of the PIZZA CRUST, composed primarily of sauce, is pushed deeper into the PAN by KNEEDING. Assuming the PEPPERONI contains OIL, SALTS, and PORK, what will be the first mineral to melt?

62. Which of the following statements best describes the fundamental difference between the two scientists hypotheses? Which of the following statements would both scientists most likely use to explain the role of ZIPPERS on PANTS? Which of the following statements best describes how Scientist 2 would explain why there was a period of ASBESTOS during 5 th and 6 th period?

63. Questions? Comments? Concerns?