Part 1 Introduction Announcements Pickles amp popcornfinancial aid night is tonight I will be there eating pickles hopefully and representing CoFo so I hope to see you there too Announcements ID: 806457
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Slide1
“Fun with ACTS” – A beginner’s guide to Test Preparation
Part 1: Introduction
Slide2Announcements
Pickles & popcorn/financial aid night is tonight!
I will be there
eating pickles (hopefully) and representing CoFo, so I hope to see you there too!
Slide3Announcements
Potential volunteer opportunity at SXSW!
2015 Pan Americana Festival – “Family friendly Latino music and arts festival”
We are thinking of volunteering one shift on Friday 3/20 & Saturday 3/21
Depending on interest, Alex and I will go ahead with figuring out how to volunteer as a group!
Slide4Announcements
Make sure you remember to sign up for the practice ACT on Saturday 2/28!
Or, if you can’t make Saturdays, sign up for Thursday 3/5!
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 18
For students who cannot make Saturdays for religious reasons only: the test will be Sunday, April 19
Slide5ACT Basics
We’re going to start with the basics today, but we will be doing more specifics between now and real actual test day!
Pop quiz time!
Raise the number of fingers corresponding to your answer (a=1, b=2, etc.) and/or shout out!
Slide6ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
1. How many required sections are there on the ACT?
a. 2
b. 3c. 4d. 5
Slide7ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
The answer is C – 4 required sections!
These four sections always come in the same order. Which section is first?
a. Scienceb. Mathc. Englishd. Reading
Slide8ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
The answer is C – English! This section focuses on grammar and improving sentences. This section also contains the most questions – 75!
Your test proctor announces during the exam, “Five minutes remaining!” You look back at your test… you’re only on number 52! What should your strategy be?
A. Finish the question you’re on and get ready to guess!B. Keep working at your pace – you shouldn’t guess!C. Cry. Then throw your calculator at the proctor.
Slide9ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
Your best strategy is A – Start guessing! You are not marked down for wrong answers on the ACT. Don’t throw your calculator at the proctor. You’re going to need it later.
Speaking of needing your calculator, which section is the math section?
A. 1st sectionB. 2nd
sectionC. 3rd sectionD. 4th section
Slide10ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
The answer is B – 2
nd
section! Math is fun.After the math section and a nice, long, 10 minute break, you’re back in the classroom. Which section should you be mentally preparing yourself for?A. ScienceB. MathC. EnglishD. Reading
Slide11ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
The third section is the D – Reading section. This section focuses on analyzing passages and drawing conclusions.
You’re almost there. There’s only one section left (unless you’re taking the optional writing section)! Which one is it?
A. ScienceB. Math
C. EnglishD. Reading
Slide12ACT Basics Pop Quiz!
By process of elimination (one of the most effective test-taking strategies, by the way), the answer must be
A –
Science!We’ve made it to the end of the ACT. 36s for everyone!!Speaking of test-taking strategies, let’s go over some now.
What are some good test taking strategies that you all already know?
Slide13Test Taking Strategies Brought to you by the Test Prep workgroup
Which, by the way, I am part of.
Slide14Test Taking strategies
Become familiar with the format of the test.
Know what to expect and you will be less nervous on test day.
Answer EVERY question on the test. You do not lose points for guessing on the ACT, so on remaining questions always guess all C’s whenever the five minute warning is called.Limit your time on any one question. All questions are worth the same number of points. If you need a lot of time to answer a question, go on to the next one. Later, you may have time to return to the question you skipped.
Keep track of time. Work at a steady pace and remember that you do not have the time to get bogged down on any one question Use your test booklet as scratch paper Mark the questions in your booklet that you skipped and want to return to
Slide15Test Taking Strategies Cont.
Read each question carefully.
Be sure you know exactly what each question asks
Use the answer choices to help you when you’re unsure. Remember the correct answer is right there on the pageUse POE (process of elimination) to eliminate wrong answer choices Check your answer sheet to make sure you are answering the right questionFill in the circles on your answer sheet completely and in a neat manner
Make sure you use a No. 2 pencil. It is very important that you fill in the entire circle on the answer sheet darkly and completely. If you change your response, erase it as completely as possible
Slide16THE
ACT
YOU
Now take flight, my golden eagles, and show the ACT that you can conquer any of your foes.
Slide17English Basics & Practice
(If we have time.)
Slide18The Basics
This is the first section of the ACT
5 Prose Passages
75 Questions
45 Minutes
9 Minutes Per Passage
●Includes reading the passage
Slide19What Does it Test?
Usage and Mechanics
●40 questions total
●What are some examples?
Rhetorical Skills
●35 questions total
●What are some examples?
Slide20Understanding Answer Choices
2. Which choice will most strongly suggest that the number of people interested in saving old barns is on the rise?
F. NO CHANGE
G. fair
H. growing
J. OMIT the underlined portion
EXAMPLE:
…Because of the industrialization of agriculture and a dwindling number of family farms, however, barns are being torn down at an increasing rate. A
reasonable
number of people are working to reverse that trend, arguing that these grand old buildings are cultural artifacts just as worthy of preservation as other historic structures.
What do they mean by
NO CHANGE
?
What do they mean by
OMIT the underlined portion
?
*not always an answer choice
Slide21ACT English Strategies
Read the entire sentence that the underlined portion is in…this gives you a reference point.
exam
. The
Can you spot the error just by looking at the underlined portion?
Slide22ACT English Strategies
How about now
?
Instead of studying for the
exam. The
students went to a movie.
Slide23ACT English Strategies
Answer every question in a passage before moving on to a new one.
Reread the sentence using the selected answer
.
(This will help you avoid making silly mistakes.)
Slide24ACT English Strategies
Watch out for answer choices that seem right but are redundant!
Canadian currency usually
looks and appears
very different from its American counterpart.
“looks” and “appears” mean the same thing, so you can simplify it by eliminating one of the words.
Remember, you want to choose the BEST possible answer, not just a correct answer.
The best answers are usually simple and concise
.
Slide25ACT English Strategies
Two part answers
can be
difficult
to answer (Yes, because…No, because). Decide if the essay fulfills the writer’s goal, and then determine why or why not the goal is fulfilled. This is often the last question asked in a passage.
Slide26ACT English Strategies
EXAMPLE OF A TWO PART QUESTION
:
Suppose the writer had intended to write an essay about children’s health worldwide. Would this essay accomplish the writer’s goal, and why?
F. Yes, because it discusses the national epidemic of childhood obesity and encourages parents to sign up their children for organized sports.
G. Yes, because it discusses the impact of sports on children’s health.
H. No, because it discusses only two possible explanations for childhood obesity in the US only.
J. No, because it does not discuss the impact of convenience foods on obesity.