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Preparing for the ACT Science Reasoning Test

Preparing for the ACT Science Reasoning Test. Central Cabarrus High School – January 2014. The Big Picture. Notice it’s called the Science Reasoning Test, not the Science Content Test. Reading passages and questions will come from Earth & Space Science Biology Chemistry Physics

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Preparing for the ACT Science Reasoning Test

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  1. Preparing for the ACT Science Reasoning Test Central Cabarrus High School – January 2014

  2. The Big Picture • Notice it’s called the Science Reasoning Test, not the Science Content Test. • Reading passages and questions will come from • Earth & Space Science • Biology • Chemistry • Physics • BUT, the test is about your understanding of scientific data, regardless of its source… • In fact, the test will give you all the information you need.

  3. The Basics • You will have 35 minutes to • Read 7 “passages” (text, tables, and graphs), and • Answer 40 questions • You will need to use your time very wisely!! • There are 3 types of passageswhich can be identified by the number of questions that come after them: • Data Representation – 5 questions • Research Summaries – 6 questions • Conflicting Viewpoints – 7 questions • There will be 3 Data Representations, 3 Research Summaries, and 1 Conflicting Viewpoint.

  4. Passage Types • Data Representation • Present one or more charts (tables, graphs, illustrations) • Questions test your understanding of and ability to use the information presented in the charts. • Research Summaries • Present data from two or three related investigations • Questions test your understanding of and ability to use the information presented in the charts. • Conflicting Viewpoints • Present two or three explanations of an observable phenomenon • Questions test your understanding of and ability to compare and contrast the explanations (viewpoints)

  5. Question Types – DR & RS • The questions for DR & RS passages will ask you to • “Read the Chart” • Identify specific information – pull it from the chart • “Use the Chart” • Use the information to make an inference or prediction • “Handle the Data” • Manipulate or transform the data between words and numbers • “Take the Next Step” • Extend the experiment given a specific goal

  6. Question Types - CV • The questions for CV passages will ask you to • “Identify details” • Identify specific information in the explanations • “Make inferences” • Draw out implied information in the explanations • “Compare and contrast” • Analyze similarities and differences between the explanations

  7. Reading the Passage • Read the passage for a general understanding • What is being tested? • What concepts are involved • Why is it being tested? • What relationship is being shown • What are the variables and controls/constants? • Remember these… independent, dependent… (x-axis, y-axis) • Leave detailed analysis of the data until needed to answer a question and don’t get bogged down in the jargon…

  8. Answering the Questions • Read the question (restate it in your own words if needed) • Make sure you know the information being sought • Refer back to the passage • Here’s when you dig into and analyze the data • Create an answer in your own words • Avoid being influenced by “distractor” ideas in test answers • Match your answer to the test’s answers • If nothing matches, you misunderstood something • Check the question and passage again or move on to the next

  9. But Keep These in Mind… • Base your answers on the passage!!! • External knowledge has the potential to hurt you • For example, some of the ideas presented in the Conflicting Viewpoints may be incorrect (e.g., “the asthenosphere is in the lower crust” when, of course, you know it’s in the mantle…) • Use only the information presented in the test. • Answers generally get increasingly difficult, so • You should be able to answers the early questions easily • They tend to be “read the chart” and “identify details” questions • If you can’t, you’ve likely misunderstood something

  10. How to Get to Carnegie Hall… • Practice, practice, practice!!! • ACT’s practice test • http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/science/sci_01.html • McGraw-Hill’s ACT prep site • http://www.mhpracticeplus.com/act.php • (has two practice sites as well as some instructional videos) • [View presentation as a “slideshow” to activate hyperlinks]

  11. Need More Help? • I’m available for after-school tutoring • Thursdays from 2:30 – 3:30 pm • Or contact me to arrange a mutually convenient time…

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