ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 15 (May 5)

 Greetings!

The students have done it!  They've reviewed (and re-reviewed) all of the strategies for taking the ACT.  I recently talked with students who had taken this class from me and then took the test.  They said that the tips and strategies not only helped them with the individual tests, but it gave them a greater piece of mind when taking the test.  Research shows that when a person is anxious or overly nervous before doing a big task, they do not do as well.  (See the 2 links below.)

We started the class with working on a sample ACT Essay prompt.  My main goal was for the students to be reminded of the structure and strategies of the test.  One aspect that the evaluators look for are the abilities of the students to analyze and then support their ideas.  These two tasks take some deeper thinking, so I wanted the students to have a little bit more time for thinking through what they might write for a prompt.  After their brainstorming, they sat in small groups to share their ideas.

Our last activity for the day was to do some peer reviews.  Some student brough one of their drafts of their college application essays for others to read.  Often, students are uncomfortable having others read their papers, which is understandable.  

Now, for the nuts and bolts for finishing up the class.  Students can hand in any homework until Saturday morning midnight.  (8:00 am, to be exact.)  All of the remaining homework for the class can be handed in (and returned) via Google Classroom.  I will be sending out grades sometime next week. Look for 2 emails from me:  one the explains how I grade and then the grades themselves.  

This has been a great year with these students.  They're bright and engaging, and they've worked hard this year. Best wishes to them!  I've mentioned to some that if they ever find themselves in Northfield, they are welcome to stop by.  

Blessings!

Mrs. Prichard

Links for this Week

ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 15 (May 5)

May Clinic:  Test Anxiety

Princeton Review:  10 Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 10)

 Greetings!

This week we started right in with the ACT Essay Test.  Our College Essays topic this week included an introduction to the ACT Essay Test.  In the ACT Essay Exam, students are given a topic that elicits multiple perspectives.  They are to develop their own perspective and then compare it with 3 other perspectives.  In the course of their writing, they are to support their viewpoints with details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements.  A basic outline for this essay would look like this:

I.  Introduction -- state the idea presented in the passage and give your perspective as a thesis statement

II.  Explain your perspective and back it up with  details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements

III.  Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

IV.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you kind of agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

V.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly disagree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

VI,  Conclusion -- Summarize the main points of the body and reassert your perspective.

This type of writing can be really challenging, so lots of practice is important.  The students have a take-home ACT test that is due on March 3.  We will continue to brainstorm and talk through multiple prompts for the tests.

After the Essay discussion, we started in with our slides and discussion of the strategies from the Princeton Review's Cracking the ACT.  We've started on the Math section of the ACT and worked through Chapter 11, "No More Algebra."  In this chapter, the writers gave us strategies for answering some kinds of problems without specifically using algebra skills.  By using ballparking (a strategy from Ch. 10), POE (process of elimination), Plugging In (choosing workable numbers for variables) and PITA (plugging in answer options into equations), students can often solve problems more quickly.  As I've stated multiple times in class, the #1 enemy in the whole ACT test-taking process is the lack of time.  If students can employ some test-taking strategies that will buy them time, they will have more time for harder questions and will more likely raise their scores. 

Next week my son Ryan Prichard will be subbing for me.  Our plan is for him to set up the class and I will Zoom in for the ACT slides explanation. 

Assignments for March 4

• Read through Chapter 11 (Actively!)

• Work through the examples and carefully read the explanations 

• Review the Summary

• Algebra Drill on p. 130 (Answers in Ch. 25 on p. 389)

• Bring to class questions about troublesome sections or topics

Links for this week

ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 10)

ACT Plugging in Strategy (This is a really helpful video for practicing the plugging in strategy.)

Some Helpful Math Videos

Note:  Some of the videos are short explanations of strategies, and some are instructional videos that go through actual past tests.  There are also links for information about calculator policies and calculator use. 

5 Hacks for the ACT Math Test (8:19)

Ti-84 Calculator Downloading Programs (9:47)

ACT Math Calculator Skills  (6:46)

Here ACT/SAT Prep (10:27)

     15 Concepts you need to know

Here ACT/SAT Best Math Prep Strategies, Tips, and Tricks  (5:48)

     Using the Answer Choices

ACT Math Practice Test 1 (1:16:19)

    Actual Problems from the Official ACT Prep Pack 2019-2020

Note:  The instructor in this video uses his calculator a lot, so if you are unfamiliar with various possibilities of your calculator, this would be a good video to watch to help you become more familiar.

ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 4 (February 3)

 Greetings!

We covered a lot of material this week, so I bypassed a Quick Write and the Words of the Day.  We've switched from going over strategies and review topics for the English portion of the ACT.  Now we're on to the Math section.  Some of the same strategies apply, but there a number that are specific to answering the math questions.  The Math test is always the second test.  It's a 60 minute test with 60 questions.  Approximately 33 of the questions cover algebra, 23 cover geometry, and 4 are from trigonometry or pre-calculus topics.  We worked through a few practice problems in order to practice some of the strategies.  In the Links section below, I have listed a number of helpful videos specific to the Math portion of the test.

Next week we will work through Chapter 11 -- "No More Algebra."  We'll learn some more strategies and practice them through some of the test questions.  

We've also started learning about the ACT Essay portion of the test.  All of the students in the class have plenty of practice writing essays that have thesis statements, introductions, conclusions, and supporting paragraphs, so composing an essay like this should not bee too difficult.  We will brainstorm a few sample prompts over the next week or so, and then the students will write a couple essays of their own.

Note:  I've included a lot of videos below that would be helpful both for review of grammar topics and for some strategies for taking the test.

Assignments for Next Week:

• Read through Chapters 9 & 10 (Be an active reader!)

• Review the Summary

• Especially mark any areas where you have questions or need further review

• Quiz yourself on the vocabulary list on p. 109 - 110

• Fundamentals Drill on page 113 (Answers in Ch. 25, p. 388)

• Bring to class questions about troublesome sections or topics

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Chapters 9 & 10 Cracking the ACT pdfs

Chapters 9 & 10 Slides

ACT Calculator Policy

Sample ACT Essay Prompts for Brainstorming

Some Helpful English Videos

ACT English Bootcamp #1 -- Introduction

ACT English Bootcamp #2 -- Section Analysis

ACT English Bootcamp #4 -- Core Strategy

ACT English Bootcamp #28 -- Rhetorical Skills

ACT English Bootcamp #29 -- Passage 1

(There are a number of good videos in this series.  Most of them are under 3 minutes, and they include specific grammar topics.  Check them all out)

Some Helpful Math Videos

Note:  Some of the videos are short explanations of strategies, and some are instructional videos that go through actual past tests.  There are also links for information about calculator policies and calculator use. 

5 Hacks for the ACT Math Test (8:19)

Ti-84 Calculator Downloading Programs (9:47)

ACT Math Calculator Skills  (6:46)

Here ACT/SAT Prep (10:27)

     15 Concepts you need to know

Here ACT/SAT Best Math Prep Strategies, Tips, and Tricks  (5:48)

     Using the Answer Choices

ACT Math Practice Test 1 (1:16:19)

    Actual Problems from the Official ACT Prep Pack 2019-2020

Note:  The instructor in this video uses his calculator a lot, so if you are unfamiliar with various possibilities of your calculator, this would be a good video to watch to help you become more familiar.

Blessings!

Mrs. Prichard

ACT Prep Class Notes -- Week 3 (January 27)

 Greetings!

We had a full class this week.   We started the class with some Words of the Day.  I have a list of the top 50 SAT words.  While the ACT does not have a dedicated section for vocabulary, the sections use words commonly found in first-year college level writing.  As we discuss the individual words, I usually pull out Latin or Greek words and discuss related words in an effort to not only expand our vocabulary but also to  build word-decoding skills.

The next portion of the class was spent talking about the basics of writing an essay.  Both the SAT and ACT have an essay portion for which student will show that they know how to write a standard essay.  We covered the types of paragraphs required (introduction, body, and conclusion), the elements of the introduction (hook, thesis, road map/plan of development), and body paragraphs.  This was a brief introduction to the ACT essay, into which we will dive more fully in the coming weeks.  One of the homework assignments includes reading the chapter on the essay test.

This week we worked through Chapters 7 & 8, which are primarily reviews of common grammar topics found in the ACT and examples of some of the rhetorical questions that they will encounter in the English section of the test.  These topics included verbs, passive voice, pronouns, possessive, and contractions.  We used the 5-Step Basic Approach as we worked through the sample problems in the book:

• 5-Step Basic Approach

• Step 1:  Identify the Topic (see p. 35)

• Step 2:  Use POE

• Step 3:  Use the context

• Step 4: Trust your ear, but verify

• Step 5: Don't fix what isn't broken.

Another important set of guidelines to remember when taking the English Test are the 4 Cs:  Complete, consistent, clear, and concise.

The biggest assignment this week is to take the ACT Practice English Test.  At the end of the book are 4 - 6 practice tests (depending on the version of the book you purchased.)  For the practice tests assigned in class, students should use the first exam.  Students need to set aside 45 minutes to take this test and should try to mimic a test-taking environment as closely as they can:  sitting upright at a table/desk, brightly lit room, minimal sound and visual distractions, etc.  In addition to taking the practice test, they must correct it using the key at the end of the test.  This is an important step -- learning what you did wrong and why is more important than doing it the right way!  I'm assigning it this week, but it doesn't need to be handed in for 2 weeks.   

Assignments for Next Week:

• Read through Chapters 7 & 8  (Be an active reader!)

• Especially read the practice/example questions & explanations

• Review the Summary at the ends of each chapter

• English Drill 2 on p. 70 - 71.  (Answers in Ch. 25, p. 385)

• Rhetorical Skills Drill on p. 84 - 85 (Answers in Ch. 25, p. 387 - 388)

• Review the following topics as needed:  

• Verbs, indefinite pronouns, prepositional phrases, apostrophes, transitions, etc.

• Bring to class questions about troublesome sections or topics

• Practice English Test (45 minutes) p. 416 – 429

• Correct your test and read explanations for missed test questions (p. 477 - 495)

Links for This Week:

Class Notes

Chapters 7 & 8 Cracking the ACT (pdf)

Chapter 7 & 8 Slides

ACT Related Videos

3 Must Know Tips for English Test

4 Major Rules for Commas for the ACT

Number 1 Tip for the English Test

10 Quick Hints for the English Test

ACT Grammar Top Punctuation Rules

Have a great weekend!  Stay warm!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 7 (March 11)

 Greetings!

Just a quick note about this week's online class.  For beginners, I made the class more challenging by accidentally turning OFF the ability for students to unmute themselves, to turn their cameras on, and to make comments in the CHAT. Thankfully, with the help of the students, I realized the problem, fixed it, and then could go on with the class.

For the ACT Prep section of the class, we are still in the Math section of the test.  I give this section more time so that students can figure out what they need to review before taking the test.  I also feel that having more time to practice the strategies helps be more prepared for those Math topics about which they are not as knowledgeable.  Next week we will cover coordinate geometry and then be done with the Math section.

For the College Writing section of the test, I reminded students to do the second Practice ACT Essay Exam, and then I talked about why the College Application Essay is important.  My hope is that doing a practice application essay in this class will either give the students something they can use in a college application or give the students a springboard for an even better essay.

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy our spring weather!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week:

• Read through Chapter 13

• Be an active reader and highlight important tips and/or information

• Flag or write questions about topics that need further review

• Word Problems Drill on p. 187 (Answers in Ch. 25 on p. 390)

• Read the Summary on 188

• Practice ACT Essay Exam #2

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 6 (March 4)

 Greetings!

This week, as with every week, we covered a lot of ground.  We started with a Quick Write in which I asked the students to list the strategies that we had learned so far. It's important to continually review these so that they are at the students' "fingertips" when they take the test.

During the ACT Prep portion of today's class we continued to review for the Math portion of the test.  We reviewed basic strategies to be used for this test:  ballparking, POE (process of elimination), Plugging In, and Plugging in the Answers (PITA).  For each Math test question, students should follow the same Basic Approach:  1) Know the question; 2) Let the answers help; and 3) Break the problem into bite-sized pieces.  A challenge with a number of test questions is two-fold:  geometry questions combine algebraic reasoning, and many questions have so much information that they become word problems.  I added to Google Classroom a post with a number of helpful Math videos.  

Our College Essays topic this week included an review of the ACT Essay Test.  This test is structured differently than the SAT, but both of the tests are designed with the types of writing required in college in mind.  Rather than analyzing and evaluating the persuasive writing of a passage, students are given a topic that elicits multiple perspectives.  They are to develop their own perspective and then compare it with 3 other perspectives.  In the course of their writing, they are to support their viewpoints with details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements.  A basic outline for this essay would look like this:

I.  Introduction -- state the idea presented in the passage and give your perspective as a thesis statement

II.  Explain your perspective and back it up with  details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements

III.  Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

IV.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you kind of agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

V.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly disagree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

VI,  Conclusion -- Summarize the main points of the body and reassert your perspective.

This type of writing can be really challenging, so lots of practice is important.  The students have a take-home ACT test for next week, and we will continue to brainstorm and talk through multiple tests.

Have a great weekend!  The weather looks to be marvelous, so get some fresh air!!!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week:

• Read through Chapter 12

• Be an active reader and highlight important tips and/or information

• Flag or write questions about topics that need further review

• Read through the “Fun Facts” on p. 156 - 159

• Review the formulas on p. 160 - 161

• Review the vocabulary on p. 162

• Geometry Drill on p. 163 (Answers in Ch. 25 on p. 390)

• Read the Summary on 164 – 165

• Practice ACT Essay Exam #1 (I handed out Practice Exam #2, but it is not due)

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 18)

 Greetings!

This week we started right in with our slides and discussion of the strategies from the Princeton Review's Cracking the ACT.  We've started on the Math section of the ACT and worked through Chapter 11, "No More Algebra."  In this chapter, the writers gave us strategies for answering some kinds of problems without specifically using algebra skills.  By using ballparking (a strategy from Ch. 10), POE (process of elimination), Plugging In (choosing workable numbers for variables) and PITA (plugging in answer options into equations), students can often solve problems more quickly.  As I've stated multiple times in class, the #1 enemy in the whole ACT test-taking process is the lack of time.  If students can employ some test-taking strategies that will buy them time, they will have more time for harder questions and will more likely raise their scores. In last week's class notes, I included a number of videos that would be helpful.  

Our College Essays topic this week included an introduction to the ACT Essay Test.  In the ACT Essay Exam, students are given a topic that elicits multiple perspectives.  They are to develop their own perspective and then compare it with 3 other perspectives.  In the course of their writing, they are to support their viewpoints with details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements.  A basic outline for this essay would look like this:

I.  Introduction -- state the idea presented in the passage and give your perspective as a thesis statement

II.  Explain your perspective and back it up with  details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements

III.  Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

IV.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you kind of agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

V.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly disagree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

VI,  Conclusion -- Summarize the main points of the body and reassert your perspective.

This type of writing can be really challenging, so lots of practice is important.  The students have a take-home ACT test for next week, and we will continue to brainstorm and talk through multiple tests.

Assignments for March 4

• Read through Chapter 11 (Actively!)

• Work through the examples and carefully read the explanations 

• Review the Summary

• Algebra Drill on p. 130 (Answers in Ch. 25 on p. 389)

• Bring to class questions about troublesome sections or topics

• Note: I had my weeks wrong with the ACT Practice Essay Exam. I gave students the exam and paper for writing it, and they can feel free to do it some time over the next 2 weeks. It is not due until March ll.

Links for this week

Class Notes

Class Notes for 2/11 with Math videos

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 3 (February 4)

 Greetings!

We had a different class this week because 1/2 of our students were attending via Zoom due to the weather.  Unfortunately for those in the classroom, they were the ones who had to answer all of the questions for our sample problems.

This week we worked through Chapters 7 & 8, which are primarily reviews of common grammar topics found in the ACT and examples of some of the rhetorical questions that they will encounter in the English section of the test.  These topics included verbs, passive voice, pronouns, possessive, and contractions.  We used the 5-Step Basic Approach as we worked through the sample problems in the book:

• 5-Step Basic Approach

• Step 1:  Identify the Topic (see p. 35)

• Step 2:  Use POE

• Step 3:  Use the context

• Step 4: Trust your ear, but verify

• Step 5: Don't fix what isn't broken.

Another important set of guidelines to remember when taking the English Test are the 4 Cs:  Complete, consistent, clear, and concise.

The end of the class was devoted to an introduction to the ACT Essay Exam.  As we work through the chapters of our book, Cracking the ACT, we will simultaneously be doing some writing.  Since the essay portion of the exam is a little more demanding than the multiple choice section of the other tests, we will take sufficient time throughout the semester to brainstorm possible responses and to do practice essay exams.

Assignments for Next Week:

• Read through Chapters 7 & 8  (Be an active reader!)

• Especially read the practice/example questions & explanations

• Review the Summary

• English Drill 2 on p. 70 - 71.  (Answers in Ch. 25, p. 385)

• Rhetorical Skills Drill on p. 84 - 85 (Answers in Ch. 25, p. 387 - 388)

• Review the following topics as needed:  

• Verbs, indefinite pronouns, prepositional phrases, apostrophes, transitions, and concision 

• Bring to class questions about troublesome sections or topics

• Practice English Test (45 minutes) p. 416 – 429

• Correct your test and read explanations for missed test questions (p. 477 - 495)

Links for This Week:

Class Notes

Chapter 7 & 8 Slides

ACT Related Videos

3 Must Know Tips for English Test
4 Major Rules for Commas for the ACT
Number 1 Tip for the English Test
10 Quick Hints for the English Test
ACT Grammar Top Punctuation Rules

ACT Grammar Tips -- Comma Rules

ACT Multiple Choice Strategies

Have a great weekend!  Stay warm!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Tamera M. Prichard

Writing Instructor at CHAT

Writing 1, Writing 2, Writing 3

ACT Prep, British Literature

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 8 (Oct. 10)

Greetings!

This week we covered a lot of ground.  I began the class with 3 unusual Words of the Day (Gluggavedur, tidsoptimist, and dysania) and had the students make up definitions using clues from the roots and/or sounds of the words.  From this, we had a brief discussion about how to decode words in a text that are unfamiliar and how to prepare for the kind of reading that is required on the ACT.  After Fall Break we will start work on the Reading portion of the test where familiarity with a large vocabulary and speed in reading will be important.

For the ACT portion of the class, we covered Chapters 14, 15, and 16, which were the final chapters of the Math Test.  I've intentionally taken a longer time on the portion because my experience is that students struggle if they need to speed through the review of the math concepts.  Because my goal is to review and to practice strategies for working through the tests, I did not spend long on Chapters 15 and 16 where students would be learning new information.  One of the strategies for ACT is to review and work on areas of strength to make them stronger and to not try to learn something new just for the test.  We have the "Letter of the Day" strategy for those "Never" problems.  

If there is an a topic on the Math test that a student would like to learn, Khan Academy has some excellent videos.  They are to take a practice ACT Math Test before the next class.

For the ACT Essay portion, I showed a short video from SuperTutorTV about Dos and Don'ts of the ACT Essay.  We discussed the video and reviewed organizational options for the essay.  Students are to take one more ACT Practice Essay test before the next class.  That will conclude our SAT and ACT essay portion of the class, and we will start working on college application essays.

Assignments for Oct. 24

-- Read Ch. 14, 15, and 16

-- Complete and correct the Trigonometry Drill

-- Complete and correct the Advanced Math Drill

-- Complete and correct the Practice Math Test from the first practice test in the book.  Find a quiet place and set the timer for 60 minutes.  Good luck!!

-- Finish the Take Home ACT test.  Set a timer for 40 minutes.  Again, Good luck.

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Words of the Day:  (Gluggavedur, tidsoptimist, and dysania)

Dos and Don'ts of the ACT Essay.  

Have a great Fall Break!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 7 (Oct. 3)

Greetings!

We continued to work on the Math portion of the ACT this week.  I'm intentionally going more slowly through this  part of the test because many students find that they need more time to review math-related concepts.  This week's chapter included percentages, averages, weighted averages, and probability.  We only got partway through the chapter, so I expect students to work through the whole chapter, including the practice questions and explanations.  The explanations are especially helpful because they will help the students to think like the test writers and to develop some short cuts in working through the problems.  Working a lot of problems is a key strategy to preparing for the test.

A note about homework:  I mentioned to the students this week that not doing  the homework and not reading the chapters only disadvantages themselves.  Sometimes students have a hard time seeing the importance of homework and feel that they are doing worksheets and assignments for the teachers' sake.  This is one class that I can guarantee that they will benefit themselves by doing the homework.  

For the ACT Essay portion of the class we turned to the sample our Cracking the ACT book.  We discussed a basic approach to answering the questions and a strategy for organizing the essay.  I've included the notes from this part of the discussion on a separate blog post; it includes a good summary of who to brainstorm and how to organize the ACT Essay.

Assignments for Next Week: 

-- Read Chapter 13 -- flag problems or explanations that need further explanation or review

-- Word Problems Drill (p.187)  Remember to correct your drill and read the explanations

-- Summary (p. 188)

-- Practice brainstorming the ACT Essay using the prompt on p. 376

-- Read Ch. 24 (Writing) p. 358 - 375

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Basic Approach to Writing the ACT Essay

Practicing Percentages on the ACT

How to Solve Percent Problems

How to Solve Difficult Average Problems

ACT Math:  Permutations and Combinations

ACT Math:  How to do Permutations

ACT Math:  How to find Combinations

Dos and Don'ts of the ACT Essay

3 Steps to a Perfect ACT Writing Score

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Basic Approach to Writing the ACT Essay

Basic Approach:

• Read the Prompt
• Form your own perspective
• Read Perspectives 1, 2,  and 3
• Determine the points in which you agree or disagree
• Brainstorm specific points to write about that include the following
• 1 - 2 sentences that explain the main point of the passage
• 1 sentence the states your opinion
• Brainstorm your argument (i.e. explain why you are right)
• Think of details and explanations to support your argument and perspective
• Explain how your perspective interacts with the 3 perspectives given:
• Work from the one you agree with the most to the one you agree with the least
• Brainstorm concluding remarks
• Organize your essay before writing:

I.  Introduction -- make sure you state the focus of the passage

II.  Explain your perspective 

A.  Clearly state your perspective

B.  Give a clear argument regarding how your perspective is the right one

C,  Include specific details to support your argument 

1.  Make up or give actual statistics/data if you need

2.  Make up or give actual stories if you need

III.  Address the perspective you most agree with

A.  Compare similarities and differences

B.  Include specific details to support your comparisons, if necessary

1.  Make up or give actual statistics/data if you need

2.  Make up or give actual stories if you need

III.  Address the perspective you kind of agree with and kind of disagree with

A.  Compare similarities and differences
B.  Include specific details to support your comparisons, if necessary

1.  Make up or give actual statistics/data if you need

2.  Make up or give actual stories if you need

III.  Address the perspective you most disagree with

A.  Compare similarities and differences

B.  Include specific details to support your comparisons, if necessary

1.  Make up or give actual statistics/data if you need

2.  Make up or give actual stories if you need

IV.  Conclusion

A.  Restate the focus of the passage

B.  Restate your thesis (i.e. your perspective)

C.  Summarize the issues with Perspectives 1, 2, and 3

D.  Leave concluding thoughts that solidify your viewpoint.

• START WRITING!! 

ACT Prep & College Writing Class Notes -- Week 6 (Sept. 26)

Greetings!

We worked hard today and covered a lot of material.  I started with a short video about random reasons that colleges might not accept an application.  Knowing some of these dynamics can help students be proactive in avoiding the random whims related to the human element and the strategic inclinations of college development.  Some tips that we derived from this video included being memorable in a good way, expressing knowledge of and enthusiasm for the college, and finding advocates connected to the college of choice.  By the way, the videos by Brooke Hanson of SupertutorTV are really helpful, so I've included a link to her YouTube channel.

During the ACT Prep portion of today's class we continued to review for the Math portion of the test.  We reviewed basic strategies to be used for this test:  ballparking, POE (process of elimination), Plugging In, and Plugging in the Answers (PITA).  For each Math test question, students should follow the same Basic Approach:  1) Know the question; 2) Let the answers help; and 3) Break the problem into bite-sized pieces.  A challenge with a number of test questions is two-fold:  geometry questions combine algebraic reasoning, and many questions have so much information that they become word problems.

Our College Essays topic this week included an introduction to the ACT Essay Test.  This test is structured differently than the SAT, but both of the tests are designed with the types of writing required in college in mind.  Rather than analyzing and evaluating the persuasive writing of a passage, students are given a topic that elicits multiple perspectives.  They are to develop their own perspective and then compare it with 3 other perspectives.  In the course of their writing, they are to support their viewpoints with details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements.  A basic outline for this essay would look like this:

I.  Introduction -- state the idea presented in the passage and give your perspective as a thesis statement

II.  Explain your perspective and back it up with  details, logical arguments, and persuasive elements

III.  Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

IV.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you kind of agree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

V.   Compare your perspective with the perspective that you mostly disagree with.  Unpack that perspective to explain its strengths and weaknesses.

VI,  Conclusion -- Summarize the main points of the body and reassert your perspective.

This type of writing can be really challenging, so lots of practice is important.  The students have a take-home ACT test for next week, and we will continue to brainstorm and talk through multiple tests.

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read through Chapter 12 - Plane Geometry

     -- Be an active reader and flag any math or strategy topics that are causing you trouble.

-- Read through the "Fun Facts" on p. 156 - 159

-- Review the formulas on p. 160 - 161

-- Complete the Geometry Drill on p. 163 and correct it.

-- Read the Summary on p. 164 - 165

-- Take the first ACT Essay Take Home Test

-- NOTE:  A couple of students mentioned that they were missing some homework.  If that is the case for any of you, please check past Class Note emails or blog entries for attachments or links.

Links for This Week

Class Notes

5 Random Reasons Why Colleges Might Reject You

Brooke Hanson & SupertutorTV

ACT Take Home Test #1

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard