ACT Practice Tests & Incentives

Students, the ACT is less than a month away and the time to get very serious about preparing for it is upon us.

I have created an ACT dropbox containing 6 publicly released tests:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r5ddcnv6o91dd1x/AABrCBqkzKY2yThGeVr4-2dTa?dl=0

For every practice test a student completes over Spring Break, I am going to give them 3 bonus points on their final Fourth Nine Weeks Grade. This means a student who completes all 6 tests (which would be very time-consuming but extremely helpful to them) will receive nearly 20 points and will almost certainly not have to take the final exam.

The students must not only take an entire practice test to get the points, but they must score them so they can learn from their mistakes (the answers are at the end of each test). Then, for each section of each test, they must provide a one-sentence written explanation as to why they got ten of the questions wrong. For example, an explanation of a wrong answer on the English test could be “The answer was D because two independent clauses must be joined by a comma and coordinating conjunction.”

You do not have to print out the tests to take them, but you can if you want. If you take them on the computer, you should write your answers and explanations on a piece of paper. I will collect all the practice tests and explanations when we return from Spring Break.

Moreover, I am going to put up a $50 gift card to be raffled off to a student who completes at least one practice test.

My hope is that these incentives will motivate students to independently prepare for the ACT, which is less than a month away. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Third Nine Weeks Project Standards

RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. 

W.11-12.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. 

 

• W.11-12.1.a: Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. 
• W.11-12.1.b: Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. 
• W.11-12.1.c: Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. 
• W.11-12.1.d: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. 
• W.11-12.1.e: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented. 

W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 

W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. 

SL.11-12.3: Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. 

SL.11-12.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. 

L.11-12.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. 

Third Nine Weeks Project Rubric

Click here to see the rubric I will use when grading your essays. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the rubric prior to submitting your essay.

Third Nine Weeks Project Directions

In class, we have analyzed the new ACT Writing section. We have discussed how the new section differs from the old section. Specifically, the new section makes us engage with a broader range of subject matter, offers different points of access to the issue, forces us to engage in more real-world argumentation, and provides us with more structure for planning as well as more time for composing.

On the surface, the new section seems harder than the old one where we simply had to take a pro/con position against a simple issue and flesh out our argument. However, as we discussed, the new section may actually be easier as it provides us with an opportunity to critically engage with more diverse perspectives and set ourselves apart from our competitors on the ACT (who may not even know about the new format of the section).

In order to aid us in our attack on the ACT Writing section, I have devised my own template for you to use on the test. We will study the template in depth during class. I will model its use for you, and you will practice using it several times before you use it to draft your project essay. 

Before we even use the template though, we will work on brainstorming ideas based on ACT Writing prompts. During the 40 minute ACT Writing test, I want you to spend the first 5 minutes simply reading the prompts and brainstorming. The ideas you come up with during that time will form the basis for your essay, so these are perhaps the most important 5 minutes of the test. During this time, you will consider all three perspectives provided by the ACT, you will select one, and you will generate ideas supporting your idea and combatting the other two.

The next step will be planning, which I expect will take you about 10 minutes. This is when we will use our template to draft an outline of our essay. Our essay will be four paragraphs long, and each paragraph will be 5 sentences. The first paragraph will introduce and expand on our argument, the second and third will defend against our opponents’ perspectives while adding more credence to our own, and the fourth will provide context as well as a summary conclusion.

I have invented a simple acronym to help you remember the template:

TREES-OUCHY-OUCHY-CRASH

Just imagine someone falling from the sky into a tree and you will have it memorized.

The blank template can be found here. An explanatory template with the purpose of each sentence can be found here. A completed outline (handwritten) responding to an ACT prompt can be found here. Finally, a completed, abbreviated response to an ACT prompt using the template and outline can be found here.

Once we have completed our outline, we will spend 20 minutes drafting our essay. It is important that we write in a clear, concise manner. We must also use precise word choice so we can be as convincing as possible. We will ensure that we establish a clear perspective on the stated issue. We will also be able to easily bring our perspective into a dialogue with other perspectives. We will generate specific examples that are relevant to the problem that is being presented. We will bolster those examples by exploring their larger implications. Our essays will be well-organized and guide the reader using transitions that link the relationships between our ideas. We will also use correct grammar, syntax, and mechanics while writing in a formal tone appropriate to our audience. 

Finally, during the last 5 minutes, we will review our essay and correct any errors.

During the month of February, we will become ACT Writing masters using this template. I will model it in class, we will practice it in pairs and groups, we will write practice essays, and - finally - we will write and upload finished products to this site.

In sum, we will practice hard and succeed on the ACT Writing test because we will have a plan!

Second Nine Weeks Project Hall of Fame

Please click the links below to see the 10 student papers that best demonstrated the knowledge and skills required by this project. 

Antoinette Smith
Charmara Smith
Devonta Brown
Jocelyn Collins
Tylicia Hawkins
Joshua M. Jones
Andrea Morillon
Angel Reyes
LaDarrius Streeter
Thomas Williams

Second Nine Weeks Project Submissions

Turn in your project by posting it to the internet (click "Share" then "Get Link"), copying the internet link, pasting the link in a comment below, clicking submit, and then answering the anti-spam question.

Make sure to include your name, block, and the subject of your project in your comment.

Example:

Randall Hall

A1
George Washington Carver

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lf15K9GutvuDCcQLiRKbeD10mvYb_RCJc5P8aKqaS0w/edit?usp=sharing

Second Nine Weeks Project Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B: Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.C: Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D: Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.F: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 11-12 here.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.