MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SAT and College Readiness
Language Arts
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education: Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
SAT and College Readiness Course Curriculum
I. OVERVIEW
The SAT and College Readiness Course is an eleventh grade (second semester) and twelfth grade (first semester) college-bound elective. The goal of instruction
for this course is to prepare students for success in standardized test taking (HSPA, SAT, and ACT) and to prepare students for success in college reading and
writing assignments. Emphasis is placed on critical reading skills, writing as a process, vocabulary building, grammar and usage, and test taking strategies. The
materials will be taken from College Board publications, including the school’s subscription to the on-line course materials on CollegeBoard.com, the English
Department’s HSPA resources, guides to the ACT, The Elements of Style, the Sadlier-Oxford vocabulary series, as well as high caliber periodicals in the fields
of science, history, art, and literature. The course serves to support the skills delivered in the student’s regular English class, with special focus on the analysis of
non-fiction, an emphasis on high frequency grammar and usage problems, the development of brainstorming techniques for the differing standardized writing
prompts, in addition to the development of a college essay.
II. RATIONALE
College bound students need to be taught the proper academic habits (active reading), critical thinking processes (deductive and inductive reasoning), and
language arts skills (vocabulary building, grammar and usage, and writing processes) which will enable them to excel on college entrance examinations and in
freshman composition courses. All levels of English I-IV provide excellent preparation for the analysis of literature (primarily fictional, narrative texts),
opportunities for vocabulary building, and for the development of the process writing approach. This course is a supplement to those skills and an extension in
the following areas: analyzing the rhetorical strategies at work in pieces of non-fiction, understanding the different methods of forming a persuasive argument,
providing the additional practice time and feedback necessary for students to familiarize themselves with standardized test material, and to give them a forum to
debrief about test taking strategies, including process of elimination for a variety of different question types, and to discuss with each other and the instructor
what strategies work best for them. As a result, the course will focus on process and content. In addition, although the course may focus on some different
discrete objectives than are found in the regular English classroom, emphasis with be placed on the seamlessness of all critical thinking and language arts skills
both across the curriculum and in the different testing and classroom contexts.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
STUDENT OUTCOMES (Link to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards)
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
STRATEGIES
EVALUATION
Items III.-VI. are combined on the chart below
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
2 weeks
to introduce
Essential Questions and
Content
What is critical/active
reading?
Daily use of
What does it consist of in
critical reading
process and what does it
skills.
look like in practice?
Task rotation
Standards
What is a logical fallacy?
Evaluation
Met
3.1.E.1
3.1.G.1
3.1.G.6
3.1.G.9
3.1.G.10
Describe their own critical
reading process.
Use their process in all
subsequent reading
assignments.
I
n
D
o
Strategies
Completed critical reading
proposal where the student
will describe his/her process
and agree to practice it
Reading assignments.
habitually.
Class discussion.
Timed In-Class reading.
Guided reading.
3.2.B.1
3.2.B.2
How does active reading of 3.2.B.4
non-fictional or non3.2.D.3
narrative texts differ
from reading fictional,
3.3.A.2
narrative texts?
3.3.B.4,5,6
3.3.C.2
What is a claim, an
3.4.B.1
3.4.B.3
assumption, an inference?
3.5.C.3
What is inductive and
deductive reasoning?
What is a pattern of
development?
Student Outcomes
Daily critical reading checks. Small group discussion.
Recognize the different
rhetorical strategies used
Quizzes on the different
Graphic organizers.
in non-fiction as opposed to
fiction.
rhetorical strategies and
how they are used.
Timed In-Class writing.
Answering multiple choice
and open-ended questions
Evaluating models using different
rhetorical strategies and different
organizing principles.
Identify claims and
assumptions in an essay.
Draw inferences from a given
text.
Recognize how different
arguments/essays are
structured.
Outline the structure of
of an argument.
Completed essays using
these rhetorical devices
and organizing structures.
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
1 week to
introduce
Essential Questions and
Content
What are the elements
of fiction/narrative
writing?
Task rotation
What are the most
commonly used and
tested literary devices?
Standards
What elements are measured
by the HSPA rubric?
What is the relationship
between conflict and theme?
Evaluation
Met
3.1.G.2
3.1.G.6,7,8
3.1.G.11
Recognize the elements of
a short story.
3.2.A.2,6
Identify and define the
3.2.B.1,8,9
commonly used and tested
3.2.D.2
literary devices: attitude, tone,
3.3.A.2
How does critical reading
3.3.B.4,6
3.3.C.2
of a narrative piece differ
3.4.B.1
from that of a non-fictional 3.5.C.3
piece?
What are the elements
that comprise a strong
picture prompt response?
Student Outcomes
I
n
D
o
Strategies
Daily critical reading.
Reading assignments.
Quizzes on literary devices.
Timed In-Class reading.
Guided reading.
Completed picture prompts.
(timed and untimed)
Class discussion.
Guided analysis of narratives.
mood, satire, imagery, irony,
foreshadowing, flashback,
Completed narratives.
Small group discussion.
point of view, personification,
Answer multiple choice and
Graphic organizers.
onomatopoeia, hyperbole,
allegory, simile, metaphor,
symbolism, and oxymoron.
open-ended questions based
on narrative passages.
Timed In-Class writing.
Analyze narratives using the
rubric.
Written analysis of
short fiction.
Develop a consistent prewriting
strategy and structure for picture
prompts.
Derive plausible themes from
the conflicts of a story.
Review NJ Holistic Scoring Rubric
Practice scoring of models using
NJ rubric
View models and guided practice
of prewriting and organizing
strategies.
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
1 week to
introduce
Essential Questions and
Content
What are the different types
of reading questions used
on all standardized tests?
Task rotation
Standards
3.1.F.1,2,3
3.1.G.1,9
3.2.D.3
How do I approach each
3.3.B.4,6
type of question?
3.3.C.2
What critical vocabulary
do I need to know to simply
understand the question?
How do I approach a
double passage?
What is connotation &
denotation?
How do I breakdown a word
I’ve never seen before?
Evaluation
Met
3.3.A.2
How do I approach
Sentence completion
questions on the SAT?
Student Outcomes
3.4.A.1,2
3.4.B.1
Identify the following types
Quizzes on the different
of questions: 1) Specific Detail, types of questions.
2) Word-In-Context, 3) Main
Idea, 4) Attitude, Mood, &
Written debriefing on
Tone, 5) Inference, 6) Style
& Logic.
Proper approaches to use for
Each type of question.
I
n
D
o
Strategies
Class discussion of question types
and teacher guided walk through
of the proper approach for each.
Use of collegeboard.com to
evaluate question types and
Develop the proper approach
to each type of reading
Reading passages and
question, Sentence completion
answering multiple choice
Timed reading passages and
questions, and double
passage questions.
Questions using proper
Strategies.
questions (in-class and for
homework) for HSPA, SAT, and
ACT.
Use vocabulary strategies (such
as context clues, structural
analysis, and word derivations)
to determine meaning.
Determine if the word has
a positive or negative
connotation.
Memorize high frequency words
solutions.
Quizzes on prefixes.
suffixes, and common
word roots.
Daily Do-Nows
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
2 days to
introduce
question
strategies
Essential Questions and
Content
Task rotation
Student Outcomes
Evaluation
Met
I
n
D
o
Strategies
What are the different types
of writing multiple choice
questions on the SAT and
how do I approach each
3.1.G.6
3.2.A.4
3.2.C.1,2,3
3.2.C.4,5,6
Develop the proper approach
Written debriefing on proper
for the following question
Approaches to use for each
types: 1) Identifying the error, type of question.
2) Improving Sentences, and 3)
Reading assignments from
The Elements of Style.
type of question?
3.3.A.2
Improving Paragraphs
Answering SAT multiple
and guided analysis of
choice questions.
problematic sentences.
Grammar quizzes.
Peer-evaluations of student writing.
2 new rules per
week.
Standards
3.3.B.2,6
3.3.C.2
What kinds of grammar and 3.4.A.1,2
Learn how to identify and/or
correct the following grammar
usage problems appear
& usage problems: 1) Subject
most frequently on the
the SAT?
What kind of grammar and
usage problems can I
find in my writing and the
writing of my classmates?
3.4.B.1
Verb Agreement, 2) Pronoun
Agreement, 3) Subordination &
Coordination, 4) Verb Tense,
5) Parallelism, 6) Faulty
Comparisons, 7) Comma Splices
8) Active and Passive Constrtn.,
9) Misplaced Modifiers,
10) Idioms, and 11)
Class discussion of rules
Student completed writing sections
of actual SAT tests.
Use of collegeboard.com to
evaluate question types and
solutions.
Grammar exercises.
Daily Do-Nows
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
Essential Questions and
Content
1 week total
to introduce
brainstorming
and
development
How do I approach the
following standardized
writing tasks: 1) the SAT
of each type
Prompt, Persuasive essay,
Standards
Student Outcomes
Evaluation
Met
3.1.G.1,4,5,10 Use academic examples to
Essays in timed settings.
3.1.H.6
answer SAT essay prompts
3.2.A.1-7
In a timed environment .
Student reflections on essays.
Use argumenta tive strategies to
Essay, 2) the HSPA Picture 3.2.B.3,4,5
Rough drafts.
write a persuasive essay in
3.2.B.8,9,11
I
n
D
o
Strategies
View model essays.
Guided practice of prewriting and
organizing strategies.
timed environment .
Evidence of pre-writing.
Independent practice.
Use literary devices to write a
picture
in
timed picture prompt
Final pieces.
Review NJ Holistic Scoring Rubric
How do I approach the
3.2.D.1,2
3.2.D.3,5,7
college essay?
3.3.A.2
Analyze excellent examples and
Practice scoring of models using
poor examples of each type of
writing task.
Rubric.
of writing task. and Open-Ended questions ? 3.2.C.1-6
Task rotation.
3.3.B.4,5,6
What are the different ways 3.3.C.1,2
to develop an argument?
3.4.A.1,2,3
3.4.B.1,2,3
What are appeals?
3.5.C.3
What are the different ways
to organize an argument?
How is the NJ Holistic
Scoring Rubric broken
down?
Timed SAT essays.
Use lists and graphic organizers
for prewriting and organizing
essays.
Timed Persuasive prompts.
Timed Picture prompts.
Support ideas with facts,
examples, explanations ,
and descriptions.
Recognize the elements of a
perfect open-ended response.
Use collegeboard.com to
evaluate sample responses
and rubric.
Course: SAT and College Readiness
Suggested
Time Line
Essential Questions and
Content
(as above)
Standards
Student Outcomes
Met
(as above)
How can I apply my
knowledge of this rubric
to my writing?
(as above)
Determine places in their
Writing that needs
Improvement.
How do I fit my ideas into
the structure of an essay?
Use rubric to evaluate model
and student responses.
How do writer’s use
transitions, effective diction,
and vary sentence
structure?
How does one read like a
writer?
Evaluation
I
n
D
o
(as above)
Strategies
I.
REQUIRED RESOURCES
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
10 Real SATs
The Official SAT Study Guide by the College Board
CollegeBoard.com
Excerpts from The Bedford Reader, 8th edition by Kennedy, Kennedy, and Aaron
Excerpts from the McDougal Littell literature anthologies
Excerpts from Dialogues, 3rd edition by Goshgarian, Krueger, and Barnett Minc
The Madison English Department’s HSPA resources
Articles from The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper’s Monthly, The Atlantic Monthly, Discovery Magazine, National Geographic , and other periodicals
The Official Guide to the ACT
The Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Series
and a list of challenging, high frequency words, and question strategies compiled by Jason Ellrott
I. High Frequency Words
The following words have all been used in the questions or answer choices of College Board constructed tests. Most of these terms are logic terms and are
necessary for the student to understand the question: abstract, accentuate, acquisitive, acumen, advocate, aesthetics, alienated, anachronism, assertion, assume, belie, betray
(to give away), bolster, capitulate, conjure, connotations/denotations, contemporary, convey, corroborating, culminating, debunk, deductive, deduction, demystify, depict,
differentiated, diminished, disparity, distorted, empirical, erroneous, ethical, exonerate, faculties, fallacy, fallible, falsification, generalize, hypothetical, implement, imply,
inclusion/exclusion, intrusive, intuitively, juxtapose, methodology, minutely, motifs, multiplicity, mutually exclusive, perceive, perception, philosophical, potentially, pragmatic,
prevalence, primary, profound, provoke, qualify, ramifications, signify, simulate, theoretical, tinged, trivialize, underscore, unfounded, vague, veiled, vicarious.
II. Sentence Completion (SAT)
A. Determine whether the answer to the sentence depends a word meaning within the sentence or on the logic of the sentence or both, by identifying
the clues within the sentence that link directly to the blanks within the sentence.
B. Students should first try to put their own words in the blanks and then look for a word that is analogous to it among the choices.
C. Look to break down word meanings by analyzing prefixes, roots, and suffixes for words one doesn’t automatically know.
D. Determining positive or negative connotations of words if applicable.
E. Support general vocabulary building by having students read non-fiction articles and essays that are somewhat beyond the students reading level, in
addition to traditional vocabulary building exercises.
III. Critical Reading (HSPA, SAT, and ACT)
A. Define Critical Reading as Active Reading.
B. Active reading consists of:
1. Weighing the writer’s claims
2. Asking for definitions
3. Evaluating information
4. Looking for proof
5. Questioning assumptions
6. Making judgments.
7. Identifying patterns of development such as:
a. cause and effect
b. compare/constrast
c. sequence
C. Differentiate the process of Active Reading from the process of Passive Reading.
D. Identifying the differences between evaluating a non-narrative and/or non-fictional texts (see B) and a narrative/fictional text.
E. Evaluating a narrative/fictional text consists of the following:
1. Identifying who is speaking
2. Identifying the exposition elements of setting, character, and conflict (Where? Who? What?)
3. Evaluating imagery to gauge the mood, tone, or attitude of the piece.
4. Determining character motives.
5. Identifying literary devices such as: point of view, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, allegory, simile, metaphor, oxymoron,
symbolism, flashback, foreshadowing, irony, imagery, attitude, mood, tone, satire
6. Determining conflicts and themes.
IV. Types of Reading Questions and Approaches For Each Type (HSPA, SAT, and ACT)
A. Literal Comprehension Questions (Finding Specific Details)
1. Read the surrounding context of the given lines.
2. Scan the answer choices for a paraphrase of the information stated in
the passage.
B. Word-In-Context Questions
1. The answer will typically not be the denotative meaning of the word.
2. Reexamine the context in which the word is used and look for a word or phrase that could be a paraphrase of the correct answer choice.
C. Extended Reasoning Questions
1. Main Idea
a. Reexamine the introduction and the conclusion to clarify the author’s primary purpose
2. Attitude, Mood, and Tone
a. Examine the diction and the main idea of the passage
b. Typically avoid extremely positive or negative choices (For ex., “righteous indignation”, “awe”)
c. Avoid the choices “confusion” and “indifference”. These are used to capitalize on the reader’s sense of confusion or indifference.
The author of an academic article will not be either confused or indifferent to his or her subject.
3. Inference (based on a specific detail), (based on main idea)
a. Define inference: conclusions that are reached based on information given in the passage.
b. Identify inference question based on the wording of the question: probably, apparently, seems, suggests, it can be inferred, the
author implies.
4. Logic, Style, and Tone
a. Examine how the author has constructed his or her argument. Be sure to emphasis the function of language, what it’s doing, when
answering this type of question.
b. Identify the rhetorical and literary devices.
c. Examine how the author is communicating his or her purpose. Look at the function of language but never lose sight of the main
idea.