Academic Strategies
Course Level: Junior and Senior
Course Code:
Course Length: 1 Semester
Pre-requisite: None
Syllabus for Teachers, Administrators, & Parents
(Students and parents are to receive pages 1, 2, & 3.)
Instructor: Insert name & info. Here.
Email:
Conference Period:
Phone #:
Room #:
Description:
Are you ready for the ACT, American College Test? Did you know that all
students in Michigan take the ACT during their junior year of high school? The ACT
exam is also a test used by high school students who are seeking admission to colleges
and universities upon high school graduation. The test is used to determine an
applicant’s general educational development, as well as their ability to be successful in
college courses. The test consists of four multiple choice test areas: English,
mathematics, reading, and science. There is also a writing test, which consists of one
essay question. The ACT test covers a wide range of topics. This course is your training
for a mental-marathon on the ACT exam!
In Academic Strategies you will learn the skills you need to excel on the ACT
English, Reading, and Writing tests. This class will equip you with knowledge of the
tests’ format and vocabulary, proven test-taking techniques, and practice with real ACT
tests. Countless students have to pay for classes after they take the ACT because they
are disappointed with their scores. All lessons are focused on beating the ACT, but this
course will also provide you with literacy skills applicable in every subject area!
Course Objectives:







Students will analyze the ACT exam format and concepts.
Students will learn and apply test taking strategies.
Students will practice the three tests in both non-timed and timed settings.
Students will learn and apply Standard English grammar rules.
Students will practice reading strategies (questioning, highlighting,
visualizing, etc.) to improve reading comprehension.
Students will study and demonstrate persuasive writing elements.
Students will explain how literacy skills gained in this course can be
applied in all subject areas.
Materials:
ACT Preparation Binders by Blueprints Communication
Author Sharon Spencer www.bluecom@comcast.net Phone: 517-323-4610
GRPS purchased the binders. All buildings should have the binders.
ELA/MME Units of Study
sitemaker.umich.edu/kelly.sassi/files/10_writing_070101_final.doc
http://new.oakland.k12.mi.us/Departments/LearningServices/Humanities/EnglishLanguageArtsLiteracy/EL
AMMEPreparation/tabid/1584/Default.aspx
ACT Exam Secrets Study Guide
ACT Resources
http://www.protopage.com/wozniakc#Professional_Page/ACT_MME_Links
www.number2.com and www.actstudent.org
Technology and Other Resources:
www.mel.org
Free On-line Practice Tests (includes a timer) You can also print these tests.
The Bluebook of Grammar and Punctuation
http://www.grammarbook.com/
Sentence Sense: A Writer’s Guide
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/sensen/
Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
The Owl at Purdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/inter
act/index.html
2
Academic Strategies Course Overview
Unit
Materials
Topic
Assessments to
Measure Students’
Learning (Formative &
Pacing
Summative)
1
Introduction to
ACT & the
English Test
2
Reading Test
ACT
Materials &
Practice
Tests
ACT
Materials &
Practice
Tests
3
ACT
Writing Test
Materials &
Practice
Tests
4
TBD
Teacher’s
Ex: Work
Choice
Keys Reading
Optional
for
Information
5
ACT
Review for Exam Practice Test
Become a
Grammar Guru!
Classwork
Unit Test
5 weeks
Timed Reading
&
Comprehension:
No Sweat
Persuasive
Writing with a
Debater’s
Confidence
TBD
Classwork
Unit Test
5 weeks
Classwork
Final Essay
(At least 2 essays
needed in this unit)
TBD
Ex: Presentation on
How To Master the
ACT
5 weeks
Game Time!
Exam—Instructor
designs
1 week
2 week
School’s Attendance Policy: Refer to Student Handbook
Gradebook
*Grading Procedure and Scale:
70% of a student’s grade will be comprised of performance data from different forms
of assessment: Tests=25%, Major Writings=25%, Projects & Presentations=20%
Total=70%
30% of a student’s grade will be comprised of data from work he/she does during the
learning process: Classwork=10% (journals, group work, vocabulary practice,
participation), Homework=10%, Quizzes=10%
Total=30%
*A student’s grade should be based primarily upon him/her demonstrating competency
of standards per the Michigan Merit Curriculum guidelines.
100-93% A 92-90% A- 89-87% B+ 86-83% B
76-73% C
72-70% C- 69-67% D+ 66-63% D
82-80% B- 79-77% C+
62-60% D- 59-0 E
Classroom Rules and Procedures: See instructor’s attached information
3
Unit # 1: Become a Grammar Guru!
5 weeks
Essential Questions: “Where ya at?” “LOL” How does pop culture affect our
understanding of, and sometimes impede our use of, Standard English rules? What
if there were no rules for speaking and writing? Why is it important to know the
rules of written and spoken English? What is the ACT English exam? What do I
need to know to ace it?
Literacy Strategies: ABC Strategy: Used to review parts of speech and grammatical
terms, culminating in a self-made Grammar Review Handbook (example)
Academic Vocabulary:
ACT, Test prep, Standard English Rules of Grammar
Main Topics
1. Introductory Information: The ACT test is primarily a multiple choice exam, with an added
persuasive essay. There are 215 multiple choice questions. Adding the writing test, the total
length of the ACT test is four hours, including breaks.
The English section of the exam consists of 75 multiple choice questions, and students have
45 minutes to complete this section. The English section consists of five prose passages, each
with accompanying multiple choice questions. The test covers conventions of standard written
English, such as punctuation (13%), grammar and usage (16%), and sentence structure (24%),
and rhetorical skills, such as strategy (16%), organization (15%), and style (16%). The English
section has two question types: usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills that are intermixed with
each other on the exam.
The reading section of the test consists of 40 multiple choice questions, and test takers have
35 minutes to complete this section. The Reading portion of the ACT measures your ability to
understand passages in four subject areas. This section tests reading comprehension on a
variety of different readings: social studies (25%), natural sciences (25%), prose fiction (25%),
and humanities (25%).
The writing test is a 30 minute persuasive essay that tests writing skills from entry level college
English courses and high school English.
The mathematics section consists of 60 multiple choice questions, and students have 60
minutes to complete this portion of the test. The math section tests skills that are typically
acquired by the end of the eleventh grade, including: pre-algebra (23%)/elementary algebra
(17%), intermediate algebra (15%)/coordinate geometry (15%), and plane geometry
(23%)/trigonometry (7%).
The science section of the test consists of 40 multiple choice questions, and students have 35
minutes to complete this section. This section tests skills that are required in the natural
sciences, such as interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving.
Specifically, the test consists of questions dealing with data interpretation (38%), research
summaries (45%), and conflicting viewpoints (17%). It is assumed that students have taken a
high school course in Earth or physical science, as well as biology.
2. ACT English Assessment Overview
4
The English Test is a 75-question, 45-minute test that measures your understanding of the
conventions of standard written English (punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence
structure) and of rhetorical skills (strategy, organization, and style). Spelling, vocabulary, and
rote recall of rules of grammar are not tested. The test consists of five prose passages, each
of which is accompanied by a sequence of multiple-choice test questions. Different passage
types are included to provide a variety of rhetorical situations.
3. Format of ACT English Exam
4. Review of Content/Grammar Practice
5. Test Taking Strategies for the ACT English Exam
Learning Objectives/Standards & Expectations
STANDARD 4.1 Understand and use the English language effectively in a variety
of contexts and settings.
CE 4.1.1 Use sentence structures and vocabulary effectively within different modes (oral and
written, formal and informal) and for various rhetorical purposes.
CE 4.1.2 Use resources to determine word meanings, pronunciations, and word etymologies (e.g.,
context, print and electronic dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, and
others).
CE 4.1.3 Use a range of linguistic applications and styles for accomplishing different rhetorical
purposes (e.g., persuading others to change opinions, conducting business
transactions, speaking in a public forum, discussing issues informally with
peers).
CE 4.1.4 Control standard English structures in a variety of contexts (e.g., formal speaking,
academic prose, business, and public writing) using language carefully and
precisely.
CE 4.1.5 Demonstrate use of conventions of grammar, usage, and mechanics in written texts,
including parts of speech, sentence structure and variety, spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation
Punctuation
The ACT English Test requires that you know the rules for the following types
of punctuation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Commas
Apostrophes
Semicolons
Colons
Parentheses and Dashes
Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points
5
Basic Grammar and Usage
As you’ve probably already gathered, the English Test will never explicitly ask you to name a
grammatical error. But in order to identify and fix errors, you should know what they are.
While you’ll often be able to rely on your ear to detect errors, many of the questions will ask
you to fix phrases that are fine for spoken English but not for formal written English.
In the following section, we’ll cover these grammar issues, which appear on the English Test:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronoun Cases
Verb Tenses
Adverbs and Adjectives
Idioms
Comparative and Superlative Modifiers
Sentence Structure
Sentence structure is the Big Deal when it comes to Usage/Mechanics problems. Of the 40
Usage/Mechanics questions, almost half of them (18 to be exact) will test you on your
knowledge of sentence structure, the topics of which include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Connecting and Transitional Words
Subordinate or Dependent Clauses
Sentence Fragments
Comma Splices
Run-on Sentences
Misplaced Modifiers
Parallelism
Sample Instructional Process to Introduce ACT English Test
Materials and Resources
Go to
www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html
 Print English Test-1
Print answers to Bessie Coleman: In Flight
 Print English Test-2
Print answers to Philosophy and Baseball
 Print English Test-3
Print answers to Tuning In During the Twenties
6
1. Day One Engage: Ask students to respond to the essential questions. In
addition, ask them what grammar rules they have memorized. Can they apply
the grammar rules they know or at least recognize what is faulty when they
see it in print?
2. Day One Explore: Let students take English practice test #1 on their own.
See how they do with their scores. (Actual scores do not count as a grade.
The experience may count as classwork.) Have students tell a partner what is
challenging about the test. Ask them to come up with strategies to improve
their scores. Have groups share the strategies they think will be useful.
3. Day One Explain: Let students know you will teach them the “ins and outs” of
the ACT English Test so they can become pros.
4. Day Two Explore #2 with Guided Instruction: The next day, do English practice
test #2 together. Have students skim the questions first, while you help them
note subtle differences in answers. For example, ask students to note when
they see a comma in one choice or an apostrophe in another choice. Read the
text aloud to students. Model a Think Aloud as you eliminate incorrect answers
and select correct answers. Ask students to join in your Think Aloud as they
continue to make selections.
Have students finish by selecting answers independently. Then have
students get into small groups and discuss their answers. How do they know
they are right? Have them explain their thinking. Does anyone want to change
an answer?
Ask students: How did you do on Test #2 in comparison to Test #1.
If you did better, what did we do in class today to increase your scores?
What will you remember to do when you take the next test independently?
5. Day Two Explain: Ask students what they now know about the ACT English
Test. See what they can explain. Key points include the following (fill in what
students do not include): 75 questions in 45 minutes. The test consists of five
prose passages, each one followed by multiple-choice test questions. Different
passage types are included to provide variety. Some questions ask about an
underlined portion, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole. You
must decide which choice best answers the question posed. Many questions
include "NO CHANGE" to the passage as one of the choices. The questions are
numbered consecutively. Each question number corresponds to an underlined
portion in the passage or to a box located in the passage.
Continue working with students on punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence
structure. Use materials that fit students’ needs and are available.
Process: Formative Assessments during Learning
 Classwork
Gradebook
Performance: Required Common Assessments and/or Products

English Test #3 from www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html
7
Unit # 2: Timed Reading & Comprehension: No Sweat
5 weeks
Essential Questions:
What is comprehension? Why is it important? How might we
use reading accurately for information in our personal lives? Knowing everyone reads at a
different pace, what might be some strategies to use during the ACT Reading Test if you are
a slow-paced reader?
Teachers: Use a similar instructional process as you did in unit one when introducing
students to the ACT Reading Test. Use the Essential Questions to Engage. Let students
Explore by practicing with Reading Test #1 “The Housekeeper” at
www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html
After students try a sample test, (no penalty for wrong answers!) explain the basics of
the Reading Test: The 35 minute ACT Reading Test consists of four reading selections
each followed by 10 questions. One of the four selections is drawn from humanities,
one from social studies, one from natural science, and one from prose fiction.
Now do sample test #2 “Origins of the Fifth Amendment” together as a group. Use a
Think-Aloud to model thinking and strategies. (Example: Read the questions before
reading the passage.)
Continue working with students on reading comprehension skills using appropriate
materials. Put students in timed situations to practice pace and accuracy.
Gradebook
Process: Formative Assessments during Learning
 Classwork
Performance: Required Common Assessments and/or Products
 Combine Reading Tests #3 and #4, “Japan’s Tansu” and “Planets Beyond” from
www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html (Add 2 more reading selections of
your choice with ten questions each)
Learning Objectives/Standards & Expectations
Standard 2.1: Develop critical reading, listening, and viewing strategies.
2.1
2.2
Use a variety of reading, listening, and viewing strategies to construct meaning
beyond the literal level (e.g. drawing inferences; confirming and correcting;
making comparisons, connections, and generalizations; and drawing conclusions).
Develop as a reader, listener, and viewer for personal, social, and political
purposes, through independent and collaborative reading.
8
Unit # 3: Persuasive Writing With a Debater’s Confidence
5 Weeks
Essential Questions: How do we persuade people to think or to act differently?
What needs to happen for you to be convinced of something? What persuasive
techniques does one need to know to be convincing? Why is persuasive writing
an important genre? If you know the “formula” to a great written argument, how
important is the question?
Teachers: Engage students with the Essential Questions. Also, put an evocative
question on display and facilitate a class discussion. Examples: Is reality t.v.
creating a shallow society? Should cell phones be allowed in schools? Should
only seniors be given open campus lunch privileges? Chart the discussion.
Model how to take the ideas to create an intro. paragraph for the topic that was
discussed. Then ask students to pick a side and write their own intro. paragraph.
For this unit, use the materials in the Sharon Spencer binder on Persuasive
Writing.
Teach students each part of a persuasive essay separately: Intro. with thesis, 3
supporting paragraphs with transition words or sentences, the opponent’s view
with a counter-argument provided, and a closing paragraph.
Use the ACT persuasive rubric (or adapted version of it) and teach students what
the language in the rubric means.
Have students apply the rubric when scoring anchor papers. (Available in
binder.)
Gradebook
Process: Formative Assessments during Learning
 Classwork, discussions, pre-writing, rough drafts, etc.
Performance: Required Common Assessments and/or Products
 At least 2 persuasive essays written in a timed setting. (30 or 40 minutes—
you decide. The ACT for 11th graders is 30 minutes. Your 9th graders might
not be developmentally ready to meet the demand proficiently in 30 minutes.)
Learning Objectives/Standards & Expectations
Standard 1.1: Practice writing as a recursive process.
Standard 1.3: Communicate in writing using content, form, voice, and style
appropriate to the audience and purpose.
1.3.4 Develop an argument by analyzing different perspectives and employing a
structure that effectively conveys the ideas in writing (e.g., resolve
inconsistencies in logic; use a range of strategies to persuade, clarify, and
defend a position with precise and relevant evidence; anticipate and address
concerns and counterclaims; provide a clear and effective conclusion.
9