Unit 4
Conflicting Viewpoints
Lesson 4A
Questions About One Viewpoint
Bell work
Thinking KAP

As you are walking through the Lacandon Rainforest, you
start getting thirsty. You head toward a stream and area
about to take a cool, refreshing drink when one of your
friends says, "Don't drink the water! It may be unhealthy."

You stop to ask what could be wrong, when another friend
says, "I'm sure it's fine. We're not near any cities, so it can't
be polluted."

Which friend do you think is correct? What evidence could
you use to demonstrate your opinion?
FYI: Strategy Instruction
Introduction to Conflicting Viewpoints
Conflicting Viewpoints passages present two
different explanations for the same evidence.
Just as two different detectives working on the
same case may interpret the evidence in
different ways, two scientists may draw different
conclusions from the same data. You will be
asked to clarify each person's viewpoint, give
information that will support or disprove a
viewpoint, and compare the ideas of the two
people.
Notes: The 3-Step Method
for Conflicting Viewpoints

Step 1: Summarize the passage and scan the figures.
 Summarize the introduction carefully and underline
keywords.

Step 2: Answer the easier questions.
 Answer questions about details in the introduction.
 Summarize the first viewpoint and answer questions about
the first viewpoint.
 Summarize the second viewpoint and answer questions
about the second viewpoint.

Step 3: Answer the harder questions.
 Answer questions about multiple viewpoints.
Notes: What's in the Introduction?


Sometimes there are questions based solely on
the introductory paragraph. Because the
viewpoints offer conflicting evidence, the only
way you can answer this type of question is to
look at the background information in the
introduction.
Look for keywords in the introduction which:



state the conflict to be discussed
state evidence that is already known and is agreed
upon in both viewpoints
Try It Out! P.143
Try It Out! P.143
Notes:
One Viewpoint at a Time

Each viewpoint will provide a different
explanation for the question or problem
presented in the introduction. When you
read a viewpoint, underline keywords to
answer the following questions:



What is the writer's theory?
What evidence does the writer present?
Try It Out! P.144
Try It Out! P.144
The Second Viewpoint

When you read the second viewpoint,
treat it as an entirely new idea, and
answer all questions that are just about
the second viewpoint separately.

Try It Out! P.145
Try It Out! P. 145
The 3-Step Method for Conflicting
Viewpoints

Step 1: Summarize the passage and scan the figures.
 Summarize the introduction carefully and underline
keywords.

Step 2: Answer the easier questions.
 Answer questions about details in the introduction.
 Summarize the first viewpoint and answer questions about
the first viewpoint.
 Summarize the second viewpoint and answer questions
about the second viewpoint.

Step 3: Answer the harder questions.
 Answer questions about multiple viewpoints.
Work with a Partner
Possible Formative Assignment
Guided Practice
Shared Practice
Discuss with the person behind you
KAP Wrap


The 3-Step Method for Conflicting
Viewpoints tells you to answer questions
about just one viewpoint before
answering questions about both.
Why is this a better idea than answering
the questions in the order they are
printed?
Thinking KAP
As you are walking through the Lacandon Rainforest later in
the day, you tell your friends about the herpetologist in the
group and explain that she studies reptiles and amphibians.
You explain that you made a graph for her that showed that
there were more species of frogs sighted in the morning
than around noon.
One friend suggest that frogs do not like the hot sun, and hide
in the shade during the afternoon. Another suggests that
your tour group was making more noise in the afternoon
and scared the frogs away. A third friend suggests that as
you walked through the rainforest you entered areas with
different amounts of water, sunlight, and insects, and some
of them held more frogs than others.
Which friend do you think is correct? What evidence could
you use to demonstrate your opinion?
Lesson 4B
Analyzing the Passage
Notes: Strategy Instruction
Evaluating Evidence
Easier questions will ask you to identify details
from the viewpoints, harder questions may ask
you to speculate on additional evidence that
would weaken or strengthen a theory

There are three main types of harder questions
on the ACT.


determine whether new evidence supports or
contradicts a theory
predict the results of an experiment
Notes:
Evaluating Evidence

Read the experiment or results and underline
keywords.

Look for similar keywords in the viewpoints, and
reread the sentence.

Determine whether the ideas in the question are
the same as or the opposite of the ideas in the
viewpoint.

Keep in Mind: Keywords may appear in
questions or answers.
Supporting and Contradicting Data
Scientific theories are based upon support from
many experiments. These same experiments
can be used to disprove other competing
theories. Many ACT questions will ask you to
determine whether a specific piece of evidence
supports or weakens the ideas presented in the
viewpoints. To do this, use Evaluating Evidence
to address each piece of new evidence.
Try It Out! P.157
Compare and Contrast
All of the questions that apply to one
scientist can also be applied to two
scientists. These questions will either ask
you to determine which scientist supports
a specific idea, or identify which theory
would be strengthened or weakened by a
new piece of evidence.
Try It Out! P. 158
Predicting Results
Scientific theories are useful to scientists because
they not only explain the causes of experiments
or data that are already available, but help
predict the outcome of new experiments.
Evaluating Evidence can be used for predicting
the results of experiments as well. Simply treat
each prediction as if it were evidence, and
compare it to the evidence in the viewpoint.
Try It Out! P. 159
The 3-Step Method
for Conflicting Viewpoints

Step 1: Summarize the passage and scan the figures.
 Summarize the introduction carefully and underline
keywords.

Step 2: Answer the easier questions.
 Answer questions about details in the introduction.
 Summarize the first viewpoint and answer quesitons about
the first viewpoint.
 Summarize the second viewpoint and answer questions
about the second viewpoint.

Step 3: Answer the harder questions.
 Answer questions about multiple viewpoints.
Work with a Partner
Possible Formative Assessment
Guided Practice
Shared Practice
Notebook:
KAP Wrap


What makes a Conflicting Viewpoints
question hard?
What strategies do you know for
answering hard Conflicting Viewpoints
questions?
Notebook: ReKap
1. Put the following steps in order from 1 to 7 for addressing
passages with two viewpoints.
__answer questions comparing both viewpoints
__read the introduction
__read the second viewpoint
__answer questions about the second viewpoint only
__read the first viewpoint
__answer questions about the introduction
__answer questions about the first viewpoint only
2. When solving problems that involve evidence, first ____ in
the question, then compare them to specific ____ in the
viewpoint. Finally, determine if the pieces of evidence are
____ or ____ .
Lesson 4C:
General Test-Taking Strategies
Class Demonstration:
Strategy Instruction Relax!
The Silent Stretch (every few pages)




While you count slowly to 15, stretch your shoulders
back.
At the same time, stretch your arms down toward the
floor as far as they will go.
As the same time, stretch your legs straight out in front
of you, keeping them close to the floor.
Take deep breaths as you count. Breathe in, 1...2...3,
breathe out, 4...5...6, breathe in, 7...8...9, breathe out,
10...1...12 - all the way to 15.
Relax!
You should learn to do this so quietly that
no one in the room notices you doing it.
When you open your eyes and go back to
the test after the Silent Stretch, you will
feel refreshed!
Get Ready
What you don't want to do right before a
big test is cram. You've learned a lot of
science this year. You've also learned a
lot of test taking strategies. You are
totally prepared, and you don't need to
cram. You also don't need to worry when
you are taking the test - just remember the
3-Step Method for ACT Science!
Try It Out!
Keep in Mind
if you are worried about the test, talk to
your family or your teacher about it.
Test Practice Unit 4
Work Individually
Formative Assignment
14 questions
Must show strategies
15 minutes
List some here to be
graded
Test Practice Unit 4 Answers
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
A
J
D
H
C
J
B
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
J
D
H
B
J
C
F
Notebook:
KAP Wrap

The ACT gives you 35 minutes to answer
40 questions. What strategies and
methods can you use to help organize our
time so you can get the most points?