Sunday, October 12, 2014

ACT Prep Lesson Plans/CRUNCH (Updated 11/20/2014)

Link to 2009 - 2010 My Reading Facilitator (Grades 9 & 10)

The chart below is a REVISED ACT Prep Plan (From Fall of 2013 - 2014.)
Quick Link to ZERO HOUR THREAT 
  
Please scroll down to see the tutorials and activities previously posted.

ACT Prep Lesson Plans (Revised 6, June, 2013)


Reposted by over 46,500 people as of November 20, 2014!

Week
Focus

Students will…

Notes: 
1
ACT Reading Test Basics
Watch Top ACT Reading Videos and take notes on
1. reading section questions
3. general strategies
4. what to look for when reading
5. strategic guessing
2
General Reading Strategies on the ACT

Take a full – length BOOST lite ACT Test
3
Overview of the passage types

How to read the passages:
General Strategies

How to read the passages:
The Killer Two Sweep method
Watch ACT tutorials and take notes
The Killer Two Sweep method:
1st sweep – intelligently “size up” the passage, in about 20 to 30 seconds.
·         Quickly scan to locate names of characters and a sense of where and when this story is taking place.
2nd sweep – read at a somewhat faster pace than normal, to obtain a general understanding of the passage
·         Read from start to finish
·         Concentrate on central message
·         Draw inferences as you read
4
1: Detail
2: Deduction 
4: Structure 
5: Word-in-Context 
6: Author’s View


Watch interactive ACT tutorials

Materials needed:
ü  pencil
The official ACT tests referred to in this PDF are the free ACT on the ACT website; ACT
1, 2, and 3 found in all versions of The Real ACT Prep Guide; and ACT 4 and 5 found only in
the 2011 release of The Real ACT Prep Guide
5
Mark Up Prose Passages
1) Emotional content-- (verbs like “sighed,” “winced,” or “smirked,” for example, all signal emotional qualities and should be marked).
2) Any insight into the relationship between characters.
-Do the characters seem to get along?    -Are there any implied tensions or disagreements?
-Is a “history” between these characters suggested?
3) Does the passage have a tone or mood, such as exhilaration, ominousness, resentment, or anger?
Passage 1
c.     American History
d.    The Threshold
6
Mark Up Social Science Passages
1) Cause/effect dynamics-- how or why does something happen?  Do certain results appear from certain conditions?
2) Author’s opinion/overall purpose: why is the author telling me these things? What point is the author making about this topic? Is the author supportive/critical/neutral?
3) Examples—Why are they there? How do they bolster the author’s argument?
4) Comparisons/contrasts
Passage 2
b.    Longitude
c.     Eleanor Roosevelt
7
Mark Up Humanities Passages
1) Cause/effect dynamics-- how or why does something happen?  Do certain results appear from certain conditions?
2) Author’s opinion/overall purpose: why is the author telling me these things? What point is the author making about this topic? Is the author supportive/critical/neutral?
3) Examples—Why are they there? How do they bolster the author’s argument?
4) Comparisons/contrasts

Passage 3
b.    Albany
c.     The Interior Life
8
Mark Up Natural Science Passages
1) Cause/effect dynamics-- how or why does something happen?  Do certain results appear from certain conditions?
2) Author’s opinion/overall purpose: why is the author telling me these things? What point is the author making about this topic? Is the author supportive/critical/neutral?
3) Examples—Why are they there? How do they bolster the author’s argument?
4) Comparisons/contrasts
Passage 4
9
REAL ACT Practice Test 1, untimed
Take a full practice test with no time constraints, with all study helps - “open book" and take your time with questions, focusing on applying strategies. 

chart your progress, assess growth, and set goals for the next lesson
Go over the questions you answered incorrectly so you don't get those questions wrong next time.

Refer to the answers and explanations in the Real ACT Prep Guide as you review your incorrect answers.
10
REAL ACT Practice Test 2,
timed
Take a full practice test with time constraints, with all guides “open book.”  

See College Readiness Standards for the Reading ACT (1 – 36). 

View or print the set of Reading Standards on two 8-1/2 x 11 pages (PDF).

Chart your progress, assess growth, and set goals for the next lesson
Thoroughly analyze your strengths and weaknesses using the Real ACT Prep Guide.

Decide what areas you want to work on, keeping in mind how much time you have and how often the skill appears
11
REAL  ACT Practice Test 3, timed
Take a full practice test with no open materials and with time limits.  

This will be your BASE score.  


Where do you want to be?

Chart your progress, assess growth, and set goals for the next lesson.

Pick it apart!  

Go over questions you answered incorrectly. 

Use supplemental material to strengthen  your score.                                                                                               
12
REAL  ACT Practice Test 4, timed
Take a full practice test with no open materials and with time limits. 

Chart your progress, assess growth, and set goals for the next lesson.
Pick it apart!  

Go over questions you answered incorrectly. 

Use supplemental materials to strengthen  your score                                                                                               
13
REAL  ACT Practice Test 5, timed
Take a full practice test with no open materials and with time limits. 

Chart your progress, assess growth, and set goals for the next lesson.
Pick it apart!  

Go over questions you answered incorrectly. 

Use supplemental materials  strengthen  your score                                                                                               

14
“Personalized” ACT 1
By now, you should have a pretty good idea which of the four reading passages is your LEAST favorite.

Create a test that is only three passages long; using one passage from each of the three passages types you feel the most comfortable with.

Take a practice test with no open materials and with a 30 minute time limit.  
Your goal is to get 90% of the questions correct.
90% of 30 = 27%

If you are able to successfully answer 30 questions in 30 minutes and get at least 27 questions correct, your goal in the next session is to take a full reading practice test.

If not, your goal is to repeat this strategy until you are able to get 27 correct in 30 minutes.
15
“Personalized” ACT 2
Take a practice test with no open materials and with a 30 minute time limit.  
If you are able to successfully answer 30 questions in 30 minutes and get at least 27 questions correct, your goal in the next session is to take a full reading practice test.

If not, your goal is to repeat this strategy until you are able to get 27 correct in 30 minutes.
16
“Personalized” ACT 3
Take a practice test with no open materials and with a 30 minute time limit.  
If you are able to successfully answer 30 questions in 30 minutes and get at least 27 questions correct, your goal in the next session is to take a full reading practice test.

If not, your goal is to repeat this strategy until you are able to get 27 correct in 30 minutes.
17
“Personalized” ACT 4
Take a practice test with no open materials and with a 30 minute time limit.  
If you are able to successfully answer 30 questions in 30 minutes and get at least 27 questions correct, your goal in the next session is to take a full reading practice test.

If not, your goal is to repeat this strategy until you are able to get 27 correct in 30 minutes.
18
“Personalized” ACT 5
Take a practice test with no open materials and with a 30 minute time limit.  
If you are able to successfully answer 30 questions in 30 minutes and get at least 27 questions correct, your goal in the next session is to take a full reading practice test.

If not, your goal is to repeat this strategy until you are able to get 27 correct in 30 minutes.

19
Sharpen the Saw! 1
By now, you should have a pretty good idea which of the four reading passages is your LEAST favorite.

Create a test that is only three passages long; using three passages from your LEAST favorite passage type and include one you feel the most comfortable with.

Take a practice test with no open materials and with NO time limit.  
Pick it apart!  

Go over questions you answered incorrectly. 

Use supplemental material to help you sharpen your skills in this area.
20
Sharpen the Saw! 2
By now, you should have a pretty good idea how to attack your LEAST favorite passage type.

Create a test that is only three passages long; using three passages from your LEAST favorite passage type and include one you feel the most comfortable with.

Take a practice test with no open materials and WITH a time limit.  
Pick it apart!  

Go over questions you answered incorrectly. 

Use supplemental material to help you sharpen your skills in this area.




Friday, October 3, 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Reading is not Important

                                                      The next time you hear someone say "Reading is not important", REMEMBER this college student from Indiana!

FCAT 2.0 (Like) Discussion Questions (Cause / Effect Stems)
  1. What probably caused the college student to mispronounce words and have trouble with the word puzzles?
  2. Why does the student from Texas A&M win $1,000 on the Wheel of Fortune?
  3. Why doesn't Pat Sajak accept the student's response to the first puzzle?
  4. Why was losing the trip to London a significant event?
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FCAT PREP PAGE (NEW CONTENT ADDED) 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

New FCAT 2.0 & ACT Resources

I am updating this site.  

Meanwhile, here is a link to my other blog site with FCAT Resources. 
CLICK HERE 4 FCAT RESOURCES 


Thank you to the 94472 people that +1'd the FCAT Retake Page. 

I had NO IDEA so many people were using the page so I will make sure the information is current and try to post other resources and information that will help students PASS and QUALIFY for their diploma. 

I am doing this for the kids.  Especially the CCHS COUGARS... 
REMEMBER, You GOT This! 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Important Notice + NEW Stuff!

Congratulations COUGARS!!!!
I will be a full time student, earning a M.S. in Business - Management and Leadership beginning November 1st.  I am keeping this page live so that I can continue to facilitate anyone who is taking the FCAT Retake, ACT or SAT in secondary school in Broward County, Florida but specifically for Coconut Creek High School!

BELOW THIS POST
I have left some quick links to help with FCAT CRUNCH.  There is also a TAB above that will lead you to activities and some pretty intense online preparation.

Here is today's post (albeit incomplete)  PLEASE feel free to modify it.