SAT Prep CourseEnglish: Mrs. Lowe & Mr. Sorensen

Math: Ms. Gilman

SAT Overview

Check now.

Check again prior to taking the SAT for the first time and any subsequent times.

Find out if the colleges you’re applying to require the essay!

Scoring

*Within reading, writing, and math, there are also cross-test scores and subscores.

SAT Overview

You have to move quickly.

Ex: Reading – 52 questions in 65 minutes You have an average of 1 minute and 15 seconds to answer each question, BUT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TIME IT TAKES YOU TO READ THE PASSAGE(S).

Moral of the Story

1. Triaging the Test2. Elimination3. Guessing

Test-Taking Strategies

You do not need to complete the test in order.

First do all of the easy questions you can quickly work through, and then attempt more difficult questions and/or passages.

Remember, you can skip around within each section, but you can’t work on a section other than the one you’ve been instructed to work on.

Triaging

Cross out the answers that you know are incorrect.

Elimination

Pretty self explanatory

There is no penalty for guessing.

Do not leave any answers blank.

Guess

Annotate as you read. This becomes a “passage map” that will lead you to the correct answers.

Identify the key words and phrases in the question.Ex: The main purpose of the passage is toEx: According to the passage, Hale

received a commission in Predict the answer before reading the choices:

“Predict before you peek.”Remember: The SAT is an open-book test!

How to Tackle the Reading Section

U.S. and World Literature – 1 passage; 9 questions

History/Social Studies – 2 passages OR 1 passage and 1 paired-passage set; 9-10 questions each

Science – 2 passages or 1 passage or 1 paired-passage set; 9-10 questions each

Types of Passages on the SAT

Characters – Ask: What do they want? What are they doing? What adjectives describe them? What are their opinions of each other and themselves? Do they like or dislike each other?

Notice indirect and direct characterization. Notice character motivation.

Themes: What are the turning points? Is there a moral to the story?

U.S. and World Literature Passage – One on SATWhen annotating:

Turn to page 447

Model

1. Identify topic and intention (usually in first paragraph).

2. Identify topic sentence of each paragraph – what does it accomplish?

3. Summarize purpose – to inform, refute, promote, explore, etc.

*There will be at least one primary source passage that used old-fashioned language.

History/Social StudiesPassages – 2-3 on SAT

When annotating:

Turn to page 449

Model

Notice jargon and technical terms (think science lab).

-Terms are often defined within the passage or in a footnote.

Remember all answers are in passage(s); no outside knowledge needed.

Science Passage2-3 on SAT

When annotating:

1. Locate central idea in first paragraph

2. How does each paragraph relate to the central idea?-Explain-Support-Refute-Summarize?

Science Passages cont’dWhen annotating:

Turn to page 452

Model

Remember steps to answering questions:1. Annotate2. Identify key words in question3. “Predict before you peek.”

Remember strategies:1. Triage2. Elimination3. Guess

Check your answers beginning on pg. 1182

- Look for patterns in your missed answers.

Practice – pgs. 456-463

Break down questions within literature/history/social studies/science into types of questions and how to tackle each type of question

Tomorrow

“Types” of Questions on the Reading Section

Detail Inference: Implicit Meaning

Inference: Analogical Reasoning

Global Command of Evidence Inference: Explicit Relationships

Vocab-in-Context

Rhetoric: Analyzing Purpose

Rhetoric: Analyzing POV

Rhetoric: Analyzing Word Choice

Rhetoric: Analyzing Text Structure

Rhetoric: Analyzing Arguments

Ask about a specific part of the passage – normally include line references

1. Read around the cited lines to understand the context – a little before and after

2. Predict by rephrasing into own words 3. Eliminate choices that don’t match prediction

Don’t be tricked my misused details in answers.

Detail Questions

Turn to pg. 470

Model

Implicit = implied Answer not directly in passage – you must read between the lines.

Specific part of passage vs. passage as whole

“In lines xx-xx, the author implies that” vs. “With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?”

Inference Questions: Implicit Meanings

Turn to pg. 469

Model

Analogy = comparison of two things based on being alike in some way

Asked to choose an analogy that best parallels the ideas found in the passage that are reffered to in the question.

“The situation described in line x is most comparable to”

Eliminate choices that include only of the parts, or have the parts in reverse order.

Inference Questions: Analogical Reasoning

Turn to pg. 470

Model

Pg. 476 and 477 You have 6 minutes to read the passage and complete the questions

When finished, label questions with type of question

Check answers on pg. 1190

Practice With These Three Types of Questions

Global = whole world = applying to the whole Typically do not reference line #’s or parts of the passage.

Must identify the central idea or theme OR choose a correct summary of the passage

Central idea or theme often found in the italicized portion at the beginning of the passage

Helpful to identify thesis statements in non-fiction passages

Global Questions

Turn to pg. 489

Model

Rely on your answer to the question that precedes it

“Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?’ Go back to the previous question and “retrace your steps.”

Command of Evidence Questions

Turn to pg. 490

Model

Pgs. 496-497 Give yourself 5 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions.

Label the Global and Command of Evidence questions.

Answers on pg. 1201

Practice

Of the types of questions we covered today, which types do you find most difficult?

Detail Inference: Implicit Meaning Inference: Analogical Reasoning Global Command of Evidence

Which types of questions are most challenging?

Explicit = very clear; fully revealed; openly shown

Ask how two things are connected.Types: Cause-and-Effect – keywords = caused by,

results in, because, thereforeCompare-and-Contrast – keywords =

similar, different, despite, likeSequential – keywords = first,

second, following, after The wording of the correct answer will be very similar to the wording in the passage.

Inference Questions: Explicit Relationships

Turn to pg. 509

Model

Also ask how two things are connected BUT may not be directly stated in the passage.

Implicit = implied = read between the lines

Describe the relationship being tested by using keywords like although, because, in order to

Inference Questions: Implicit Relationships

Turn to pg. 510

Model

Keywords = ________ most nearly means Rely on “Predict before you peek”

Pretend the word is blank in the sentence.Predict what word could be

substituted in the blank.Select the answer choice that best matches your prediction.

Vocab-in-Context Questions

Remember to:Go to the line(s) referenced in the question.Read a little before and after to gain context.

Vocab-in-Context QuestionsCont’d

Turn to pg. 509

Model

Pgs. 515-516 Answers on pg. 1212

Remember to notice patterns in missed questions.

Practice