As a scientist, college professor, and ACT instructor, I love teaching students how to prepare for the ACT test, specifically for the Science section. I see the value of this section in so many ways, and I use my knowledge to explain to students the importance of utilizing scientific literacy in their everyday lives. Thanks to the pandemic, many students are already aware of the value of developing scientific literacy skills, as they experienced firsthand the importance of reading scientific articles and interpreting data and graphics.
Understanding the ACT Science Section
There are three types of Science passages featured on the ACT:
- Research summaries – these passages have an introductory section that defines scientific terminology, the experiment in question, followed by two to four studies or experiments to analyze.
- Data representation – these passages have an introductory section that defines scientific terminology, the experiment in question, followed by one or more sets of data representation.
- Conflicting viewpoints – these passages may have an introductory section that defines scientific terminology, a scientific phenomenon posed for discussion, followed by two to four explanations or viewpoints on said scientific phenomenon.
Although Science knowledge isn’t explicitly tested on the ACT, students are asked to consider Science topics and work with data. Below are some of my top recommendations for educators to help their students improve their score on the ACT Science section.
Strategies to Help Your Students Excel
- Emphasize the importance of annotation: I tell my students to start by reading each passage and underlining anything that is in italics or parentheses. There are usually 1-2 questions per passage that directly ask about a definition from the passage. By annotating at the beginning, students activate their short-term memory and provide themselves with an easy guide to where the answer will be found.
- Reinforce understanding of the scientific method: Ensure your students can identify a hypothesis—or in the case of the test format—the experiment that is being tested in the passage.
- Practice identifying variables: Train your students to read an experiment and know what is being manipulated (independent), what is being measured (dependent), and what is being done the same (control). Some of the questions directly ask students to identify one or more of these variables.
a. Identify independent and dependent variables: In many experiments or studies, there is an independent variable (the variable that is manipulated or changed) and a dependent variable (the variable that is measured or observed in response to changes in the independent variable). It can be helpful to identify these variables in the context of the passage or in the context of a particular question.
b. Consider control variables: Control variables are variables that are kept constant or controlled during an experiment to ensure that the results are valid. Identify any control variables mentioned in the passage or are implied by the experimental setup. - Develop data interpretation skills: After reading the experiment and design, students should become familiar with the data. Data on the Science section comes in many forms (tables, graphs, infographics). Teach your students to:
a. Analyze graphs – look at axis labels, axis scales, and identify trends such as linear vs exponential slopes, increasing vs decreasing values, and positive vs negative values.
b. Interpret tables – look at the column and row headings and recognize if there are any trends in the data.
c. Understand infographics – briefly look over the image to see how it applies to the passage and experiment. - Implement the Grasp/Prove/Eliminate method: My first lesson with all students is the “Grasp/Prove/Eliminate” Reading lesson, which helps them learn how to identify the “what” of a text, prove correct answers, and eliminate incorrect ones.
a. Encourage students to consider the “what” of an experimental design. Usually, the “what” will be the hypothesis or experiment being conducted.
b. Remind them that proof is needed for the data questions. Questions that directly refer back to graphs and tables should not be over-analyzed.
c. Teach them to use elimination when questions ask about inference of design. I tell students that even if something was never explicitly mentioned in the passage, if they read the answer choices and mark each as either possible or not possible, they will likely arrive at the correct answer without even realizing it! - Provide ample practice opportunities: Finally…practice, practice, practice! The more practice tests students complete, the more they are able to see the patterns of the Science section and recognize the kinds of questions or skills they still need to master.
Building Student Confidence
As Academic Approach instructors, we work hard to instill students’ confidence in the ACT Science section. We are here to remind students that they can get a great score by just making a few changes to their testing method!
Remember, as educators, our goal is not just to improve test scores, but to foster genuine scientific literacy that will serve our students well beyond their ACT test date. By incorporating these strategies into our teaching, we can help students develop critical thinking skills that are valuable in many aspects of their academic and personal lives.
I hope these insights from my experience as both a scientist and an ACT instructor will help you guide your students to success on the ACT Science section and beyond!
