How to Help Students Interpret Data on the ACT® Science Test
With COVID-19 continuing on its path of disruption, many are students desperate to add test scores to their “Test-Optional” college applications. Rather than settling for just the SAT®, many students will be developing a both-test strategy that includes the ACT® as well (a strategy just made more convenient by ACT® adding more test dates this fall).
While the SAT® and ACT® have many overlaps, the ACT’s® dedicated science section is one of the most notable distinctions.
The ACT® Science Test addresses many topics including biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science. That said, the test itself is more about applying scientific skills than reciting specific content. One of the most important of these skills is interpreting and evaluating data.
ACT® test-prep students must be prepared to both read and analyze the data they are presented to arrive at a correct answer, regardless of the scientific context.
Data appears in a variety of forms throughout the ACT® Science Test:
Graphs
Tables
Illustrations
Written passages
Test-prep students need plenty of opportunities to engage with a wide variety of these formats – both in isolation and in combination – to achieve the highest possible scores. That’s precisely why the Clear Choice Prep ACT® curriculum is chock-full of data-focused practice and skill building. We want to make sure your tutors have both the strategies and the examples to prepare students for whatever graphs, tables, and figures may come their way on test day.
Here are a few of our favorite tips to help your ACT® test-prep students become data experts.
Find the story in the data
It is essential to remember that data is about patterns, not numbers. A set of data tells a story; a core tenet of science is figuring that story out and being able to communicate it and make use of it in productive ways.
When a bunch of data appears on the ACT® Science Test, it doesn’t really matter if students are able to crunch the actual numbers for themselves or not (there’s a whole ACT® Mathematics Test for that!). To be successful, students must, instead, be prepared to recognize and articulate meaningful trends and observations.
For example, take a look at the table below that shows the relationship between the weight loaded onto a spring and the resulting position of a marker over the course of three repetitions.
Questions on the ACT® Science Test aren’t going to ask students to make statistical computations about this type of table. Heck, calculators aren’t even permitted on the test.
Instead, the questions that follow a table like this will focus on higher-order scientific reasoning like:
The structure of the experiment that was conducted.
Whether there are any major outliers in the data set.
Any conclusions that can be drawn from the data set.
Even though tables on the actual test are commonly accompanied by additional information and context, any table of data has plenty of tales to tell. This one is no exception!
For this particular table, there are some key conclusions a test taker should be able to draw (and, with practice, draw quickly):
Six trials and a control were conducted.
The applied weight was increased for each trial.
The average marker position decreased as the weight increased.
The results remained relatively consistent across the three repetitions of each trial.
One way to hone this type of analytical skill is to present a student with data sets like these in isolation. Have the student practice making up the context for the data, based solely upon the information they have.
Once the analysis is complete, add in pieces of additional information (an accompanying passage, a diagram, a figure, or additional data sets). Challenge students to reflect upon whether or not the new information supports, challenges, or altogether contradicts their initial conclusions.
This type of practice can definitely help your students sharpen the scientific analytical skills the ACT® Science Test is aiming to assess.
Science loves relationships, and so does the ACT®
A big part of science, regardless of the specific discipline, is cause and effect. The scientific method outlines how we can come to conclusions about how something affects something else through testing and observation.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the passages and figures included in the ACT® Science Test reflect this core tenet.
This means students need to be able to speak the language of scientific experimentation. At the top of the list should be telling the difference between dependent and independent variables. These terms describe particular elements of a system and how they interact with each other.
Independent variables are just that, independent. They are not affected by the other variables in the experiment or scenario.
Dependent variables depend on the values and changes made to other variables in an experiment or scenario. Their values change in response to changes in the system.
On the test, these relationships appear in many different forms, but they are most clearly represented in graphs.
In most traditional line graphs, bar graphs, and scatter plots, the horizontal (or x-axis) is typically reserved for the independent variable. The vertical (or y-axis) represents the dependent variable. This simple distinction offers a lot of potential information.
For example, in the line graph below, the percentage of viable cancer cells is dependent upon the concentration of DHA-paclitaxel.
Do you know what DHA-paclitaxel is? No? Cool. Before I read the accompanying passage, neither did I. The point is, it doesn’t matter.
Looking at this graph, you can determine a lot:
DHA-paclitaxel (whatever it is) is measured as a concentration, since the unit is a mass divided by a volume.
As the concentration of DHA-paclitaxel goes up, the percentage of viable cancer cells goes down.
While both the “Control” and “Low MBP2” results show a decline in the percentage of viable cancer cells as the DHA-paclitaxel concentration increases, “Low MBP2” shows a less dramatic decrease.
That information could lead to a question like:
The correct answer is B. How’d you do? It is worth noting that on the test, this answer would also likely be supported by an additional graph and written explanation of the applicable studies. However, based solely on the graph above, it is still apparent that low MBP2 significantly hampers the effectiveness of the cancer treatment. To reach this conclusion means interpreting the relationship between the variables as well as the relationship between the tested results versus the control.
Does the ACT® expect the students taking their test to be oncologists? Of course not. But the ability to apply the results of a medical study in a practical context is fair game.
The ACT® is notorious for this type of question design. Many of the units and concepts that they roll into a problem come from science topics much more complicated than a typical high school student would have exposure to. This is intentional.
If a student knows what the components of a graph are and can distinguish between the independent and dependent variables involved, the student should also be able to identify and analyze the relationship between those variables. The content doesn’t matter – it could be complete nonsensical gibberish.
What does matter is the relationship between the two variables. Understanding how two factors are linked makes it possible to glean useful information from a graph - regardless of what the actual contents, labels, or figures may be.
Help students practice identifying and articulating these connections by presenting them with real-world examples of obscure experiments and graphs. Pose questions about not only the relationships between variables, but also the conclusions that can be drawn from them.
Pro Tip: If things get really confusing, have students replace the variables with algebraic constants like x or y. This works for everything from axis labels to confusing jargon. Students can articulate conclusions with the placeholders, and then swap them out for their original terms.
Follow up with additional information and challenge students to confirm or revise their hypotheses.
The Clear Choice Prep ACT® test-prep curriculum provides a lot of this type of material to work with. You can also try your luck scouring the web. Medical and science journals are great for this!
Mark up the test
While students are not allowed to use a calculator on the ACT® Science Test, they can use a pencil. This simple tool can take a lot of guesswork out of the most complex, jargon-laden content – students just need to know how to use it!
Extrapolate and interpolate data – Many times the ACT® will ask about a data point that falls before, after, or in between the given range. Teach students to connect the dots or draw a line of best fit to help make estimates that are more accurate.
Cross out extraneous information – In both the passages and tables on the ACT® Science Test, there is often information that is just plain irrelevant. Give students opportunities to practice sifting through quantities of information and drawing a line through what isn’t needed to help focus on what is actually important.
Draw a graph – In the rare case that a data set doesn’t have an accompanying graph, teach students to quickly sketch their own. This can help make things like determining whether a relationship is inverse or parallel or whether a growth model is linear or exponential that much easier to identify.
Do simple calculations – If a problem requires a computation, estimate! Help students practice doing quick scratch calculations and using the results to pick the best answer choice. This saves precious time!
For more tips like these, tailored to help your students dominate the data on the ACT® Science Test, click the link below for a totally free demo of how our 100% custom-branded test prep curriculum can supercharge your tutors and empower your students!
