The redesigned SAT‘s reading and writing and language tests require students to analyze passages and answer questions that revolve around science and history.
The 42 questions on the reading section may ask you to evaluate hypotheses, assess data and weigh implications, while the 12 questions on the writing and language test are Expression of Ideas questions, which prompt test-takers to improve the rhetorical elements of passages.
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Answering questions on both subjects will require similar analysis skills. Students can hone these skills through preparatory reading and writing efforts.
Studies have shown that one of the best ways to learn is to write, since writing prompts you to organize your thoughts and connect them within a narrative structure.
Here are four activities you can practice several times a week for at least two months to help you polish your analysis. Create a study notebook to accompany each activity, as well as to maximize the benefits of your review.
1. Read high-quality science writing: Seek science writing that addresses real issues in some complexity. Outlets that produce high-quality work include ScienceDaily, Science News, and Scientific American.
Then look for articles that directly cite publications in scholarly journals and that include graphic displays of data, such as this Scientific American article, which includes a color-density map that shows concentrations of mass. In your notebook, record the publication, the article’s title and a short summary of the topic and the main findings.
What was the focus of the study? What were the significant conclusions? Did this new study challenge or overturn any existing ideas?
Pay special attention to the data, since data interpretation is a key skill on the reading test. Hide the graphic’s caption, if there is one, and rewrite it from memory. What do the axes signify? How is the data displayed, and what is the significance of the display?
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2. Read high-quality general essays: Many of the SAT‘s reading and writing questions ask you to analyze the content and style of passages, including for scientific and historical pieces.
While some scientific and historical writing depends heavily on style, you can practice analysis skills with modern sources that you may encounter more frequently. For instance, look for essays in national publications, like the opinion section of ” The New York Times” or the debates section of ” The Economist.”
As you read each piece, catalog the rhetorical devices — such as irony or personification — that the author uses and how he or she uses them to make a point.
Summarize, in writing, the author’s chief claim and supporting arguments. Does he or she identify counter-arguments, and if so, how does the author address these?
This editorial, for example, avoids hot-button political issues to focus on real threats that the people of Sardinia are facing. Can you identify the voice the author used? What evidence does she cite? What is her central hypothesis? Understanding how to correctly answer these questions can help you examine hypotheses and consider implications — two of the three goals of the SAT’s science and history questions.
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3. Read historical writing: Interpreting historical writing is challenging in part because the English of earlier years may seem foreign to our modern eyes and ears. Use a portion of your study time to become familiar with the patterns of speech common to earlier eras.
Although fictional, novels like “Jane Eyre” offer an excellent entry point. Published in 1847, it contains a wealth of period detail and a rich vocabulary list, all while dealing with the social topics that SAT exam writers love — social roles and interpersonal conflict, for example.
Consider the beginning of Chapter XI of “Jane Eyre.” It discusses topics like social class, servants’ differing status, men’s and women’s roles in society and more.
It may take some sleuthing, but you should be able to write an essay of your own about social norms in mid-19th century England by the time you have finished reading “Jane Eyre.” As you read, define unfamiliar words and then write them down. Then write two or three explanatory paragraphs, identifying the source of the tension in the conversation and why Jane might have mistaken Mrs. Fairfax for the estate owner.
If you can consistently explain the nuances of multiple texts, you are well-positioned to answer questions that require you to analyze particular details in historical passages.
4. Practice explaining concepts: Richard Feynman was a great 20th century scientist and teacher. Students can use his Feynman Technique as a tool for mastering history and science content on the SAT.
The technique requires you to study a topic, pretend to teach the topic, return to the source material to fill in any knowledge gaps, and simplify your explanatory language and use analogies.
These four steps above are all great ways to study a topic or to improve a skill. After you have read scientific articles, general essays and historical material, find a study partner — like a friend, parent or teacher — and try step 2 of the Feynman Technique.
Show your partner the illustration for a scientific article or the passage you reviewed and t each him or her about it without referring to your notes. If you get stuck, return to your sources to learn more.
Use the simplest explanations possible, and remember — when you can clearly explain how to analyze scientific or historical material to another person, you are ready to ace these questions on the SAT reading and writing and language sections.
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4 Ways to Improve SAT Science, History Analysis Skills originally appeared on usnews.com
