Catalysts 7-11 COLLEGE READINESS SPRING 2015

Catalyst #7February 2, 2015 Question of the Week: How has College Readiness been going for you so far? 1.In your own words, explain the goals of this class: what should a successful student be able to do in this class by the end of the semester, in terms of Accuplacer and in terms of college readiness? 2.What activities have you found to be the most worthwhile, meaningful or enjoyable in this class so far? 3.What do you like or find helpful about our beginning of class routine? (Catalysts, discussions, etc.) 4.Please explain how working on the laptops has been for you so far. Do you have any concerns or frustrations? 5.On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you feel that you will benefit in the future from being enrolled in this course? Explain your answer. 6.Is there anything related to your preparation for college that you would like to do in this class, that we are not already doing? 7.If you could change one thing about this class, what would it be and why? 8.Do you have any other suggestions or questions about this class? REMINDER: Cell phones should be away from when the bell rings until our break time!

Catalyst #8 February 3, 2015 Weekly Vocabulary: Record each vocabulary word first. Then, complete parts A and B. 1. NEGLIGIBLE Context clues: Such a negligible flaw in the diamond would never be noticed except by a professional. A. Write down the word below that is an ANTONYM, or means the opposite, of negligible: TINYMAJOR INSIGNIFICANT B. Write your own definition for the word negligible, based on the above. 2. INCESSANT Context clues: Furious about the dog’s incessant barking throughout the night, the neighbor called the police. A. Complete the two SYNONYMS for incessant: conti_ _ _ _ _ non_ _ _ p B. Use the word incessant in a sentence of your own, that shows the meaning of the word. 3. LETHARGIC Context clues: Mike seems really lethargic today; he barely completed the first part of his workout routine. A. Complete the two ANTONYMS for lethargic: ener _ _ _ _ c enthus _ _ _ _ _ _ B. Write a sentence about a time that you felt lethargic, that shows the meaning of the word.

Catalyst #9 February 4, 2015 College Knowledge Quiz: See what you know! 1. It takes two years to earn a bachelor’s degree, and four years to earn an associate’s degree. True/ False 2. The FAFSA is a form that allows you to apply for scholarships. True/ False 3. Loans must be paid back, but grants and scholarships do not need to be paid back. True/ False 4. You must take the ACT or SAT to apply to any 2 or 4 year college. True/ False 5. Some college classes have over 200 students in them. True/ False 6. When completing a bachelor’s degree, the first two years will consist of only classes in your major. True/ False 7. Only a few colleges require students to take a freshman English course. True/ False 8. You can earn more than one degree from A-B Tech. True/ False 9. A college that has rolling admission will notify you of your admission within a few weeks of your submission of your application. True/ False 10. Applying early decision to a college just means you will find out earlier if you have been accepted. True/ False 11. Your online classes in College Readiness will help increase your SAT scores. True/ False

Catalyst #10February 5, 2015 SAT Math Prep For each question, show your work! Then, write what you believe is the correct answer (Ex: C. X-5). 1. If x=4, which of the following is greatest in value? ◦A. (x + 1) (x + 2) ◦B. (x + 1) (x – 1) ◦C. (x – 2) (x + 2) ◦D. (x – 2) (x +1) ◦E. (x – 4) (x + 4) 2. Trains A, B and C passed through a station at different speeds. Train A’s speed was three times Train B’s speed, and Train C’s speed was twice Train A’s. What was Train C’s speed in miles per hour, if Train B’s speed was 7 miles per hour. A. 14B. 21C. 28D. 35E If the average (arithmetic mean) of x, 5x, and 6x is 8, what is the value of x? A. 1B. 2C. 3D. 4E. 5

Catalyst #11February 6, 2015 Your Current College Readiness Skills 1. In your journal, write the catalyst number and date and then write “Completed Self-Assessment” 2. Then, take the self-assessment by recording how true or false each statement is to you. 3. Finally, on the back of the self-assessment, transfer your scores for each question. 4. Once you have transferred all of your scores, follow the formula to calculate your score for each category.