Preparing for the GHSGT in Social Studies.

1. Preparing for the GHSGT in Social Studies. A Systematic Approach

2. GHSGT Content Percentages Domain I- American Government/Civics-18% Domain 2: United States History to 1865-26% Domain 3: United States History since 1865- 25% Domain 4- World Geography 13 % Domain 5- World History-18%

3. Hints Read everything carefully. There are no trick questions.( read entire questions and the real meaning should be clear). Consider every choice. Some alternatives (distracters) will be attractive because they include an irrelevant detail, a common misconception , or apply the right information in the wrong way. Guess intelligently. (eliminate incorrect answers) Spend test time wisely. Check your work.

4. Plan A 1.Read the questions 2.Reword difficult words with familiar words A. Line through the old word B. Write the familiar word above the old one 3. For example: a) encounter=met and b) culture=way of life 4. Circle the key word that answers that question 5. Eliminate the obvious BOGUS choice if there is one a) It is usually the one that is totally unrelated to the question 6. Read the remaining three choices carefully 7. Select the choice which best answers the question 8. Eliminate the remaining three choices.

5. Plan B 1.Look for words that mean the same thing (synonyms) in the questions and answer. a. revival and Renaissance b. Industry and factories 2. Look for words that are related in the questions and answer a. problem and disruption or disrupted b. increase and go up c. sail and sea d. founding and find 3. Look for repeated words in the questions and answer a. European and European b. factory and factories 4. Choices such as All of These or All of the Above are usually 90 % right.

6. Plan C • Brainstorm the question’s key words by using a Tree diagram • For example: Crusades a. Who: Think of everything important you can remember about the person b. What: Military expeditions c. Where: Middle East d. When: 1100-1300s e. Why: To go to the Holy Lands and recapture them form the Moslems

7. Analyzing a Multiple-Choice Question • Carefully read the question or stem. • Attempt to answer it before you look at the answer choices. • Read all the answer choices. • Reread the questions or stem, an circle key words. • Underline under any absolutes, such as no, not, none except, never, always, only and all. • Circle any qualifiers, such as least, most, best ,and first. • Eliminate answers that appear obviously wrong. • Select the most correct answer.

8. Different Kinds of Multiple-Choice Questions 1.Unlike US. Cabinet members, British ministers- (prior knowledge) 2. Identify the sequence in which these events occurred :1- 4 items ( prior knowledge and have to sort event from early human history) 3. What conclusion can you draw form the graph? (Bar graph and answer without prior knowledge) 4. Jackson Family Monthly Budget and The Jacksons want to buy a new car. This would increase their monthly transportation costs by about $200. Their opportunity cost if they buy a new car would most likely be— (combine prior knowledge and the information in the graph ( monthly budget)

9. Drawing Conclusion and Inferences • Read the selection carefully. Read the entire passage. • Determine the main idea of the passage or quote. • Identify the stated facts. • Identify unstated ideas. Distinguish between what is implied by the facts and what is suggested by the perception of the author. • Verify that the facts in the passage support your conclusion Step 2. • Read the question (and, if given, all answer choices). • Review the passage • Select or write an answer that uses facts that you have concluded are present in the selection

10. Steps of Analyzing a Cause-and Effect Question • Identify that the question is a cause-and-effect questions by circling key words. • Determine whether the questions is asking for a cause of something or an effect of something. • Predict the possible cause or effect. • Eliminate obviously worn answers. • Select the correct answer.

11. Steps for Analyzing a Passage or Quotation • Read the title. • Determine the answers to these questions: Who is the author? What is his or her purpose? Who is the intended audience? • Determine when the passage or quotation was written. Look for dates. • Carefully read the passage or quotation. • Read the test question, but not the answer choices. • Reread the passage of quotation, circling key words. • Underline main ideas in the passage or quote. • Reread the question, and predict the answer. • Read the answer choices. • Select the best or correct answer.

12. Analyzing a Hypothetical Situation • Carefully read the scenario. • Carefully read the question. • Carefully read all the answer choices. • Circle key words in the scenario. • Circle key words in the question. • Consider each answer. Determine whether an answer is valid and complete. • Choose the best, most complete answer.

13. Steps for Interpreting Graphs • Read the graph’s title . • Determine the graph’s purpose and what is being compared or shown. • Read the questions, but not the answer choices. • Study the graph’s key. • Identify any symbols or labels on the graph. • Identify the graphs’ main idea. • Answer the question in your own words. • Read the answer choice • Eliminate the obviously wrong answers. • Select the best answer.

14. Reading and Understanding Questions • Read question carefully. • Underline key words. • Look at instructions that tell you what to do, or concept, or the names of people and place, issues, time periods, or other important data. • Choose those words that would most help you to plan your answer. Look for clue words. • Read the question again. • Choose the best answer now.

15. “Explain the limits placed by the Supreme Court on newspaper writers who criticize government leaders and their policies.” Underline- Explain ( Give the reasons for), limits( What you must explain), Supreme Court( Who is responsible), newspaper writers( Who is affected), criticize, government leaders, their policies( What action is involved). “Between 1776 and 1783, the colonies fought a bitter war with Britain. The war ended in defeat for Britain and independence for the colonies.” Under line key words, Choose clue words-purchased, conquered, or obtained by treaty. This may help you to remember the Louisiana Purchase, or the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo or the Mexican War. All these key events in the expansion of the United States. Read the question again. It has been reworded slightly. “Between 1783 and 1853, by buying land, by conquest, and by treaty, the nation obtained all the territories that make up the continental Untied States. Which of the following was a key event in this process. “ • Louisiana Purchase • Continental Congress • Civil War • Great Awakening

16. Using Context Clues Protective tariffs adopted by Congress in the early 1800s were warmly welcomed in Northern cities. What did these tariffs protect? You may not know protective tariff. This questions tells you that protective tariffs were popular in Northern cities. Northern cities isyour clue. It tell you that tariffs protected something found in place like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, the cities of the North. We associate industry with the North, just as were associate agriculture with the South. You might guess that protective tariffs protected industry in the North against foreign manufactured goods.

17. Watch Out For Negatives Economic developments in the Midwest before 1850 led to all of the following except- Here the word except tells you that this is a negative question. Most of the answer choices will describe result of economic developments in the Midwest before 1850. But one will describe an outcome that was not a result of an economic development in the Midwest before 1850.