Frequently Asked Questions for ISAT Prep Pack


	Frequently Asked Questions for ISAT Prep Pack

Mad Science is excited to offer Illinois students the chance to experience programming that may help increase their success on the ISATs!

How does the ISAT Prep Pack program work?

The ISAT Prep Pack is a series of one-hour workshops in which fun science is used to help fourth grade students prepare for the Goals and Learning Standards tested for on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). In each workshop, Mad Science instructors will present hands-on, inquiry based experiments and demonstrations to help students grasp the Benchmarks and Performance Descriptors outlined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

How thorough is the coverage in the ISAT Prep Pack?

Mad Science offers two Prep Pack options: a 3-week overview, called the Zip Pack, and a 6-week in-depth program, called the Extended Pack. The Zip Pack is designed to highlight the most difficult concepts in each of the three Goals; a different Goal is covered in each hour-long session. The Extended Pack provides further investigation of the Learning Standards and Benchmarks in each of the three Goals, including:

11.A.2a-e; 11.B.2a-f; 12.A.2a-b; 12.B.2a-b; 12.C.2a-b; 12.D.2a-b; 12.E.2a-c; 12.F.2a-c;
13.A.2a-c; 13.B.2a-f

Does the ISAT Prep Pack replace classroom instruction?

Of course not! The Mad Science Prep Pack program is an enhancement and a supplement to the awesome job your classroom teachers are already doing. We all know the brevity of the attention spans our beloved fourth graders possess…sometimes having someone from the outside come in, especially whey they’re wearing a Mad Science lab coat and with cool, hands-on stuff, is just what’s needed to help concepts “sink in!”

Why should we use the ISAT Prep Pack in our school?

Programs that use different methods of teaching are proven to get through to students! Mad Science employs visual, tactile, and auditory teaching methods in our workshops. With the ISAT Prep Pack, students get hands-on experience with the concepts in the ISBE Goals for learning science.

Our class day is jam-packed! What if we can’t spare the time?

We will work with your needs, and our one-hour workshops are designed to be streamlined and to-the-point. Ideally, the sessions should be conducted during the normal school day so that all students have the opportunity to participate. However, we can conduct after school sessions, schedule individual Goal workshops, or customize other programs. Plus, Mad Science brings all the equipment and supplies needed for the workshops—you just supply the students!

Still need more information? Want to book a Pack?

If you would like to schedule an ISAT Prep Pack, of if you have any further questions, please call (815) 444-1144 or email madscience101@sbcglobal.net