Doing the FRQ Free Response Questions. Types of Essay Questions Document Based Question (DBQ) Based on eight to ten primary sources plus outside knowledge.

Doing the FRQ

Free Response Questions

Types of Essay Questions

Document Based Question (DBQ)Based on eight to ten primary sources plus

outside knowledgeFree – Response Question (FRQ)

Four questions

= Two pre-1870 (select one)

= Two Post 1870 (select one)

What Are the AP Essay Graders Looking For?

An answer to the question Strong thesis. Reasonable outline—well-organized. A straight forward answer. An understanding of the historical period(s). Analysis—ability to interpret history. Factual Details that support thesis & analysis

—evidence. Originality of historical thought.

Part 1: Understanding the Essay Prompt

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● Read the entire prompt, every word of it. Reread it till you understand it.

● Having read the whole prompt, circle or underline the VERBS. These words will give you your task.

● Look for and mark any CONJUNCTIONS and circle or underline them.

Understanding the Question:

Common FRQ verbs & questions:

CompareAnalyzeApplyAssess (the validity)CausedAffectedChanged (altered, grew)

How Why In what way To what extent

What are you being asked to do?

Go back and look carefully at the VERB in the prompt. This word will tell you what kind of question is being asked and what you are expected to do.

Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 – 1750.

Economicsapolitics

Recognizing the Time Frame

What is/are the time frame(s) of the question?

How did the economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of slavery as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and 1775?

What events started & ended this period?

Are there Choices?

What choices are you given within the question?

Compare the ways in which religion shaped the development of colonial society (to 1740) in TWO of the following regions:

New EnglandChesapeakeMiddle Atlantic

Do only the number

required!

Define terms in prompt:

Discuss the changing ideals of American womanhood between the American Revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War. What factors fostered the emergence of “republican motherhood” and the “cult of domesticity”? Assess the extent to which these ideals influenced the lives of women during this period.

What terms do you need to explain in this question?

Part 2: Organization

Sketch out a quick, informal plan of how you are going to answer the question.

For instance, if you were writing the following prompt. . . – Compare and contrast United States foreign

policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

Step 7: Organization

Jot down a simple “outline” like the one at the right.

List things that were similar in BOTH periods,

List the differences in BOTH periods.

Your essay would have 3 body paragraphs as indicated by the circles

1919-1928 1945-1950

similarities

differences

How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of slavery as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and 1775?

Geographic Social Factors Economic

Filling out your outline.

Organize your thinking BEFORE you write.

Doesn’t need to be a long processDecide 2-4 issues you need to discussOrganize the facts under those

headingsCheck to see that you “balance” your

answer—give each part equal time.

Social

Political

Economic

List facts

List facts

List facts

List factsList facts

List factsList facts

List facts List facts

List factsList facts

List facts

List factsList facts

Don’t get hung up the format of the outline.

Part 3: Thesis Statement

Difference between an English & History thesis statement.

English Responds to a prompt. Gives the main idea of the essay. The economic, geographic, and social factors unique

to the southern colonies encouraged the growth of slavery.

History Answers the question. Specifies how & why the

answer is correct. Although the geography of

the southern colonies enabled the growing of cash crops, the profits to be made from tobacco and rice provided the incentive for the gradual enslavement of Africans between 1607 and 1775.

The Thesis

Topic: Slavery in the Southern ColoniesFocus: The economic, geographic, and

social factors encouraged the growth of slavery.

Forecast: The climate led to growing cash crops. Greed at the profits to be made from cash crops led to slavery. Social differences helped the process of enslavement to occur.

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Part 3: Summary

Thesis is a single declarative sentence that “answers” the prompt with your interpretation.

Thesis must address the complexity in any prompt.

Thesis should be the last sentence in the introduction paragraph.

Good idea to include qualifying conjunction such as…Although

Part 4: Analysis

Describing Versus Analyzing

Lower scores are given to essays that only describe or narrate what happened.

Higher scores are given to essays that analyze.

Analysis MeansThe ability to demonstrate the

knowledge of WHY AND HOW rather than a mere knowledge of the historical facts.

Going beyond providing the reader with historical information by making relevant inferences, connections and associations.

Seeing the big picture.

Analysis Demonstrates

That a student has a more in depth understanding of the essay topic and a much higher level of thinking.

Analysis looks for change over time.

Analysis:

Compare the ways in which TWO of the following reflected tensions in colonial society. (03) Bacon’s Rebellion (1676) Pueblo Revolt (1680) Salem Witchcraft Trials (1692) Stono Rebellion (1739)

The Pueblo Revolt and Stono Rebellion are proof that the Native Americans and Africans resisted the forced labor system imposed on them and the dehumanization of their social status and people.

While Bacon’s Rebellion was caused by the inequities between the social classes in Virginia society, the Salem Witchcraft Trials resulted from the tyranny of religious fanaticism over Puritan society.

What do historians do?

In your analysis you need to…Interpret—what do you think?

Argument based on factual evidence.Respect the evidence, yet be original.

Identify and use evidence:What are your strongest pieces of

evidence (facts) ?How well do you organize and integrate

your evidence?

Determine Significance: Why does this matter?What is unique about this event or issue?How did it change people’s lives?What were the immediate and long term

effects of this event?How did history change over time?

Historical Thinking Skills

Historical argument Use of Relevant Historical Evidence Historical Causation Continuity and Change over Time Periodization Comparison Contextualization Interpretation Synthesis

General Writing Guidelines

Answer the question they asked. Write clearly and neatly in pen. Stick to you outline. Use 3rd person & past tense. Don’t assume your audience knows what you mean.

Clarify and watch your use of pronouns. Use transitions words to show where you are going. Try to prove one big picture idea per paragraph. Evidence, evidence, evidence—include as many facts as

you can. Make sure the first and last paragraphs directly answer

the question.

How to Write the Essays

Read the question thoroughly. Analyze and breakdown the

questionBrainstorm the topicWrite your thesis.Create an outline that includes

factual evidence.Budget your time.