What is Included in the Essay Portion of the Exam? The free-response section covers the period from the first European explorations of the Americas to.
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What is Included in the Essay Portion of
the Exam?The free-response section covers
the period from the first European explorations of the Americas to 1980. The section has three parts. Part A has one document-based essay question (DBQ). Parts B and C each offer a choice of two standard essay questions.
How Much of the APUSH Exam Score
Comes From Essays?The multiple-choice and free-
response sections each account for one-half of your final Exam grade. Within the free-response section, the document-based essay question counts for 45 percent and the two standard essays count for 55 percent.
The Truth About All APUSH Essays
The most important task is to ANSWER the QUESTION!
Don’t Forget Everything
You’ve Learned About
Essays… Adapt to New Rules
Every AP Test Has Unique Requirements
It is Not “One Size Fits All”
It Makes No Sense to Insist Upon Doing it YOUR WAY!
In Class, You Have Three Readers to
Worry About
But With the APUSH Exam…
You need to write with the understanding that any one of more than 1200 readers could get your essay
Therefore you should follow the rules in order to “pass” the exam
Assume the Role of an Attorney
The Jury for your Argument is the
Reader. You Must Convince the Reader of
the Validity of Your Argument
Provide Evidence
to Support
Your Argume
nt
Provide Analysis
to Explain Your
Evidence
Steps for Writing an AP U.S. History
Timed Essay1. Carefully read and analyze the prompt
Highlight key terms (e.g. assess, explain). Identify and plan to answer all parts of the essay prompt.
2. Develop a preliminary thesis/position This is the argument your paper will make and support. Make sure your thesis addresses all parts of the prompt, is
well-developed, and supported by several main points.
3. Brainstorm & Categorize List every relevant issue, historical term, name, event, etc.
from the time period that might apply to your essay. Create categories (or use the categories suggested by the
prompt) to help organize your ideas. Always complete steps 1-3 BEFORE looking at the
documents in a DBQ.
Steps for Writing an APUSH Timed Essay4. Read the Documents (Skip if not a DBQ)
Read each document. Look for the main idea of each document as it relates to your thesis. Examine each document for connections or links to outside
information. Consider the questions that are part of SOAPS, APPARTS, etc.
Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject Author, Place, Prior knowledge, Audience, Reason, The main
point, Significance Ignore any documents that you don’t understand or know how to
use.
5. Revise your thesis, categories and outlines as necessary Incorporate the main points from the documents and the outside
information suggested by the documents in your outline Revise your thesis, if necessary, and consider creating a complex
type of thesis statement by using key words such as “although,” “despite,” “however,” etc.
Make sure that each main point is well supported with appropriate analysis and multiple examples.
Steps for Writing an AP U.S. History
Timed Essay6. Write the essay
Introduction with background, timeframe, and thesis Body paragraphs – one for each main idea – that address
each of the parts of the prompt. Cover all points with evidence and analysis. Transition smoothly between paragraphs.
Conclusion – summarize and restate your thesis. Wrap up with a final statement that brings closure.
7. Proofread Use any extra time to reread your essay. Make corrections that are neat and easy to read and
understand. If you remember new information, write a new paragraph,
circle it, and draw an arrow to indicate where the new paragraph should be inserted into the essay.
HOTT IntroductionsHook statement that draws the reader in
Overview or Background with a timeframe
Thesis – your answer to the prompt
Topics – sentence(s) that introduce the main points that will support your thesis and be fully developed in the essay. It is best to keep these in the same order throughout the essay.
Body Paragraphs that Pass the TEST
Topic Sentence – the theme of the paragraph
Evidence and Analysis – factual information along with the How and Why (analysis)
Summary Statement – a reminder of the sub-points of the paragraph
Transition – finish off paragraph and introduce theme of the next paragraph
Come to a STOP with a Good Conclusion
Summarize the themes/main points
Thesis restatement
Omit any new information
Perspective – Finish essay with a sentence that unifies the essay and/or puts it in historical perspective
History Essay Tips Things to Do:
Adhere to the steps to writing a good essay and its basic structure
Deal honestly with counter-evidence and arguments in either the appropriate body paragraph or in a separate one. Never create “straw man” arguments
Start off essay with your strongest argument/evidence. Consider presenting your weakest argument in the middle so that you can finish strong.
Remain objective. Do not inject your personal opinion, but take a position on the prompt. Watch your wording.
History Essay Tips Using Primary Source Documents in an
Essay: Identify the main point of each document and
relate it to your thesis/argument Use the documents to remind you of other
outside information to incorporate in the essay Do not paraphrase or summarize a document.
Never allow the focus of a paragraph or an essay to shift from the prompt and your thesis to the documents
Try to use the main ideas and outside information suggested by as many documents as possible, however, never use a document you don’t understand or are unsure of.
History Essay Tips Using Primary Source Documents in an
Essay: Use at least HALF + One to attain
substantial usage Refrain from quoting a document – it
wastes precious time and most readers consider it a sign of desperation
Do not explicitly refer to a document (e.g. “As it says in Document A…”)
Cite documents parenthetically (Doc. A) but the reader will recognize skillful use of a document even without a citation Jefferson believed that the 36-30 Line would
cause more sectional issues. (Doc. F)
History Essay Tips Mistakes to Avoid:
Generalizations and unsupported statements
Equivocation (Take a reasonable position, don’t try to argue both sides of a question)
Use of the first or second person voice (e.g. “I,” “You,” “We,” “Us,” “Y’all,” etc.)
Absolutes (e.g. “never,” “always,” “completely,” etc.)
Vague verbs (e.g. “felt,” “thought,” “said,” etc.)
Contractions (e.g. “don’t,” “won’t,” etc.) Slang, figures of speech, & other non-
academic phrases
Common Types of Essay TermsAnalyze: to break into parts and explain the parts
Assess: to weigh the evidence and make a judgment
Compare: Show how things are alike
Contrast: Show how things are different
Discuss: to tell about the main points and important details
Evaluate: to give your opinion of what is important; discuss its good and bad points; discuss its strengths and weaknesses
Extent: how much, to what degree
Common Types of Essay TermsIdentify: to name and explain
Infer: to draw a conclusion based on fact
Justify: to give reasons and evidence to support your thinking
Relate: to show how things are alike or connected
Sequence: to put in correct order
Synthesize: to combine parts or pieces of an idea, situation or event
Validity: how accurate something is
Ten Types of History Essay
Questions Change Over Time “The period from 1783 to 1815 was a period of evolution to economic maturity
for the infant United States.” Assess the validity of this view. “Between 1790 and 1870 the economic growth of the United States was
significantly stimulated by governmental aid.” Assess the validity of this statement.
Cause and Effect Why did the United States enter the First World War? What caused the Civil War?
Compare and Contrast Compare and contrast Jacksonian Democracy and Jeffersonian Democracy. Compare and contrast three colonies—Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts
Define and Identify Discuss Jacksonian Democracy
Statement, React To It “Presidents are rarely successful in both foreign and domestic policy.” Assess
the validity of this statement. “Slavery was the sole cause of the Civil War.” Evaluate this statement.
Ten Types of History Essay
Questions Evaluation Pick any three of the following and evaluate their effectiveness as
political leaders. George Washington John C. Calhoun Thomas Jefferson Henry Clay John Quincy Adams Daniel Webster
Was colonial society democratic?
A Statement From a Particular Viewpoint Defend British policies during the period from 1763 to 1776. According to radical historians, what have been the foreign policy
objectives of the United States in the twentieth century?
Given Framework “The powers of the President grew because of war and foreign crises.”
Evaluate this statement. “The United States displayed all the typical characteristics of a new
nation during the early republic, 1789-1823.” Assess the validity of this view.
Ten Types of History Essay Questions Problem-Solution
“What causes of the Civil War were resolved by the Civil War and Reconstruction?
The Progressive movement solved problems that arose from Industrialization.” Discuss this statement.
Answer and Include Analyze the relative importance of three of the following as
contributing to the Civil Rights movement. Gunnar Mydral, An American Dilemma The desegregation of the armed forces Brown v. Board of Education African American demographic shifts
Identify and analyze the issues separating the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War as illustrated by three
of the following. NATO and the Warsaw Pact The Korean War The Berlin Wall The nuclear arms race
Let’s Look at a Rubric
This is a real College Board rubric for a previous FRQ.
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