ARE YOU READY FOR A WAR

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ARE YOU READY FOR A WAR!!!
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The Essay Question
The Basics of Writing a Successful AP Essay
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Types of Essay Questions

• Document Based Question (DBQ)
• Based on eight to ten primary sources plus
  outside knowledge
• Free Response Question (FRQ)
• Four questions
• Two pre-1870 (select one)
• Two Post 1870 (select one)

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What Are the AP Essay Graders Looking For?

• Answer the question
• Begin with a strong thesis
• Follow a reasonable outline
• The less confusing the better for the reader
• Be straightforward
• Readers are experts in history

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What Are the AP Essay Graders Looking For?

• Focus on the question
• Make sure you answer the question being asked
• More that just facts although important
• Reveal an understanding of the general principles
  good analysis
• Big picture of American History

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What Are the AP Essay Graders Looking For?

• Weave and understanding of content with analysis
• Originality of thought
• Interpretative history

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What Are the AP Essay Graders Looking For? Summed
Up

• Express good ideas
• Present valid evidence to support those ideas
• Strong developed thesis
• Quality of historical argument
• Each essay is only read for about two minutes

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Things That Make Any Essay Better

• Two Components
• Plan what your are going to write
• Use effective writing techniques
• Better organized
• Better thought out
• Better written

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Before You Start Writing

• Read the question carefully
• Brainstorm for a couple of minutes
• Write facts, concepts and/or ideas that come to
  mind
• Decide on your thesis (point of argument)
• Organize information to fit thesis

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Before You Start Writing

• Aim for five paragraphs (although not an
  absolute)
• Paragraph 1 Introduction
• Thesis
• Summary of three basic argument
• Paragraphs 2 4 Body
• Three arguments that support the thesis
• Historical evidence
• Paragraph 5 Conclusion
• Conclusion and wrap up
• Restate thesis

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Types of Arguments

• Three Good Points
• The Chronological Argument
• Similarities and Differences
• The Watchdog Argument

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Arguments Continued

• Organize essay
• First paragraph addresses the question and
  states how you are going to answer it (Thesis)
• Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 organized around a
  single argument ?by evidence ?thesis
• Paragraph 5 Ties the essay into a neat package.
  Answer the question here!!!

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Writing Guidelines

• Keep sentences as simple as possible
• Throw in a few big words but dont over do it
• Write clearly and neatly
• Define your terms
• Use transitions words to show where you are going

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Writing Guidelines Continued

• Use structural indicators to organize your
  paragraphs
• Stick to you outline
• Try to prove one big picture idea per paragraph
• Evidence, evidence, evidence
• Make sure the first and last paragraphs directly
  answer the question

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Three Good Points

• Simplest strategy
• From brainstorming select three best points
• Each point the subject of a paragraph
• Topic sentence then support
• Opening paragraph what you intend to argue
• Final paragraph what you have proven

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The Chronological Argument

• Certain questions lend themselves to this
• Transitions between paragraphs essential
• Paragraph two leads to paragraph three which
  leads to paragraph four
• Opening paragraph sets the path
• Closing paragraph restate essay question and
  answer it

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Similarities and Differences I

• Comparison questions
• Start by setting a historical scene
• Each paragraph building an issue
• Last paragraph comparing and contrasting issues

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Similarities and Differences II

• Question my provide options
• Comparing political philosophies of two
  presidents
• Thesis states the essential differences between
  their philosophies
• One paragraph to each philosophy
• Fourth paragraph major differences and
  similarities
• Final paragraph draw conclusions

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Similarities and Differences III

• Start with a thesis
• Discuss three pertinent issues
• Each presidents view
• Final paragraph overview of your argument

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The Watchdog Argument

• Choose arguments opposite of yours
• State their arguments, then tear them down
• You do not have to prove you are correct
• Paragraph 2 - Summarize your opponents
  arguments in
• Paragraph 3 Search and destroy their arguments
• Paragraph 4 your argument
• Showing both sides demonstrates you understand
  history is complex

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The Document-Based Question
DBQ
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What Is It?

• An essay question that requires you to interpret
  primary source documents.
• Documents might include the following

Newspaper articles/editorials Letters/diaries Spee
ches Legislation Political cartoons Charts and
graphs
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What Are the Documents for?

• To discuss events and ideas with which you are
  familiar.
• To support or refute the essay questions
• Focus around the essay topic

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When Do I Take the DBQ?

• After the multiple-choice section
• You get a green booklet with the essay questions
  and DBQ
• Begins with a 15 minute mandatory reading period
• Evaluate and interpret the documents

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Is There a Right Answer to Each DBQ?

• Yes
• Multiple arguments
• Develop your argument (thesis) with evidence
  (include outside information)
• Use a strong historical argument

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I Have the Question, Now What Do I Do? Getting
Started

• Read the question thoroughly
• Explore all parts of the question (how many
  parts)
• Highlight important aspects
• Ask these two questions
• Do I have an opinion about this subject?
• What must I discuss in order to write a
  successful essay? (most important)

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Sample Question

• Although New England and the Chesapeake region
  were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

Use the documents AND your knowledge of the
colonial period up to 1700 to develop your
answer.
Circle or underline the key parts to the question.
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Sample Question Breakdown

• 1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
  region were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

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Sample Question Breakdown

• 1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
  region were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

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Sample Question Breakdown

• 1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
  region were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

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Sample Question Breakdown

• 1)Although New England and the Chesapeake region
  were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

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Sample Question Breakdown

• 1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
  region were both settled largely by the people of
  English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
  into two distinct societies. Why did this
  difference in development occur?

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Sample Question Breakdown

1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
region were both settled largely by the people of
English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
into two distinct societies. Why did this
difference in development occur?
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Sample Question Breakdown

1) Although New England and the Chesapeake
region were both settled largely by the people of
English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved
into two distinct societies. Why did this
difference in development occur?
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Question Breakdown

• Your knowledge of the colonial period up to 1700
  to develop your answer..
• OUTSIDE INFORMATION

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Sample Question Breakdown

• Thoroughly examine and analyze the question
• Brainstorm for information
• Cluster/outline
• List of important events, people and other
  pertinent information

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Gather Outside Information

• Jot down terms, ideas, and/or concepts
• 2 or 3 minutes
• Decide what you can and cannot use
• Insert into cluster/outline

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Outside Information

• Information same as the documents
• That means you are on target
• Read question and brainstorm

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Reading the Documents

• Use the AP-PARTS to help you understand the
  documents
• A Author
• P Place and Time
• P Prior Knowledge
• A Audience
• R Reason
• T The Main Idea
• S Significance

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Reading the Documents

• Document Order
• Chronological - if the test is asking you trace
  the historical development.
• Otherwise organized for compare and contrast
  (draw comparisons in your essay).

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Reading the Documents

• Inconsistencies
• Not all documents agree
• Present different view points
• Recognize inconsistencies
• APPARTS help you identify the source and
  differing opinions of the same event or data

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Reading the Documents

• Once you decided on your thesis (documents)
• Supporting evidence
• Contradicting evidence
• - incorporate and acknowledge these
• Why was that document included?
• Add more outside info (???)

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Thesis Development

• Read question one more time
• Develop an argument you can prove
• Make sure your thesis addresses all pertinent
  aspects of the question

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Write Your Essay

• Get to the point
• Back thesis up with facts, solid evidence not
  fluff
• opening statement with your opinion, restate the
  question and 3 arguments
• 3 or 4 different issues or topic sentences
• Make sure you are addressing the question
• Refer back to the question several times
• Include as many documents as possible and be sure
  you cite each document used
• Dont quote document----summarize or main idea
• Underline factual information you want readers
  to see.and list documents when you use them.
  (DocA)

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Final Conclusion

• Ending paragraph which summarizes what you have
  written.
• This is not part of the body.

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The Last Word

• Stay confident
• Dont panic
• Take a deep breath to relax
• You are going to learn how to write these
• Remember, everyone else in the U.S. who is taking
  APUSH is in the same boat as you.

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Sample Question

• How successful was organized labor in improving
  the position of workers in the period from
  1875-1900. Analyze the factors that lead to the
  level of success achieved.

Use the documents and your knowledge of the of
the period of 1875-1900 to construct your
response.
Circle or underline the key parts to the question.
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Sample Question Breakdown

• How successful was organized labor in improving
  the position of workers in the period from
  1875-1900. Analyze the factors that lead to the
  level of success achieved.
• Use the documents and your knowledge of the
  period of 1875-1900 to construct your response