APUSH+Essays


 * AP US History Essay Tips **
 * You are writing to impress an AP reader who will have approximately two minutes with your essay. You must convince the reader that you are an intelligent life-form at the outset. Follow these key tips to improve your AP essays: **


 * 1. Be sure to read the question carefully and focus your discussion on directly answering that question. Be certain you answer the question that is asked. **


 * 2. AP Free Response Essays in recent years have tended to emphasize the following: **
 * ** Analyzing the impact of an event or concept on some aspect of American society **
 * ** Analyzing the relative importance of various factors on an event or concept **
 * ** Analyzing the extent to which an historical stereotype is true for a given period or concept **
 * ** Analyzing the reasons which cause a particular movement to develop **
 * ** Comparing AND contrasting differing attitudes toward a general concept **
 * ** Analyze means: examine HOW and WHY; “Break it down” **
 * ** Refer to Appendix A for frequently used essay command words. **


 * 3. Always use the format shown Appendix C to organize your essays. A predictable format will make it easier for the reader to extract information from your essay. Use the question as a logical cue as to how the essay should be organized. However, try to avoid simply restating the question to form your thesis statement. Make your thesis statement unique. **


 * 4. Make as specific references as possible, no matter how general or broad the question is. Load up your essays with facts. Keep in mind that major factual errors will lower your score. **


 * 5. Good AP essays will often run more than six paragraphs. Long essays are not necessarily good essays, but short essays are almost never good essays. **


 * 6. Use proper English. Avoid slang. Write in the past tense consistently. Use black or blue ink only on all AP essays. **


 * 7. Avoid the use of the words “I, me or mine.” Also, avoid writing formulaic statements such as “In this essay I will prove....” or “I believe...” in AP essays. **


 * 8. Be careful with spelling. Pay special attention to key words such as historical terms or proper names, particularly if these names appear in the question. **


 * 9. Avoid foolish efforts at humor. These usually fall flat and tell the reader that you did not take the question seriously. **


 * 10. Proofread your essay if time permits. Budget your time so that you will finish your essay in the allotted time. If you foresee that you will be unable to complete your essay, abbreviate or leave out the conclusion. **

**__ Appendix A __** ** AP US History Essay Command Words **
 * ANALYZE Separate something into its parts or major components; of what something is composed **
 * ASSESS Judge the value or character of something; “Assess the validity of the above” **
 * COMPARE Examine for the purpose of noting similarities and differences; In what ways are two things alike __and__ different **
 * CONTRAST Compare in order to show unlikeness or points of difference; note differences between and compare **
 * EVALUATE Give the good points and the bad ones, appraise; give an opinion regarding the value; discuss the advantages and disadvantages of **
 * EXPLAIN Make clear or plain; make known in detail; tell the meaning of; make clear the cause and reason of **
 * INTERPRET Explain the meaning of; make plain; present your thoughts about **

**__ Appendix B __** ** Thesis Formation - Some Hints **
 * 1. Always answer (respond to) the question! Why did this happen the way it did? **
 * 2. Analogy - What other historical event or group of events are comparable to the issues raised by the question **
 * 3. Definition - Define a key term, word or concept from the question in its historical context. **
 * 4. Concept - Provide a concept or central idea that explains a set of historical circumstances. **
 * 5. Context - What set of historical events or circumstances best explains the topic in the question? **
 * 6. What events or attitudes led to this problem? **

**__ Appendix C __** ** Suggested Construction of AP US History Essays ** I. Introduction A. Statement of Problem B. Thesis C. Arguments to be considered: 1. 2. 3. 4. II. Topic Sentence (Your best / strongest evidence) Evidence (3 relevant facts) A. B. C.

Transition III. Topic Sentence (Your second best / strongest evidence) Evidence (3 relevant facts) A. B. C.

Transition IV. Topic Sentence (Your third best / strongest evidence) Evidence (3 relevant facts) A. B. C.

Transition

V. Good DBQs should have 6-8 paragraphs VI. Conclusion

A. One sentence summaries of paragraphs II, III, IV (and V) to reinforce thesis B. Add any new insights, but avoid contradicting your thesis in the conclusion. Be consistent in your ideas.

Make your last sentence adequately compelling to endure in the reader’s attention

__**SAMPLE COLONIAL ERA FRQ & RUBRIC**__ · Thesis statement is substantiated by clearly addressing two factors; thesis may be implicit · Provides considerable relevant supporting information; demonstrates a clear sense of the sequence of events · Contains effective analysis of both factors · May have minor errors
 * // Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following influenced the development of American Society,  // **
 * // Puritanism during the 17th Century  // **
 * // The Salem Witch Trials  // **
 * // The Great Awakening during the 18th Century  // **
 * The 8-9 Essay **

· Thesis clearly addresses two factors; thesis may be implicit · Provides some relevant supporting information; demonstrates some sense of the sequence of events · Contains limited analysis of two factors · May have errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay · Lacks a thesis or thesis addresses factors in a superficial manner · Provides little relevant supporting information; lacks a sense of the sequence of events · Contains little or no analysis · May have major errors · Incompetently addresses the factors · Provides an inappropriate response · Contains neither analysis nor understanding · Has substantial factual errors · Off task
 * The 5-7 Essay **
 * The 2-4 Essay **
 * The 0-1 Essay **
 * The “_” Essay: **