Essay WritingFor Honors and AP History

Background Test is roughly 3 hours Eighty Multiple Choice Questions A document based essay question Two free response questions The multiple choice questions make up one

half of a student's final grade The three essays accounting for the other fifty

percent.

Elements of Success To succeed on an Advanced Placement

history test, students must demonstrate competency in three areas: content knowledge document analysis/synthesis writing proficiency

Free Response QuestionsPart 1 What is it? The two free response questions make up

about 30% of your total grade on the test You have 35 minutes for each You have a choice between three prompts for

each question you must write

Free Response QuestionsPart 1 What do you need to do?

Students must construct a strong thesis Organize their knowledge Develop an argument supported by

substantial, relevant information

Part 2 Selecting a Topic You need to make the right choice when

selecting a topic Construct a list of all relevant information you

know about each question READ THE QUESTION!

Make sure you understand exactly your task, what you must “prove” in the essay

AP Says… Choose Your Essays Wisely

Select the questions you are best prepared to answer. The questions that invite the easiest generalizations are not always the ones you should answer. As you read through the questions and make your choices, ask yourself for which of the questions are you best prepared to support your thesis.

Pre-write Organize your thinking BEFORE you write.

This doesn’t need to be a long process Decide two or three things you need to discuss, Organize the facts you have under those

headings, Check through them to see that you “balance” the

discussion—give each part of the topic equal discussion.

Example Questions 1983 “Luther was both a revolutionary and

a conservative.” Evaluate this statement with respect to Luther’s responses to the political and social questions of his day.

1988: Describe and analyze the ways in which humanism, the development of printing, and Italian art altered Europe during the period 1450-1600.

Part 3 Organization Introduction

Thesis Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3

Body Paragraph 1 (reason 1)

Body Paragraph 2 (reason 2)

Body Paragraph 3 (reason 3)

Conclusion

AP Says… Organize Your Response Carefully

In addition to having a strong thesis, it is a good idea to have a guiding organizational principle—a stated agenda for making your point. Try to integrate your outside information into your response. Your exam shouldn't read as if you threw in a few tidbits of outside information at the end.

Part 4 Introduction and Thesis A sophisticated thesis will include

Three reasons A fact or explanation for each reason Short phrases showing how each reason leads

to the next reason. FRONTLOAD- you need to impress the

grader right away Be definite.  Your thesis should ANSWER

the prompt with your opinion.

AP Says… Start with a Clearly Stated Thesis

Some good essay writers begin with a thesis statement, back it up with supporting evidence from documents and outside knowledge, and, if time permits, restate the thesis at the end. Other writers analyze the material and build up logically to their thesis statement. On an AP Exam, you should use whichever method you feel most comfortable with. In any case, exam day is probably not a good time to experiment with a new, unfamiliar method of writing.

AP Says… Make Sure Thesis Matches Assessment & Knowledge

Many good essay writers demonstrate a sense of complexity in the documents, showing that most of the evidence may point in one direction but that part of the evidence points in a different direction. It is better, however, to support a clear, simple thesis than to create artificially a complexity that you can't support using the documents or outside knowledge. Almost every essay—including the DBQ—is designed to allow the student to agree or disagree with the statement. Your ultimate goal should be to present a well-argued and well-supported thesis, not merely to give the people scoring the essay what you think they want.

Part 4 Intro and Thesis cont.Introduction:1st Sentence: - introduce your topic or restate the question in a sentence.2nd sentence: lead toward your thesis3rd sentence:  Your thesis (may take more than one sentence)I. Opiniona.       Reason 1

i.      Fact or explanationii.      Explain how it leads to reason 2

b.      Reason 2 i.      Fact or explanationii.      Explain how it leads to reason 2

c.       Reason 3i.      Fact or explanationii.      Explain how it leads to reason 2 (cause/effect, chronological)

A simple thesis will only list the three reasons while a sophisticated thesis will list the three reasons and supporting evidence as outlined above.

Part 5 Body Paragraphs The Argument: An argument requires facts

(names, dates, places, events, quotes, lists, books, legislation, treaties, wars) and explanations of how the facts prove the opinion stated in the thesis.  Most good essays have a cycle of facts followed by explanation followed by more facts followed by more explanation and so on.

Part 5 Body Paragraphs cont. I. 1st Body paragraph:

a. Topic sentence of first thesis idea (IMPORTANT: go in the same order as your thesis.  Your first thesis idea is your first body paragraph and so on.)

b. 2-4 facts that support the topic sentence c. Explanation that specifically shows how the facts prove your idea

in your topic sentence (which is in your thesis). d. Repeat a and b at least 3 times or until your idea is proven e. Last sentence is a mini thesis for this topic only.  Restate the topic

and briefly list the 3 explanations (arguments) you made in this paragraph.

Rinse and repeat for paragraphs 2 and 3

AP Says… Build an Argument

The best essays—in terms of arguing their case—are those that marshal the positive arguments in favor of their position but that also refute or answer possible rival theses. Even if you think a statement is completely true, it is better to confront and negate the evidence that seems to refute it than to ignore the counterevidence completely.

AP Says… Define Your Terms Where Necessary

Look especially at terms like liberal or conservative, radical or progressive. Be prepared to define other central terms, such as major change, that may appear to be obvious but can be ambiguous.

Part 6 Conclusion The Conclusions: A conclusion is stated as a result

of facts and explanation.  A writer cannot have a conclusion without evidence (facts) and analysis (explanation).  Each paragraph you write should end with a sentence that states the conclusion proven by the facts and explanation in the paragraph.  Then the entire essay will conclude with a conclusion that is based on the facts and explanation in the previous paragraphs.

Part 6 Conclusion cont. IV. Conclusion

a. State your thesis as a conclusion and remind the reader of your important reasons and arguments

b. Explain why your conclusion is important historically.

Tips #1 Stay strictly within the time period.  Don’t

wander. You must be specific, specific, specific. Use proper nouns—words that need to be

capitalized. Never use generalities, i.e. many reforms, lots

of reformers, many things changed.

Tips #2 Never use I or you (Unless specifically told

that it is allowed.). Do not use contractions in formal writing. Organization is one of the most important

parts of good writing. Make sure to organize from the first paragraph on.