Tips for Writing an Essay on the AP US History Exam

1. Tips for Writing an Essay on the AP US History Exam

2. General Pointers • Be persuasive, convince the reader that your answer is correct • Take a stand, have an opinion, don’t be timid • Avoid fragmented sentences & run-ons • Avoid slang and informal language • Avoid using first person; “I,” “my,” “we,” & “our” • Essays must be written in black or dark blue ink

3. General Pointers • Don’t waste time with white out, instead cross out words or sentences • Write legibly in fairly large sized letters • The average reader spends only a few minutes on each essay. Your goal is to distinguish your essay from mediocrity in the 1st paragraph.

4. Understanding the Essay Prompt • All AP essays are written in response to a “prompt” • Understanding what this prompt is asking you to do is very important • Read the WHOLE prompt, every word; don’t be in a hurry • Examine the VERB in the prompt. It tells you what you must do • Commonly used verb phrases: analyze, evaluate, assess the validity, compare and contrast, discuss or consider

5. Understanding the Essay Prompt • Carefully observe any NUMBERS in the question • Observe the GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES • Center your answer within the TIME FRAME • USE THE CATEGORIES given in the question • Social, economic, political, cultural, religious, geographical, etc. • Announce the categories in your thesis & then write a paragraph about each

6. Sample Prompts • Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies. Confine your response to the period from 1754 to 1776. • Compare & contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

7. Sample Prompts • Analyze the origins and outcomes of the intense cultural conflicts of the 1920s. In your response, focus on TWO of the following. • Immigration • Prohibition • Religion • Compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of TWO of the following presidents. • Harry Truman (1945–1953) • Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961) • Richard Nixon (1969–1974)

8. Create an outline • After you understand the task at hand, create a brief outline • This maybe a chart, diagram, outline, or list, but do not skip this step • Organize your thinking so that you cover all of the material you need to cover in order to address the prompt completely • You are advised to spend 5 minutes planning and 30 minutes writing

9. Writing a thesis • A clear thesis is essential to a solid score, it is the most important sentence in your essay • A thesis sentence is a single declaratory sentence that “answers” the prompt with a clearly and simply stated opinion that does not restate the prompt. • Do nor rewrite or restate the question/prompt • A good thesis shows that the writer is going to answer all parts of the question within the boundaries of the question

10. Writing a thesis • “Slavery was the principal cause of the U.S. Civil War. Assess the validity of this statement.” • Good • Although slavery was a significant factor in the coming of the Civil War, the primary causes were the political, economic, and moral implications of the extension of slavery to the territories. • Bad • Slavery was the principal cause of the Civil War • Ugly • The Civil War had many causes.

11. Writing a thesis • It may be helpful to answer the prompt in a single sentence in order to help establish your thesis • Use this prompt to try: • “How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.”

12. Writing a thesis • Concept Thesis vs. Organizational Thesis • Concept thesis examples: • Although this was a period of intense labor pressure, unions failed to make the lives and status of workers better. • Although this period saw increased labor involvement, state and federal government antagonism kept unions from being effective. • This type of statement acknowledges that the question is complex

13. Writing a thesis • Organizational thesis examples: • Labor unions failed because they were confused in their goals and were aggressively opposed by both state and federal governments. • Organized labor unions were successful because they were not unified in their demands and were associated with radical European groups • These statements specifically mention what the topics of the body of your essay will be

14. Creating an introduction • Avoid fluffy statements • It’s OK if your intro is only 2-3 sentences • Ideally your first sentence is the thesis

15. The Body • Essays often fall short b/c they lack facts, support your thesis w/ FACTS • It is wise to show more than one side of an argument (although thesis statements) • Showing exceptions demonstrates analysis & critical thinking • Write down your most factually supported ideas in your 2nd & 3rd paragraphs in case you run out of time

16. The Body • Things to Avoid: • Repetitiveness • Wordiness • Mush: vague generalities unsupported by facts • Facts that do not pertain to the question/prompt • Telling a narrative

17. What are graders looking for? • Thesis Statement • Facts (outside info for DBQs) • Analysis • Did you show that you understood the question? • Did you make reasonable, logical arguments? • Synthesis • Did you put your facts & reasoning together & make reasonable inferences & conclusions?

18. ETC. • Multiple Choice Questions=50% of grade • 80 Qs in 55 minutes • Essay Exams=50% of grade • 1 DBQ in 45 minutes • 2 Free Response Essays (choose one of two twice), 35 minutes each