WRITING A FRQ/DBQ INTRODUCTION

1. WRITING A FRQ/DBQ INTRODUCTION Mr. Sieg KEYSTONE OAKS HIGH SCHOOL APEH-APUSH-WH 9

2. WRITING AN INTRODUCTION • Once you have determined where you are going with your answer and come up with a thesis, the next question is where does the thesis go? • It’s simple. • Place it as the last sentence of the Introduction. If the reader of your essay has to guess where your thesis is, you are in trouble! • Always state it at the end of the Introductory Paragraph. • Use this basic 3 step approach of organizing your introduction. Some people call it the upside down triangle. Start out general, become more specific and then end with your sharp and concise thesis statement.

3. Upside Down Triangle Begin with a general statement identifying the issue being discussed (Time and Place) Then add a statement(s) by identifying some possible answers to the question or prompt Become focused by stating your thesis statement General Information More Specific

4. WHICH ONE IS THE BEST? Which of the following Examples (A or B) is an example of a well written introduction that ends in an exact thesis statement? Choose which is the best example and underline the thesis. Question or prompt: How can this school improve? Example A: Schools can always use improvement. Many feel that increasing electives for students can create a more diverse curriculum. Others recognize increasing technological opportunities as a step in the right direction. However, evidence shows that schools can rapidly improve by improving food choices, providing an enthusiastic faculty, and smaller class sizes. • Example B: Some schools need to be improved while others do not. Many people believe our school needs to improve drastically. Others feel that it is fine the way it is and change is not a requirement. Either way, each person must decide for him or herself whether or not the school can and should be improved.

5. EXAMPLE A IS THE BEST • Example A: • Schools can always use improvement. Many feel that increasing electives for students can create a more diverse curriculum. Others recognize increasing technological opportunities as a step in the right direction. However, evidence shows that schools can rapidly improve by improving food choices, providing an enthusiastic faculty, and smaller class sizes.

6. DO NOT • Refer to the present or “today” • Use “first person” • You, Your, I, me, we, yinz, usins • Use weak or vague words like stuff or things • Use intelligent words which give you credibility as a thinker with reasoning skills • Put the thesis anywhere but the end of the introduction • Use “fluffy” or “flowery” phrases • Ex) Without this we would not be alive today! • OH Yeah. Do not use exclamation points!

7. EXAMPLES FROM WH 9 • During the Middle Ages in Europe, invasions were inevitable. The Magyars, Vikings, and Muslims were tribes that invaded the continent during this time of turmoil. The European people needed a plan. Feudalism was started in Europe because people needed protection, people needed to survive, and there was not a strong ruler or King to provide stability. • (Military, Agriculture, Political)

8. EXAMPLES FROM WH 9 • During the Middle Ages in Europe, peace was rare. With Vikings, Magyar and Muslim invasions and attacks from all directions, people lived in constant fear. This era was a watershed moment in history because it ensured the survival of western civilization. Feudalism, met the challenges of this chaotic time by providing a strong military, adequate political stability, and efficient domesticstrategies.

9. PROMPT • EXPLAIN HOW LUTHER’S IDEAS WERE BOTH CONSERVATIVE AND REVOLUTIONARY

10. EXAMPLES FROM APEH • Transitioning out of the European Renaissance, individualism was still popular, encouraging many people to become educated. People began to develop the ability to read and think for themselves. Reacting to the new abilities of reading (especially scripture), the church and religious authorities began to come under scrutiny. In 16th century Europe, the Reformation was fully in progress with Luther being one of the most well-known Protestant reformers of the time in which he achieved great success through his revolutionary religious ideas, conservative social theories, and their political effects on Europe.

11. EXAMPLES FROM APEH • Martin Luther, the father of the German Reformation of the 16th Century, is usually associated with religious enlightenment and, for one reason or another, social liberalism. But although his revolutionary ideas did forever change the face of Christendom, he was also a staunch conservative in regards to many issues. By holding theological views which differed drastically from the Catholic norm and founding a completely new Church, Luther can be seen as a radical. However, many of his views concerning social reform and his treatment of dissenting religious opinions from his own coincide with a more conservative mindset.