1. AP US History - APUSH Exam Information
No …. really… you HAVE to read to pass this class!
Exam Information

2. When is it?
Friday May 8th
8 a.m.

3. Need to see evidence of your ability to analyze and use evidence
Need to show ability to think about history and support your ideas with evidence
There is NOT a definitive right way to answer the question
Things to know

4. Format of the test 55 Multiple Choice Questions – 55 minutes – 40%
4 Short Answer Questions – 45 minutes – 20%
BREAK
1 Document Based Question – 60 minutes – 25%
1 Long Essay Question – 35 minutes – 15%
Format of the test

5. Time Periods Covered Period 1 – 1491 – 1607 – 5%
Period 9 – 1980 – Present – 5%
Time Periods Covered
ALL about turning points in history!!
pre-Columbian Indians to founding of Jamestown
Founding of Jamestown to French and Indian War (or Albany Plan of Union) Mixtures of Indians, Europeans, African Americans and created colonies
French and Indian War to 1st peaceful transition of power - American Revolution and founding of US, political struggles to make “more perfect union”
Transition of Power to Rising of problems with Slavery - New republic in mists of rapid economic, territorial, and population growth
Rising of problems with Slavery to Reconstruction - War with Mexico, conflict over slavery and states’ rights, Civil War, Reconstruction
End of Civil War to Progressivism - Industrialization, growth of cities, immigration
Progressivism to End of WWII - Impact of industrialization during Progressive and New Deal years, WWI, WWII
End of WWII to Rise of Conservatism - Cold War, division of society over economic and social justice
Conservatism to present - Renewed conservative movement, end of Cold War, globalization, terrorism

6. Historical Thinking Skills Covered
Skill Type
Historical Thinking Skill
Chronological Reasoning
1. Historical Causation
2. Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time
3. Periodization
Comparison and Contextualization
4. Comparison
5. Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
6. Historical Argumentation
7. Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
8. Interpretation
9. Synthesis
Historical Thinking Skills Covered
AP Course and Exam Description: pg. 11 – 19
Every question on exam will require students to apply one or more of these skills; long essay and DBQ will involve more than one skill.
Ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate relationships among many historical events; as both cause and effects; involves analyzing and making judgments about their relative significance
Ability to recognize, analyze, and evaluate the dynamics of history over periods of time, involves discovering patterns, across long periods of time
Ability to analyze and organize history into blocks of time or periods; may overlap
Ability to describe, compare, contrast, and evaluate two or more historical developments in the same era or from different periods
Ability to see how a specific event or development fits into the context of larger and broader historical developments; often at national or global level
Ability to analyze a question and address question through the construction of a plausible and persuasive argument; requires focused and analytic thesis supported by evidence
Ability to evaluate evidence from diverse sources: content, author’s point of view, intended audience, purpose of document, historical context
Ability to describe, analyze, evaluate diverse interpretation so historical sources and skill to construct your own interpretation; must understand how particular circumstances and perspectives shape historians’ interpretations
Ability to apply all other historical thinking skills while drawing and fusing knowledge and methods from diverse sources and disciplines to develop a persuasive understanding of the past; also must combine diverse and contradictory evidence to avoid a one-sided or narrow interpretation

7. Historical Themes Covered
Belief Systems
America in the World
Geography and Environment : physical and human
Peopling
Identity
Politics and Power
Work, Exchange, and Technology
Beginning on page 20 you can use the link below to make sure you understand the overarching questions and learning objectives for each theme:
Historical Themes Covered
AP Course and Exam Description: pg. 20 – 27
Every question on exam will require students to apply one or more of these themes
Ideas, beliefs, religion, values, science, artistic expression, and popular culture; explain why and how cultural components hold constant and change over time, conflicts between traditional and modern values
Development of US from origins to world leader in 20th century, domestic debates over foreign policy and impact on policy decisions, economic, labor, and migration impact on international involvement
Interaction of Americans with their environment, how geography and climate contributed to regional differences, debates over use and control of natural resources, human-made environments created by technology
How and why people moved to and within the USA, impact it had on US society, values and traditions of these people, conflicts from those differences
Formation of both national identity and group identities; related to gender, class, ethnicity, religion, or region
How governments evolved from colonial period to present, government, democracy, rights, citizenship, authority and power, changes in citizen participation affect political process, roles of political ideology and political parties
Development of American economy, role of technology and innovation, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, industrialization, various labor systems, government policies on economy, how markets and trade impact US economy

8. Multiple Choice Questions
Designed to test one or more of the historical thinking skills and historical knowledge. Each question is related to a stimulus, with 2 to 65questions questions in 55 minutes
Analyze the stimulus
Eliminate wrong answers on the test
Read all answers then pick BEST choice
Avoid absolutes and watch for EXCEPT and NOT
No guessing penalty
Multiple Choice Questions
Period to 3 questions
Period 2 – 5 to 6 questions
Period to 7 questions
Period 4 – 5 to 6 questions
Period 5 – 7 questions
Period questions
Period 7 – 9 questions
Period questions
Period 9 – 2 to 3 questions
Analyze stimulus: point of view of author? Author’s purpose? Intended audience? Context in which it was created? Who, what, when, where, why also helpful

9. Short Answer Questions 3 points each
These do not require a thesis but need to be answered in complete sentences. Two of the four questions will have choices, providing you the opportunity to write what you know best.
Each questions has three tasks and you get one point for each task for a total of three points per question. 4 questions in 45 minutes
Read each question carefully to understand everything that is being asked.
Write clear and complete sentences supported with accurate evidence.
Time is limited, briefly is the key word
Short Answer Questions 3 points each
Sometimes require students to respond to a stimulus
Always have three score points
NO thesis
Must be in complete sentences
Do NOT quote from the documents
Label your responses (a) (b) and (c)
Do the tasks in order, there is a natural progression of ideas
Stay within the box, responses outside the box will not be read
NO generalizations, be specific but get to the point
NO bulleting

10. Writing a Thesis
You MUST have a thesis for the long essay and the DBQ and it MUST answer the question.
It needs to be in the first paragraph and should take a stand on what event or issues is suggested by the question.
It should be state in one or two sentences and then followed by an organizing list of what you will cover in the answer.
To assure complexity begin thesis with word “although”
You MUST take a stand

11. Long Essay Question - 6 points
You will have the choice between two long essay questions that focus on the same thinking skill but may apply to different time periods. 35 minutes to answer 1 question
Evaluated on:
Argumentation
Use of Evidence
Targeted Historical Thinking Skill
Synthesis – in depth examples of this large-scale phenomena
To be effective:
Analyze the question
Organize the evidence
Develop a thesis
Write the introductory paragraph
Write the supporting paragraphs and conclusion
Evaluate your essay To
Long Essay Question - 6 points
Develop a thesis or relevant argument that addresses all parts of the question
Support thesis using specific evidence, clearly linked to thesis
Each will assess thinking skill(s)
Need to synthesize the argument, evidence, and context in coherent and persuasive essay
Consider what question really asks, what is targeted historical thinking skill, you MUST be able to make some judgment that results in a thesis statement
Spend some time planning before starting to write an essay
The readers are not looking for a right answer, but for your ability to interpret the evidence and use historical support for that interpretation; you must take a position on the question and focus on the appropriate historical thinking skill; must offer interpretation of events
Must have background or context for the question, a thesis statement, an introduction to the main arguments of the essay to be developed in the body or supporting paragraphs
You must explain how specific historical evidence is linked to your thesis and you must synthesize your argument; has to be an analytical essay that supports your argument with specific knowledge – you must take a stand!
Another way besides using the word “although” in the thesis to show complexity is to use phrases like controversial, turning point, underlying cause, primary, and secondary
Avoid absolute terms
Does NOT fit 5 paragraph form!
No using the worlds “I think, I feel, or I believe”
Practice self evaluation of everything your write

12. The DBQ – Doing it Right! 7 points
There will be seven documents and you need to provide plausible analysis for all of them. You must include for EACH document one of the following: a) Historical context b) Intended audience c) Purpose of the document d) Point of View
One question in 60 minutes: read and plan for 15 minutes, write for 45 minutes
The documents vary in length and are chosen to illustrate interactions and complexities within the material. It will include charts, graphs, cartoons, and pictures, as well as written materials. Not all documents will have equal weight in supporting your thesis, communicate your awareness of the bias or unreliability of the document or how the document that does not fit your thesis fits into the context that is relevant to the question.
The DBQ – Doing it Right! 7 points
In first 15 minutes; read the readings, give a sentence summary under each document; then outline thesis
A good one is 3 ½ to 5 pages long
DO NOT quote from documents
Identify the document by its source, using document letters is not encouraged (but is allowed)
Must use ALL of the documents: support thesis and give contrary view
Only put a conclusion if you have time
The arrangement of the documents in the DBQ does NOT control the organization of the essay.
Brief summaries of the documents are appropriate, you do not quote them.
Outside knowledge is very important and must be incorporated into your essay to get the highest scores possible
Response should have
Thesis – must address all parts of the question
Plausible analysis of each documents
HIPP for each document
Outside information
Connecting to broader events
Addresses disparate evidence OR connects it to other time periods/areas/circumstances OR

13. The DBQ– application in class
Please highlight the following once you are done writing any DBQ in class:
in YELLOW highlight the thesis
in GREEN highlight HIPP for each document
in PINK highlight outside information
in BLUE highlight CONTEXUALIZATION
in ORANGE highlight SYNTHESIS point
By doing this, it forces you to include each of these points into your DBQ!

14. The Long Essay – application in class
Please highlight the following once you are done writing any Long Essay in class:
in YELLOW highlight the thesis
in GREEN highlight the support the support and evidence for your thesis
in PINK highlight the correct usage of the required historical thinking skill
in BLUE highlight the SYNTHESIS point
By doing this, it forces you to include each of these points into your Long Essay!

15. Writing – What do What to remember
Write essays (ALL historical essays, ALWAYS) in third person
Use active voice, not passive voice
Use specific words
Define or explain key terms
Communicate awareness of the complexity of history
Anticipate counterarguments
Remain objective
Communicate the organization and logical development of your argument
Writing – What do What to remember
5. Distinguish between primary and secondary causes and effects, between significant and the less important