Writing FRQ’s AP US Govt. and Politics

AP Exam Format There are two parts. A multiple choice section and a FRQ section. MC section: 60 questions in 45 minutes. FRQ section: 4 questions in 100 minutes.

Free Response Questions There are four MANDATORY free-response questions on the exam. At least one question will require interpretation of a chart, graph, or cartoon. Essays for free-response question can be written in any order. In addition, questions are usually broken into parts (such as A and B). When this is the case, label each part of your response

Free-Response Questions These are not traditional essay questions. Most do not require an introduction or conclusion. Most do not even require a thesis. Many may be written in a bulleted or short-answer format. READERS WANT SPECIFICS. They are looking for accurate information presented in clear, concise manner.

Free- Response Questions You have 100 minutes for this section. It makes up 50% of your total score. Allow 25 minutes for each question: Spend 5 minutes reading and jotting down a few words on each point you want to cover. Then, spend 15 minutes writing your response. Save the last 5 minutes to review your response.

Free-Response Questions VOCABULARY Be sure to do exactly what the questions asks! It is important to note the word choices used in questions. For example…

Identify: provide a specific answer, which does not require causal explanation Define: provide a specific meaning for a word or concept Describe: show understanding of a particular concept or political phenomenon Explain: demonstrate understanding of how or why a relationship exists by clearly articulating the logical connection or causal pattern between or among various political phenomena Compare: provide an explicit statement which connects two or more concepts

Free-Response Questions What if you really don’t understand or remember something? The first rule is don’t panic and start making things up. Instead, try to write confidently about the parts of the question you do understand, and include all parts of the question in at least a general way, if possible. Remember, it’s better to get some points than no points at all. At the very least, brainstorm. Perhaps you will stumble across something.

Do’s and Don’ts Do’s 1.Write as neatly as possible (without wasting time). You’ll get a better score if the reader can understand what you’re writing. If you make a mistake, simply draw a line through it and write the correct information above it. And, don’t use arrows or asterisk because they can be confusing to the readers. 2.Read the question. And then read it again. Think about what you’re going to write. Outline your answer. Make sure you’re only answering what has been asked. 3.Reread your work and make sure you’ve answered each question fully and correctly. Have you appropriately LINKED your answer to the question?

Do’s and Don’ts DO’s 1.Leave yourself a few minutes at the end to revise or proofread your answers. 2.There is NO PENALTY for wrong information, therefore, write as much as you can. If a question asks for two examples, brainstorm and write as many as you can think. 3.At the very least, use the EXACT VOCABULARY from the question in each component of your answer. Most rubrics ask for linkage back to the question. This is the sure fire way to move in that direction.

Do’s and Don’ts Don’ts 1.Don’t give personal opinions (like your political affiliation or whether you like the president’s policies). The Exam is testing your knowledge and understanding of the political process. Don’t waste time stating an opinion, unless you’re asked to do so. 2. Don’t give long, unnecessary introductions. Get to the point. 3. Don’t give information you weren’t asked for. You won’t get any extra points if you do. So don’t waste your time writing it.

Do’s and Don’ts Don’ts 4. Don’t spend more than 25 minutes on any one free- response question. 5. Fight the fatigue. Time generally is not a factor. Wasted time is. Spend the time that is provided. This is a high stakes exam, do not look back and think about how you wasted it because you were tired, bored, or indifferent.

Sample FRQ Read the sample FRQ and use your notes/reading guide/textbook to record some possible answers to this question. *Do not actually write an entire answer to this question, just include key information that you would include in your answer on an actual test.*

Sample FRQ The Constitution has had many formal amendments added since the adoption of the Bill of Rights, yet there are basic elements that have changed because of informal processes as well. a. Identify the most common means of formally amending the Constitution. b. Identify and explain how one informal process has changed the meaning of the Constitution even without a formal amendment. c. Identify and explain how another informal process has changed the meaning of the Constitution even without a formal amendment.

Suggested Answer for Sample FRQ 1.. a. The process for formal amendments begins with the proposal of an amendment. This comes either by a 2/3 vote of each house of Congress or by the vote of 2/3 of the states in a national convention. The proposed amendment must be ratified by a supermajority of ¾ of the states in either votes of the state legislatures or a ratifying convention in each state.

b. The Constitution can be amended informally in many ways. That means that the Constitution might have changed meaning without having a formal, written amendment added. This sometimes happens through laws that reinterpret the Constitution. For example, due to the National Security Act of 1947, the military now includes an Air Force even though the Constitution only says that there will be “an army and a navy.” This has changed the meaning of many provisions of the Constitution that relate to the military.

c. Often, informal amendments involve custom and tradition. For example, the President has the power to create a Cabinet of leaders to advise him in decision making. This is not found in the written Constitution but has instead been a result of tradition set by President Washington in 1793.

Next… Get into groups of 3-4. Individually, read the practice FRQ prompt and write your response on a separate sheet of paper. When every one has finished, you will set them aside for now. AP Reading Simulation using 2013 released rubrics and 2013 student responses.

How did the scores you gave compare to the actual scores received? What did you learn through this process?