Writing for AP History Mr. Hardee

Writing for history (v. for language arts) AP History essays should be objective (not creative writing!) Your essay should make an argument & seek to prove that argument Organization is important! (Intro., body paragraphs, conclusion) This is a test of your knowledge of history (include content-related vocabulary!)

General tips for good writing . . . No personal pronouns! Use 3rd person. Avoid asking rhetorical questions (state the facts). No “fluff”—get to the point (this is timed!) Spelling and grammar are not graded, but they do make an impression! “Fluffy”

Tips for TIMED writing The free response/essay section is the 2nd half of the AP exam. It is timed (2 hours, 20 minutes). 35 minutes to write “free-response” questions (+ 5 min. pre-writing) 45-50 minutes to write DBQ (document-based questions), w/ 10 min. document-reading period. No pressure!

Tips for TIMED writing Start with the DBQ & finish it!! Then move on to the essay you feel you know the most about. Within each essay ALWAYS put your best information first (in case you run out of time)!! Start every essay—even if you only have time to write a thesis on the last one. Be concise!!

Pre-writing Pre-writing is crucial!! It helps you focus on the prompt. Start by “dissecting” prompt: Compare and contrast the goals and philosophies of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans following the ratification of the Constitution.

Pre-writing Compare and contrast the goals and philosophies of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans following the ratification of the Constitution.

Pre-writing Strategies Adjust your pre-writing strategies for different writing tasks! Venn Diagrams 3-column charts Cause/Effect Charts “Change Over Time” Outlines/Box Outlines

Writing a THESIS The thesis statement is the MOST important sentence of your essay! Make an argument!! (Make sure it is interesting and it can be proven.) Do not simply re-state the prompt. The thesis should also provide a “road map” for the rest of your essay. A good thesis could be 1 or 2 sentences.

Organizing Your Body Paragraphs 2-4 body paragraphs are suggested (depending on prompt). Structure of a body paragraph: Topic sentence/Transition sentence 4-5 sentences of supporting evidence (historical examples & details) Concluding/transition sentence In a DBQ, document references serve as “evidence” in your body paragraphs. In a “free-response” question, evidence must come from your brain!! Oww—it hurts!!!

Acronyms to organize your thoughts . . . PIRATES!! P= political I= intellectual R= religious A= artistic T= technological E= economic S= social

Acronyms to organize your thoughts . . . AP-PARTS (for analyzing written documents) A= Author & POV P= Place & time written P= Prior knowledge A= Audience R= Reason T= The “main idea” S= Significance

Acronyms to organize your thoughts . . . SOAPSTone (also for written documents) S= Subject O= Occasion A= Audience P= Purpose S= Speaker & POV Tone (Attitude, emotion)

Acronyms to organize your thoughts . . . CORNPEG (for analyzing “Point of View”, in particular) Class Occupation Religion Nationality Political Affiliation Ethnicity Gender

Acronyms to organize your thoughts . . . OPTIC (for analyzing visual documents) O= Overview (what do you see?) P= Parts (break it down, look for symbols) T= Title (what does it tell you?) I= Interrelationships (between the parts) C= Conclusion (what does it tell you about history?)

The Silk Roads allowed for great cultural diffusion. Writing for AP History The Silk Roads allowed for great cultural diffusion. The Silk Roads allowed for interaction between Asia, Africa, and Europe that led to the spread of religions, the exchange of goods and services, and the blending of many languages.

Writing Prompt Compare and contrast the regions and developments of TWO river valley civilizations. Mesopotamia Nile Indus Huang He