1. THE SAQ
Let’s do this.

2. WE ARE GOING TO ACE THE SAQ
ANSWER the question
CITE specific factual evidence
EXPLAIN how the evidence proves the assertion
4 questions, you must answer 3
40 minutes
20% of exam score
Must stay in box given in booklet
Will use HRS (Historical Reasoning Skills)
Often asked to do 2-3 tasks, which you should label

3. TIMING: 3 QUESTIONS 3 PARTS (ABC) 9 THINGS TO DO 9 40 MINUTESx
9 THINGS TO DO
9 40 MINUTES
4:26 PER PART

4. OR….
About 12 minutes
per question!!!

6. SAQ 1 = 1200 – 2001
SAQ 2 =
SAQ 3 = 1200 – 1750
SAQ 4 = 1750 – 2001

7. In other words…
Short answer question requires student to accurately answer a question briefly, specifically, and accurately.
Generally speaking students are able to answer questions with fewer sentences.

8. When writing an SAQ: SAQ’s do NOT need a thesis statement
Must be in full sentences
All parts of the question must be answered.
Typically broken down into 3 parts: a, b, and c.
Sometimes part a or part b will have 2 questions within – the SAQ always asks 3 questions – so read carefully!
You are NOT writing an essay!
Limited space, anything written outside of the box will not be scored.

9. SAQ FORMATTING Must write within square space, no exceptions
Do each part of the question (typically A, B, C) separately, not as one paragraph with all 3 responses
Must be complete sentences. No bullet points.

10. HOW SHOULD IT LOOK? *Minus the highlighting on the exam
*Short and sweet and TO THE POINT – synthesize the material!
Each part of the question should be approximately three sentences. That’s it!

11. TYPES OF QUESTIONS WHEN IN DOUBT, A.P. ANSWER THE PROMPT
Question 1: secondary source
your task is to read the secondary source and analyze it using the prompts given. Be sure to refer back to the secondary source as well as the prompt in your answer. Direct quotes from the source aren’t necessary. DO NOT QUOTE!
Question 2: primary source
your task is to analyze either comparison or continuity and change over time with a primary source. Again: be sure to use specific content from the source and link that evidence back to your answer.
Questions 3 or 4
will NOT have a stimulus and will be more straightforward – e.g. identify, explain, or describe.
Will use the skill (either comparison or CCOT) not used in question 2.
You will only choose one to answer – just like before, make sure to refer back to the prompt in your answer.
WHEN IN DOUBT, A.P.
ANSWER THE PROMPT

12. Tips:
Before you even start reading the stimulus, ALWAYS look at the author, title, date, region, etc.
Gives you a better idea of what you’re about to read
Read the questions – REWRITE THE QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS!!!
Rephrase the question as your topic sentence (remember you don’t need a thesis)
Jot notes about it in the margins
When answering the questions, ALWAYS keep the SPICE themes in mind
SPICE up your life – it might just save your life on the exam
ALWAYS reference the stimulus
Look for key action words such as describe, analyze, identify, explain, etc.
Answer everything the question asks of you:
May have to do more than one thing such as “identify and explain”
If it’s a picture/visual, mention what is actually in the picture that relates to your answer

13. Tips: Look for plurals: asking you to do more than one thing Example:
Reason vs. Reasons
Cause vs. Causes
Plural: You must do 2!
Use active verbs!
Do NOT write outside the space, you should have enough space.
Don’t Panic!

14. Scoring 1 point for each part = 0-3 points
Each SAQ is worth a total of 3 points. 9 total points earned on an SAQ. No partial credit you have to SAQ every part of the question.

15. How to Write an SAQ from a former WHAPSTER
ACE
Answer the Question
Don’t be too specific in your response; you need to balance out each part of the SAQ
To answer the question, state a reason that is NOT TOO SPECIFIC but still answers the question
Restate the question in your answer
Cite evidence
This is the part of the SAQ where you need to be extremely specific
Think of a SPECIFIC event that happened in history; this event will have to be an example of your answer/reason from the A in ACE
Ask yourself, “What specific event shows me that my answer is correct?”
Explain the evidence
This will be the most specific part of the ACE process
Be as specific as possible when describing the connection between your example and your answer.
Imagine someone said that your example DOES NOT prove your answer is correct. What would you say to them to change his/her mind?
Your counter response to that person is your Explanation (E) in ACE
Explain why your example proves your answer is correct, and show the connection between your example and your answer. Make this connection as evident as possible

16. Explain ONE cause of the Colombian Exchange.
One cause of the Colombian Exchange was the desire in certain European countries for raw materials that would fuel their economies. For example, after some initial exploration, Spain found gold and silver in the Americas, and much of these precious metals were brought back to Spain, expanding the empire’s economy and trading power. This shows that the desire (in some European countries) for raw materials fueled the Colombian exchange because Spain’s expanded economy and trading power from the raw materials allowed for the manufacturing of new guns, which could be traded for slaves in Africa. These slaves would then be brought to the Americas, where they would be forced to work on agricultural farms and in Spanish mines, creating/finding raw materials that would be brought back to Europe, allowing the Colombian exchange cycle to repeat.
(Keep in mind that the essay graders do not really care about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure; as long as they understand what you are trying to say, then you will be okay)
REMEMBER: THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE ACE PROCESS IS FOR YOU TO SHOW WHY YOUR ANSWER IS CORRECT.

18. JARED DIAMOND SAQ HANDOUT
Sample SAQ for Period 1:
For most of our history we supported ourselves by hunting and gathering….It’s a life that philosophers have traditionally regarded as nasty, brutish, and short….How do you show that the lives of people 10,000 years ago got better when they abandoned hunting and gathering for farming?....Are twentieth century hunter-gatherers really worse off than farmers? Scattered throughout the world, several dozen groups of so-called primitive people, like the Kalahari Bushmen, continue to support themselves that way. It turns out that these people have plenty of leisure time, sleep a good deal, and work less hard than their farming neighbors. For instance, the average time devoted each week to obtaining food is only 12 to 19 hours for one group of Bushmen, 14 hours or less for the Hadza nomads of Tanzania….Skeletons from Greece and Turkey show that the average height of hunter-gatherers toward the end of the Ice Ages was a generous 5’9” for men, and 5’5” for women. With the adoption of agriculture, height crashed, and by 3000 B.C. had reached a low of only 5’3” for men, and 5’ for women.
-Jared Diamond, evolutionary biologist, “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race,” 1999 1.
Identify the main argument the author is making in the passage.
Identify and explain ONE piece of evidence not given in the passage that supports the author’s argument.
Identify and explain ONE piece of evidence not give in the passage the refutes the author’s argument.
On the exam there will be four questions that you must answer, each with its own stimulus. Today, I am giving you two questions for this one stimulus. This won’t be the case of the test, just fyi. 2.
Identify and explain ONE common geographic feature of the Neolithic Revolution as it occurred in East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East.
Identify and explain ONE feature that distinguished the Neolithic Age from the Paleolithic Age.
Identify and explain ONE significant technological development that occurred during the Neolithic Revolution.

19. POSSIBLE ANSWERS #1
A – Diamond argues agriculture is “worst mistake in history of human race” b/c hunter-gatherer societies may have better lives than farmers and people did not physically grow to be as tall after agriculture. FOR EXAMPLE _____. THE REASON IS _______
B – One piece of evidence not given in the passage that supports Diamonds argument is the development of agriculture. For example, Agriculture led to settled communities which led to gender inequality and unequal social classes
C – Accomplishments of settled communities like written word, art, advantages of scientific innovations

20. POSSIBLE ANSWERS #2
A – River Valleys provided water and contributed to fertile land
B – Development of agriculture and pastoralism, development of permanent communities and govs to provide order, development of religion beyond animism, domestication of animals to help with tasks,
C – Pottery, plows, woven textiles, wheels, metallurgy