1. Tips for Writing an Essay on the AP US History Exam

2. General Pointers
Be persuasive, convince the reader that your answer is correct
Take a stand, have an opinion, don’t be timid
Avoid fragmented sentences & run-ons
Avoid slang and informal language
Avoid using first person; “I,” “my,” “we,” & “our”
Essays must be written in black or dark blue ink

3. General Pointers
Don’t waste time with white out, instead cross out words or sentences
Write legibly in fairly large sized letters
The average reader spends only a few minutes on each essay. Your goal is to distinguish your essay from mediocrity in the 1st paragraph.

4. Understanding the Essay Prompt
All AP essays are written in response to a “prompt”
Understanding what this prompt is asking you to do is very important
Read the WHOLE prompt, every word; don’t be in a hurry
Examine the VERB in the prompt. It tells you what you must do
Commonly used verb phrases: analyze, evaluate, assess the validity, compare and contrast, discuss or consider

5. Understanding the Essay Prompt
Carefully observe any NUMBERS in the question
Observe the GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES
Center your answer within the TIME FRAME
USE THE CATEGORIES given in the question
Social, economic, political, cultural, religious, geographical, etc.
Announce the categories in your thesis & then write a paragraph about each

6. Sample Prompts
Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies. Confine your response to the period from 1754 to 1776.
Compare & contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods and

7. Sample Prompts
Analyze the origins and outcomes of the intense cultural conflicts of the 1920s. In your response, focus on TWO of the following.
Immigration
Prohibition
Religion
Compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of TWO of the following presidents.
Harry Truman (1945–1953)
Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961)
Richard Nixon (1969–1974)

8. Create an outline
After you understand the task at hand, create a brief outline
This maybe a chart, diagram, outline, or list, but do not skip this step
Organize your thinking so that you cover all of the material you need to cover in order to address the prompt completely
You are advised to spend 5 minutes planning and 30 minutes writing

9. Writing a thesis
A clear thesis is essential to a solid score, it is the most important sentence in your essay
A thesis sentence is a single declaratory sentence that “answers” the prompt with a clearly and simply stated opinion that does not restate the prompt.
Do nor rewrite or restate the question/prompt
A good thesis shows that the writer is going to answer all parts of the question within the boundaries of the question

10. Writing a thesis
“Slavery was the principal cause of the U.S. Civil War. Assess the validity of this statement.”
Good
Although slavery was a significant factor in the coming of the Civil War, the primary causes were the political, economic, and moral implications of the extension of slavery to the territories.
Bad
Slavery was the principal cause of the Civil War
Ugly
The Civil War had many causes.

11. Writing a thesis
It may be helpful to answer the prompt in a single sentence in order to help establish your thesis
Use this prompt to try:
“How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.”

12. Writing a thesis Concept Thesis vs. Organizational Thesis
Concept thesis examples:
Although this was a period of intense labor pressure, unions failed to make the lives and status of workers better.
Although this period saw increased labor involvement, state and federal government antagonism kept unions from being effective.
This type of statement acknowledges that the question is complex

13. Writing a thesis Organizational thesis examples:
Labor unions failed because they were confused in their goals and were aggressively opposed by both state and federal governments.
Organized labor unions were successful because they were not unified in their demands and were associated with radical European groups
These statements specifically mention what the topics of the body of your essay will be

14. Creating an introduction
Avoid fluffy statements
It’s OK if your intro is only 2-3 sentences
Ideally your first sentence is the thesis

15. The Body
Essays often fall short b/c they lack facts, support your thesis w/ FACTS
It is wise to show more than one side of an argument (although thesis statements)
Showing exceptions demonstrates analysis & critical thinking
Write down your most factually supported ideas in your 2nd & 3rd paragraphs in case you run out of time

16. The Body Things to Avoid: Repetitiveness Wordiness
Mush: vague generalities unsupported by facts
Facts that do not pertain to the question/prompt
Telling a narrative

17. What are graders looking for?
Thesis Statement
Facts (outside info for DBQs)
Analysis
Did you show that you understood the question?
Did you make reasonable, logical arguments?
Synthesis
Did you put your facts & reasoning together & make reasonable inferences & conclusions?

18. ETC. Multiple Choice Questions=50% of grade Essay Exams=50% of grade
80 Qs in 55 minutes
Essay Exams=50% of grade
1 DBQ in 45 minutes
2 Free Response Essays (choose one of two twice), 35 minutes each