Basic A.P. writing skills students need to master 1. Read the question multiple times, carefully and analytically, then think and plan. 2. If there is a choice, select the question you feel most competent and qualified to answer. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. There is NOT time to change questions once you have begun. The free response essays should be a minimum of 5 paragraphs (3 body paragraphs); length is important because it takes many words to appropriately and completely answer a question. Write legibly on the real AP exam in May, and proofread your work. Marking the actual question may be helpful to see the major demands of the question: A. Underline/highlight operative words in the question (i.e. extent, assess, contrast, etc.). B. Circle/highlight the time frame specified (i.e. “the Constitutional era” or “prior to 1880”). A few specific, focused, and relevant examples are better than a laundry list of names or cases without comment. Use these examples to explain your answer; provide cause/effect to answer your thesis. In regards to your verb tense, use past tense throughout the essay (i.e. promoted, was, were, defeated, built, coordinated, bonded, etc.). This will make your essay more understandable and clearer. Try to use correct and pertinent terminology (buzz words) & vocabulary. Pay special attention to the years/era in the question – it’s often a major hint to the answer! Do not preach or moralize in your essay. This is an essay, not an editorial. Do not use, “I think…” Be clear and concise, and write a content driven paper that completely answers the question. Using an author’s name is not an advantage unless there is a reason to include it. Underline your thesis, a few key words/phrases so they stand out as your most major points. Be sure your thesis is quality and is consistent with your conclusion. Your thesis is most important. Our specific class essay outline format: the 5-minute drill I intend on assisting you as much as possible to overcome and any difficulty you may encounter in your quest for college credit for the AP US History exam. It is understandable that the A.P. exam is an intimidating undertaking. So, for “game day” success, clarity of purpose, stressing knowledge-based answers, and to better everyone’s writing skills, we are going to use a specific outline format – it is called a “5 minute drill” because after some practice, you will be able to write a quality outline in 5 minutes or less. Initially you will not even write a complete essay for this class; you’ll only write the “5-minute drill” for a grade. It’s not difficult, but it does take some practice. It’s like riding a bike, at first it appears that there are many facets to master. But, with practice it’ll become easier and improve your skills greatly. Here’s how it works: 1. This outline-type system reinforces a 5- paragraph format: intro, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 2. Your introductory paragraph is the most important. The thesis is clearly the most important sentence in the entire essay. Your opening paragraph’s thesis should contain: A) The key words/concepts from the question (date/era, concept, key vocabulary word, etc.) B) You place in an action verb (i.e. destroyed, supported, created, promoted, but NOT “was” or “were”) please bold this word so it stands out C) Continue the thesis so that it “goes somewhere” to ANSWER THE QUESTION: for example ,…promoted a culture of toleration for the colonists of Maryland, or, ...created distrust for their rulers prompting political activism, or, …primarily with Britain causing a commercial explosion D) ANSWER THE QUESTION – this cannot be reinforced enough, E) For this class and even on the AP exam, always underline your thesis and bold your action verb. This way we both know what you are thinking – this can only improve clarity. F) A hook is NOT necessary in an initial AP US paragraph; it will earn you no major points. 3. Do NOT use proper nouns in the topics column. Your paper will be a higher conceptual level if you start with a broad topic, and then narrow. 4. In the body, provide a topic for each paragraph, then the body of the body paragraph should be examples and key dates, facts, people, events, concepts to answer the question. The last sentence in each body paragraph should show the cause or effect of the paragraphs main concept/s. Build on your thesis in every paragraph and reinforce it. The more sophisticated causation, the better answer it is. 5. In the conclusion, briefly summarize your main idea while connecting the major cause or effect relationships. Do not bring anything “new” to the conclusion, but you can allude to the future. 6. Here’s an example of an essay question and its answer in 5-minute drill format: Question # 1: The 13 American colonies developed into unique cultural and economic regions by 1740. Explain. Thesis: Culture and economics created separate and unique climates in each of the three regions in the 13 American colonies by 1740. Topics: Specifics/proper nouns: industry 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. New England: Mass., N.H., R.I., Conn. industry: shipbuilding, lumbering, fishing primarily (Puritans >) Congregationalists education was promoted salutary neglect was used often Cause/effect: Powerful economic and religious leadership 6. birthplace of Great Awakening breadbasket 1. Middle Colonies: Del., N.Y., N.J., Penn. 2. farming wheat+ = breadbasket of colonies 3. Anglican Church – more connected to Britain productive British colonies 4. huge change due to the Great Awakening 5. Quakers were a major direction/force - pro-peace, anti-slavery, crimeless, honest 6. salutary neglect was used plantations 1. Southern Col: Maryland, Virg., Geo., N & S Car 2. plantations – slavery, rice, & indigo boomed “distant” colonies for 3. Anglican Church – more connected to Britain slavery 4. cultural stratification was greatly promoted 5. nearer to Spanish Florida Conclusion: By 1740 the 13 American colonies had developed into 3 distinct regions due to the issues of slavery, economics and religion. Question 2: How did Manifest Destiny consume North America and its peoples? So, if you were going to finish this 5-minute drill, then, for example you might make the first body paragraph and topic: colonial “conquest” – the second would be westward expansion, and the third would be (European) ignorance. Your specifics column would give places, dates, battles, people, and other proof of your thesis. Then, your cause and effect column would have the conceptual answer to the question. Lastly your conclusion would simply summarize your answer in a very concise and clear manner. HINT: The best order to attack a 5-minute drill is to do your 1) thesis, 2) topics, 3) cause and effect, then go back and do your 4) specifics (you must know where you are going before you can most accomplish the goal – like a map). 5) Finalize any weak areas, then, 6) write your conclusion ensuring it answers the question and matches your thesis. Be sure to ANSWER THE QUESTION. Be aware to respond specifically to the signal words in essay questions: analyze (take “it” apart to see how each part works), argue or persuade, compare/contrast (discuss the likenesses and the differences), describe (give a picture in words), discuss (tell me what there is to know about the subject), explain (give reason for something being the way it is), extent (how far did “it” go), interpret (give the meaning or significance), summarize (give the most significant info/causation), etc. The College Board’s AP exam is timed; hence we must get you to work towards achieving a quality essay in a limited amount of time (F.Y.I. the standard essay will need to be accomplished in the total time of 35 minutes – this includes any outline/5 minute drill). Also, remember that this outline format is only one step in writing quality essays. You will need to be able to transfer the info to an essay in paragraph format with quality writing skills.
