ESSAY WRITING 101
APUSH
2014-2015
THE EXAM
 Writing component
 Section I, Part B: Short-answer questions
 4 questions, 45 min. (20%)
 Section II, Part A and Part B: DBQ, LEQ
 DBQ- 60 min. (25%)
 LEQ- chosen from 2, 35 min. (15%)
 HTS
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Argumentation
Using evidence
Contextualization
Interpretation
Synthesis
PROMPT HTS
 What will you be asked to do in a prompt?
 Causation
 Identify, analyze, evaluate cause-and-effect relationships
 Long term vs. proximate
 CCOT
 Recognize, analyze, evaluate CCOT over periods of time
 Relate patterns to larger historical context, themes
 Periodization
 Describe, analyze, evaluate, construct models of periodization
 Categorize events into blocks, ID turning points
 Comparison
 Describe, compare, evaluate various developments
 ID, compare, evaluate multiple perspectives
THE BIG FOUR MODEL
ARCH-TYPES
HISTORICAL CAUSATION
 Cause and ef fect
 Pre-write chart examples
 Prompts:
 Explain the major causes and consequences of the American Civil
War.
 Evaluate the extent to which westward expansion led to the
development of sectionalism prior to 1860.
 Explain the major political and economic causes and consequences
for the growth of big business in American society from 1870 -1900.
CONTINUIT Y AND CHANGE OVER TIME
 CCOT- what stayed the same and what changed?
 Pre-write chart examples
 See board for others
 Prompts:
 Evaluate the extent to which trans-Atlantic interactions from 16001763 contributed to maintaining continuity as well as fostered
change in labor systems in the British North American colonies.
 Identify and analyze the changing role of women within American
society from the American Revolution to the Civil War.
 Evaluate major changes and continuities in the social and economic
experiences of African Americans who migrated from the rural South
to urban areas in the North in the period 1910 -1930.
COMPARISON
 Compare AND contrast
 Pre-write charts
 Prompts:
 Compare and contrast the New England colonies with the colonies in
the Chesapeake. Be sure to address two of these three
characteristics in your answer: political, economic, and social
patterns
PERIODIZATION
 OR take a position (TAP)
 Pre-write chart
 Prompts
 To what extent were the Articles of Confederation successful in
dealing with the problems faced by the new nation after the
American Revolution?
 Evaluate the extent to which the Spanish-American War was a turning
point in foreign policy in the United States.
 Historians have argued that the Era of Good Feelings was a
misnomer. To what extent is this true politically and economically?
THE BEGINNING. . .
 Read the question and figure out WHAT it is asking
 Analyze, Assess/Evaluate, Compare/Contrast, Describe, Discuss,
Explain
 How many questions are there within the question?
 Pre-write: Outline your answer
 What is the question asking you FOR?
 What is the question asking you TO DO?
THE ESSAY STRUCTURE
Part of Essay
It’s Function or Job
Intro &
Thesis
Body
Conclusion
“What I am
going to show
you.”
SHOW me!
“What I just
showed you.”
•Thesis is usually the last sentence of the introduction
THE THESIS
 Purpose is to state your position AND ANSWER THE QUESTION!
 Your thesis is your theory on the answer to the question. OWN IT!
 Intro. Paragraph usually contains 3 elements:
 A background to the question of your thesis
 Thesis statement
 Intro. to main ideas or points of your essay that will be supported in the
body
 Analysis is KEY
 Take a position! Don’t just write about the prompt and list facts, but choose
a position and DEFEND IT with historical facts, documents.
 Persuade your reader that your analysis is correct based on info., facts, or
documents. (WHY did A cause B or to what extent did A impact B)
IN THIS PAPER, I AM GOING TO PROVE
THAT. . .
 Your thesis is a blueprint!
 An introduction to the main ideas and points to be developed,
supported in your essay
 ALL parts of your essay should support your thesis
 IF YOU DON’T HAVE A THESIS, YOU DON’T HAVE A PAPER!
BASIC EXAMPLE PROMPT
Compare and contrast the cities of, and Mrs. Scully’s
experiences with, Bartow and Lakeland.
BARTOW
LAKELAND
 Works in
 Small town
 Orange/blue/Jackets
 A few lakes
 Not much shopping
 Entertainment found
elsewhere
 Lives in
 Larger town
 Orange/black/’Naughts
 Many lakes
 Shopping options
 Entertainment
 Friends, FSC
BOTH
Towns in Polk County, Mrs. Scully spends a lot of time there, locally owned
restaurants, same division in sports
SIMPLE FORMAT
 In this paper, I am going to prove that
The end of this
sentence will serve as
your thesis statement!
___________________.
 DO NOT WRITE THE UNDERLINED PORTION!
 Compare and contrast the cities of, and Mrs. Scully’s
experiences with, Bartow and Lakeland .
 In this paper, I am going to prove that ___________________
 Bartow and Lakeland are both important to Mrs. Scully. Although both
towns are located in Polk County and offer a variety of local eating
establishments, Bartow is much smaller and has less to offer in the form
of entertainment than Lakeland. As a larger city, Lakeland has more
shopping and leisure activities than Bartow.
IRISH FORMAT
 The Irish Thesis Formula
 X. However, A, B, and C. Therefore, Y.
 X= the strongest point against your argument.
 THE COUNTER ARGUMENT
 A, B, C = the three STRONGEST points for your argument.
 ORGANIZATION CATEGORIES
 Y= the position you will be taking
 YOUR STAND ON THE PROMPT
 Compare and contrast the cities of, and Mrs. Scully’s
experiences with, Bartow and Lakeland .
 Bartow and Lakeland are both towns in Polk County which have
similar eating restaurants and will face the same challenges during
sports competitions. However, the locations and size of each city
varies, both have different mascots and school colors, and Mrs. Scully
spends different parts of her day in different capacities within each
town. Therefore, despite some common features, Lakeland and
Bartow are very different cities.
THESIS TIPS
 You have to find a happy medium with information
 Don’t be too general and don’t be too specific
 Bartow and Lakeland have many similarities and differences
 Bartow and Lakeland are both in the western area of Polk County and
both offer diners options to eat at Palace Pizza, to have Cuban food,
Mexican food, or one of the many fast-food chains in town. Despite
these commonalities, Lakeland has a movie theater and multiple
shopping areas whereas Bartow does not.
 Don’t give it all away! You want your reader to keep reading!
IRISH THESIS- CAUSATION
 What are the major causes or consequences of _______?
 X- least important cause or consequence and why
 A ,B,C- most important causes/consequences, w hy, broken up
into categories
 Y- your assertion statement
IRISH THESIS- CCOT
 What are the major patterns of continuity and change over the
time period and was there more continuity or change over that
period?
 X- continuity or change, your counter -argument (the “less”)
 A ,B,C- continuity or change during the specific period, broken
up into categories
 Y- your assertion statement
IRISH THESIS- COMPARISON
 What similarities and dif ferences are there between the two
things, are there more similarities or dif ferences and why
(account for those similarities and dif ferences)
 X- more similar or dif ferent, your counter -argument
 A ,B,C- similarities or dif ferences between the two things,
broken up into categories
 Y- your assertion statement
IRISH THESIS- PERIODIZATION
 Evaluate whether something was a turning point or a major
marking period in history, noting what things were like before
and after that period
 X- counter-argument, why something was or was not a turning
point
 A ,B,C- argument, why something was/was not a turning point
broken up into categories
 Y- your assertion statement
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YOUR TURN!
 Are the economies of the Northern and Southern colonies
more similar or different ?
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What HTS?
What do you have to do? What is the question asking?
Pre-write!
X. However, A ,B,C. Therefore, Y.