APUSH---Essays and Organizing Prompts
Perhaps the most daunting task in the critical essay-writing portion of the A.P. U.S. History Test is the organization and
inclusion of external evidence in the essay. This web page will do its best to help A.P. students improve their rganizational
skills for essays, Document Based and Free Response Questions, by showing the best ways to divide and conquer the
seemingly insurmountable task of essay writing. Though there are a great number of prompts, there are only several
types of prompts that exist. They are:
Evaluate the Validity
"In America the great issues of the 17th century were largely theological; those of the 18th century largely political."
Evaluate the validity of this prompt.
First, to answer a validity prompt, one must take a strong stand on one side of the prompt. For this prompt, one would
most likely use two body paragraphs. One paragraph for the 17th century, agreeing or disagreeing with the prompt, and
one for the 18th century, agreeing or disagreeing.
If one agreed with the prompt, one would use evidence to support the statement in the prompt. If one disagreed, one
would use contrasting evidence to refute the prompt.
Another helpful strategy is to provide a limited view of contrasting evidence and to disprove it for one's increased support
of their own evidence.
Change Over Time
"From 1914 to the present, the main trend in the relationship between the central government and the states has been
toward concentration of power in the federal government." Discuss with reference to such areas of governmental power
as regulation of business, social welfare, and civil rights.
To answer a change over time prompt, one should present the initial conditions and show how the major areas evolved
through the time period. For this prompt, one would most likely use three paragraphs, one for each aspect of the prompt.
To organize this prompt, one should use each paragraph to show how the aspects have changed. One may also choose, if
the paragraphs seem excessively long, to use three pairs of paragraphs, with each pair focusing on the changes in each
area.
In a prompt as complex as this, one needs to have clear topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph. These topic
sentences are critical to essay writing, as they help bring focus and clarity to the essay.
Effectiveness/To What Extent
To what extent did the measures of the New Deal reflect a coherent economic philosophy?
To answer an extent prompt, one should take a strong stand for a greater extent or lesser extent in one's essay. By
including equal amounts of evidence for both sides, the strength of the essay is diminished.
If one chose to support an essay of greater extent, one would organize outside economic evidence in paragraphs that
provides examples of coherence between the economic evidence. The main points of the evidence should be separated
into separate paragraphs, each showing the achievements of the programs.
In an essay of lesser extent, one would organize evidence of the failures of the reforms and describe how the reforms
were random and did not support each other.
In this essay, one needs to be careful not to include evidence outside of the economic spectrum. It is common for essay
writers, even advanced ones, to accidentally stray from economic evidence into cultural or social issues.
Compare and Contrast
Compare and contrast Booker T. Washington's program for black Americans and W.E.B. DuBois' program for black
advancement.
In a compare and contrast prompt, one should focus on the similarities and the differences of the major aspects of the
prompt.
In this prompt, one method of organization is to write two paragraphs. One comparing Washington and DuBois, and the
second contrasting the two. Another method is to write two separate paragraphs for Washington and DuBois. In these
two separate paragraphs, include all relevant evidence that will illustrate the similarities and differences of the two men.
In one's essay, one should concentrate on including enough evidence for comparison and contrasting to fully answer the
prompt.
However, if one states in the thesis that either the aspects of the prompts cannot compare or contrast, the writer can
focus on comparison or contrasting to prove one's thesis. One needs to be consistent with one's thesis to have a constant
train of logic. For example, if one says that Washington and DuBois cannot be compared in the thesis but presents
similarities between the two in a body paragraph, the logic of the essay has been shattered.
Cause and Effect
For the period 1890-1910 identify the forces which created conflicts among Americans and show how they manifested
themselves on America.
In a cause and effect essay, one should concentrate on various events and illustrate the effects of these events.
In this prompt, one must first identify the forces that created the conflicts. These include the Reform movements of the
Progressives and Populists, media, business, and government. One would then illustrate the conflicts that arose between
these groups.
In this prompt, one would most likely use paragraphs to show major events and conflicts of 1890-1910 and analyze the
results of these actions. With each major event or conflict, one should use a paragraph for each. In each paragraph, one
would introduce an event or conflict and analyze the results of it.
Discuss the Impact
Discuss the impact of the "Transportation Revolution, 1820-1860" on the U.S.
In a discuss the impact essay, one needs to show the results of the given event.
In this prompt, one would use paragraphs that show the long-term effects of the Transportation Revolution. There are
many ways to divide this essay into paragraphs. The general broadness of the question allows for these many forms of
organization. The choice of organization depends upon one's knowledge of the different aspects of the period and what
seems most structured.
First, one must be sure to cite the types of transportation that were part of the revolution. These include canals,
turnpikes, and early railroads. An effective organization is to divide the body into three paragraphs discussing the impact
of one type of transportation.
Another structure for this prompt would be to divide one's response into the areas of the country at the time, South,
North, and West. The transportation developments could be shown to create the divisions within the country that led to
specialization of the different regions of the nation. The industrialization of the North, the rise of slavery in the South, and
other developments that allowed for a unique union to develop could be cited, with reference to increasing sectional
tensions leading to the Civil War. Don't forget to include impacts other than economic issues for the regions, such as
social and political issues.
Also, its possible to organize by dividing the response into the main areas of the time. Social/Cultural Issues, Economic,
and Political would work very well for a standard 5 paragraph essay. One could then elaborate and make the same points
described above.
Relative Importance
Assess the relative importance of three of the following in contributing American involvement in the Spanish-American
War.
Jingoism/Nativism
Media
Economics
Imperialist Leaders
The first priority in a relative importance prompt is to develop evidence for three of the contributing factors. One then
must create a hierarchy, or a categorization of the evidence by significance, for the contributing factors.
It is the authors' of this page opinions that the imperialist leaders of the time were the greatest contributors to
involvement in the war, the media contributed slightly less, and then economics and jingoism/nativism contributed the
least. This sentence represents a hierarchy of the four factors as related to the prompt.
For this prompt, one would most likely choose the three topics that are most familiar to the writer. Then write three
separate paragraphs assessing each factor, by analyzing the significance of the evidence.
One would have the most important paragraph first in their body paragraphs. This paragraph should have the strongest
evidence. Then follow with the second and third paragraph, each moving down the level of the hierarchy.
These methods are only example guidelines. Over time, each writer will discover his own effective form of organization in
responding to various prompts. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Decode Essay Questions
Look carefully at the verbs your instructor uses in essay questions. This chart offers some hints
about how your instructor wants you to construct your answer.
When the questions wants to ………………..then you
ANALYZE
break into smaller parts. and interpret importance
APPLY
extend a concept or principle to a new situation
COMPARE
identify similarities between two concepts
CONTRAST
distinguish important differences. between two concepts
CRITICIZE
judge the positive and negative features of a concept
DEFINE
offer the essential idea behind a concept
DESCRIBE
provide sufficient details to establish key ideas in a concept develop a new
strategy to accomplish a goal
DESIGN
develop a new strategy to accomplish a goal
EXPLAIN
clarify the meaning of a concept through detail or. example
EVALUATE
make a well-reasoned judgment about value or worth
GFNERALIZE
apply a principle to make predictions about a new problem
HYPOTHESIZE
develop a specific prediction about a complex situation
IDENTIFY
designate the key elements involved
ILLUSTRATE
provide examples or details to clarify
INTERPRET
offer your distinctive point of view about concept's meaning
LIST
identify factors in a systematic or comprehensive manner
PREDICT
offer your best guess about an outcome
PROVE
create your best argument using examples or reasoning
RECOMMEND
put forward" a preferred course of action with a rationale
RELATE
draw connections among ideas
REVIEW
discuss the most important aspects of the concept
SUMMARIZE
briefly identify the most critical ideas