U.S. History AP/Dual Summer Assignment
Ms. L.M. Stevens: Instructor
Lisa.Stevens@nisd.net
Summer Assignment
 Over the summer, students are to read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American
Slave
 Students will then HAND WRITE a 5-8 paragraph essay to an FRQ Prompt
 Essay will be due on the first day of the 2013/14 calendar school year
FRQ Prompt
Historians agree that Frederick Douglass personified the “American Dream.”
After reading his narrative, assess the validity of this statement. Provide
concrete evidence to support your answer.
Essay Outline
The Introduction
Consists of six sentences
1) Bold Statement
2) Set Time/Place
3) Restate Question/Define Key Terms
4) Thesis Statement
5) Roadmap (three categories of evidence to support thesis)
6) Transition Sentence
Three Body Paragraphs (Each to follow the format below)
 Topic Sentence (one category of the roadmap in each body paragraph)
 Evidence
 Analysis
 Linking analysis & evidence to thesis
 Transition Sentence
 A BODY PARAGRAPH CONSISTS OF 7-12 SENTENCES!
Conclusion
 Restate Thesis
 Summarize Roadmap Categories
 Concluding sentence “pulling it all together” addressing the “so what” issue.
 Basic FRQ Rubric
20 points = Thesis is complex and sophisticated and answers all parts of the
question.
Grade = ___________
20 points = Essay contains an acceptable amount of evidence to support the thesis.
Grade = ___________
20 points = Discussion and analysis of the evidence sufficiently addresses all
parts of the question in a complex and sophisticated manner.
Grade = ___________
20 points = Essay contains few grammatical and structural errors.
Grade = ___________
20 points = Essay is void of any major errors.
Grade = ____________
AP Score = _________
Percent Grade = _________
5 = 95-100
4 = 85-95
3 = 75-84
2 = 70 – 74
1 = <70
DO NOT USE FIRST PERSON VOICE IN ANY U.S. HISTORY AP ESSAY!
Introductory Paragraph Example
The American Dream: a vision of rising from rags to riches is truly unique to
the American experience (Bold Statement). Throughout the history of the
United States, many individuals have successfully achieved the “American
Dream.” Frederick Douglas (1818-1895), one of the greatest Americans of all,
indeed has personified the American Dream in all areas of his life, thus
confirming conclusions of a plethora of historians (setting time/place; restating the question; and thesis statement). This pursuit for the American
Dream was accomplished beginning with Douglass’s youthful years shackled in
the institution of slavery, during his years of escaping that institution, and
finally, his involvement in the Abolitionist Movement that resulted in him
becoming one of the greatest statesmen in American history (roadmap). To
examine his road to greatness, it is necessary to discuss and analyze how his
years in slavery enabled him to pursue the American Dream (transition
sentence into the first body paragraph).