Free Response
“the FRQ”
The “written section”
Introduction to the Free Response
Question
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There are Four Mandatory Questions
 There will be choices within each of the questions
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The FRQ’s will focus on issues, concepts, and
content from the six Curriculum Requirements
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You do not have a “choice”…
Therefore….focus on all of them
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• What exactly is a Free Response?
A “Short Answer” Question
Specific questions that require focus
Pay close attention to what is being asked
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What is the purpose?
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• For the students to understand the “linkage” or
“relationship” between/among issues and
concepts
The “pitfalls” …
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• Not reading the question carefully, not completely answering
the question….and NOT DOING what the question asks
The “format”
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The “prompt”
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Essay form is not necessary….
The Rubric and the scoring
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Rubric are scoring guidelines
 Readers are trained to be “specialists” on the
rubric
 Readers are looking for points
 Readers do not grade...readers score
 Readers award points
 Readers do not “take-away” points
How to Answer a Short
Answer Question
A very Simple System based on
…
“…Three “S”…..”
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The “S”…..
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Statement
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Support
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This answers the Question in the most Simple form
This demonstrates that you understand the material
Summary
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Pulls the answer together….”finalizes” your answer
Statement
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This is the answer to the Question.
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Construct a sentence that formally
answers the question while at the same
time creates a tone of an “introduction”
Support
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“The Rule of Three”….
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Always be able to give at least three points
that supports the Statement. Three points
of “data”. This indicates that you
understand the Statement by pulling in facts
that are related to the Statement
Summary
Just what the word indicates.
Summarize or draw a conclusion
showing that you fully understand the
argument being presented
The Questions are straightforward
Analyze – be systematic
 Define/Identify – “extend” the definition
 Discuss – “pros” and “cons”,
details…rule of 3
 Describe – details..examples
 Explain “how”…..”by”
 Explain “why”…..”because”
 “…you can describe by explaining…but
you can’t explain by describing…”
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The Question
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Explain why entitlement spending has
had an effect on congressional budgetmaking process.
The Statement
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Entitlement spending is money that by
law must be spent first in every budget
before any money can be spent on other
programs. Programs such as Medicare,
Medicaid, veteran’s benefits are
entitlements. This is called mandatory
spending. Also, interest on the national
debt is also mandatory spending.
The significance
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Because of the retiring “baby-boomers” and the
number of veterans and the huge debt this mandatory
spending is taking a huge chunk out of discretionary
spending. Discretionary spending is money that is
used for highway, education, and defense programs.
As the amount of money for entitlements is spent,
there is less discretionary spending for these
programs. Members of Congress must battle for
money for their district’s pet projects, this is called pork
barrel spending. This spending for their constituents
is important for their reelection campaigns.
The Summary
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Members of congress have keep in mind that
there spending for local needs is also effected
by national needs. So they have to balance
their district’s needs ( and campaign
promises), the national goals (the president’s
campaign promises), and also their party’s
goals.
Complete Answer
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Entitlement spending is money that by law must be spent first in every
budget before any money can be spent on other programs. Programs
such as Medicare, Medicaid, and veteran’s benefits are entitlements.
This is called mandatory spending. Interest on the national debt is also
mandatory spending. Because of the retiring “baby-boomers” and the
number of veterans and the huge debt this mandatory spending is taking
a huge chunk out of discretionary spending. Discretionary spending is
money that is used for highway, education, and defense programs. As
the amount of money for entitlements is spent, there is less discretionary
spending for these programs. Members of Congress must battle for
money for their district’s pet projects, this is called pork barrel spending.
This spending for their constituents is important for their reelection
campaigns. Members of congress have keep in mind that there spending
for local needs is also effected by national needs. So they have to
balance their district’s needs ( and campaign promises), the national
goals (the president’s campaign promises), and also their party’s goals.
The Grading Rubric – 5 Pts
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Correct definition of entitlements – 1 point
Proper use of three the following – 3 points
 Mandatory, discretionary, incumbency, earmarks,
constituency service, BICA, president’s budget,
CBO, continuing resolutions, (not an exhaustive
list)
The Summary – 1 point
Basically….
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“…mini- five paragraph essay….”
Statement – Thesis
 Support – Body
 Summary - Conclusion
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Final Comments
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Don’t use big words (unless sure)
Don’t use “pasture pudding”
Don’t preach, moralize, editorialize
Don’t “data dump”….DRIP
Don’t waste time
Final Comments
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Do write neatly and legibly in blue or black ink
Do answer all the questions and all parts of the
question…make an educated guess…the reader
will read it
Outline every question, underline key
operatives…jot down vocab/concepts
Be careful of dates, percentages, etc