AP European History
Exam Date
Friday May 6, 2011
What am I in for?

Section I: 50% Multiple Choice (80 questions 55
minutes)
 Section II: 50% Essays
(1 DBQ, 2 FRQs, 130 minutes)
15 minutes reading – 115 minutes writing
1 DBQ
1 out of 3 choices FRQ
1 out of 3 choices FRQ
Why are they torturing
me?

The Multiple Choice Question determines
content knowledge.

The Data Based Question evaluates your
ability to analyze information and draw links.

The Free Response Question focuses on
your ability to apply the information you have
learned and make connections!
The Almighty Free Response
Question

The FRQ is not a journal, diary, blog, email
or any other method of stream of thought
writing activity.

Your job is to formulate a cohesive, well
supported, knowledgeable, factually correct
response to an analytical question that will
employ the groundwork of good historical
thinking…………..
FRQ
….You should be able to categorize your
response in one of the following
classifications:
Cause and Effect
Compare and Contrast
Change Over Time
Pro vs. Con
How will I know which is
which?

These classifications can be determined
by carefully reading the question.

Look for key words, or clues that will help
you determine the focus of your
response.

You are historians, so begin thinking like
them!
Then what?

Each type of question has a practical
graphic organizer that will assist you in
collecting your thoughts
Cause/Effect
T Chart
Compare/Contrast
Venn Diagram
Change over time
Timeline
Pro/Con
T Chart
But the question is still too
hard!

Think:
P OLITICS
E CONOMICS
R ELIGIOUS
S OCIAL
I NTELLECTUAL
A RTISTIC
Political
Rule/Govt
Leadership
Wars
Treaties
Political
Participation
Territorial
Expansion
Military
Economic
Trade
Money/
Barter
Jobs /
Work
Products
Economic
Standard of
Living
Technology
Inventions
Banking
Taxes
Religious
Religious
Culture/
Customs
Religion
Gods
Worship
Religious
Religious
Acts by
Leaders
Religious
Minorities
& Responses
Social
Family
Children
Gender
Roles
Social
Disease
Customs
Leisure
Education
Intellectual
Science
Philosophy
Intellectual
Attitudes, especially
towards institutions
Literature
Artistic
Artistic
Characteristics
of Art and
Architecture
Reflection
of the Era
Make a mole hill out of a
mountain!
 Break down the assignment
into smaller more achievable
parts.
 One step at a time!
Success on Essays
R ead the question
O rganize
B rainstorm
O utline
T hesis
Read the Question
Circle or highlight key terms
 Recognize types of essay
questions
 Translate terms:
technology = microphone
mass culture = propaganda

Organize
Put key phrases at top:
include dates
 Use Venn diagrams and T
charts
 Create segments to address
all parts of the question

Brainstorm

Place some evidence in each
area created
 Evidence does not need to be
even; can have uneven amounts
 Learn a few specifics about each
subject; 3 facts go a long way
 Start with a word you know and
think about the answer
Outline

Create a mini outline to
prioritize the order of your
points
Thesis

Shape the thesis to address the
question
 Write for the audience, direct and
concise
 Avoid general descriptions and
terms
 Don’t just restate the question
Tips

A summary of two parts is NOT
analysis of compare and contrast
 Must answer both pro and con,
even if only one statement about
the lesser
 Must address ALL of the
chronological period
More Tips

Demonstrate understanding of
initial term before applying it to
the rest of the analysis
 Make connections. Be explicit;
don’t assume that people can
understand. Avoid burying your
ideas in sophisticated language.
Even More Tips
State everything you know, as
long as it pertains
 EXPLAIN WHY! Not just what,
analysis is not a summary.

Dissect the Question
2008 – Analyze the ways in which
the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic
period (1789-1815) led people to
challenge Enlightenment views of
society, politics and human
nature.
What are the Key Words?
2008 – Analyze the ways in which
the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic
period (1789-1815) led people to
challenge Enlightenment views of
society, politics and human
nature.
Dissect the Question
2008 – Analyze the ways in which
the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic
period (1789-1815) led people to
challenge Enlightenment views of
society, politics and human
nature.
Dissect the Question
2008 – Analyze the ways in which
the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic
period (1789-1815) led people to
challenge Enlightenment views of
society, politics and human
nature.
What is my Chart?
2008 – Analyze the ways in which
the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic
period (1789-1815) led people to
challenge Enlightenment views of
society, politics and human
nature.
Analyze, French Rev – Nap, challenge
Enlight, society politics human nature
Enlight. ideas:
Society
Challenge to ideas
Enlight. ideas:
Politics
ACTIONS
Challenge to ideas
Enlight. ideas:
Human Nature
ACTIONS
Challenge to ideas
ACTIONS
What was the intent of this
question?

The intent of the question was to analyze how Enlightenment
views concerning society, politics, and human nature were
challenged both during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic
periods and after 1815. The prompt implicitly required students to
have an understanding of pre-Revolutionary Enlightenment
thought on the subjects of society, politics, and human nature, and
of the period from 1789 to 1815. They were expected to analyze
the challenges to these Enlightenment views presented by the
events of the period, both in the specific time frame of 1789–1815
and afterwards. However, most students read the question as
intending to cover only the period 1789–1815, and this was
considered a reasonable reading. Hence, it was possible to score in
the top category without referring to the post-1815 period, though
many stronger essays did discuss events after Napoleon’s fall.
What were common student
errors or omissions?

Of the three views, students had the most
difficulty with the Enlightenment view of human
nature. True analysis, as opposed to
description/discussion, was found only in the
highest-scoring essays. Some students
attached correct Enlightenment views to the
wrong Enlightenment thinker. Some referred to
Freud and Nietzsche as post-1815 responses
to the French Revolution, without clearly linking
them to the French Revolution.
Based on your experience of student
responses at the AP Reading, what message
would you like to send to teachers that
might help them to improve the
performance of their students on the
exam?
Teachers need to stress to students the
importance of following the prompts of the
question. Also, students need to have an
understanding of the difference between
verbs such as “analyze” and “discuss”
and how these verbs change the task that
is stated in the prompt.
9–8 Points
• Thesis is explicit and fully responsive to the question (clearly provides brief
introduction of Enlightenment thought and how events challenged the
three Enlightenment views).
• Organization is clear with consistent and effective analysis in support of the
argument (may analyze each event and how they challenged
Enlightenment views or may address in separate paragraphs).
• Essay provides a balance between BOTH analyzing the major events of the
French Revolution and Napoleonic period that challenged the three
Enlightenment views proposed before 1789 AND the response to those
events at some length (response may also include the post-1815 period).
• Analysis of how previous Enlightenment views were challenged by events
that occurred between 1789 and 1815 are supported by multiple pieces of
relevant evidence.
• May contain errors that do not detract from the argument; even a “9” need
not be flawless.
7–6 Points
• Thesis is explicit and responsive to the question (provides brief introduction
of Enlightenment thought and how events challenged the three
Enlightenment views).
• Organization is clear with effective support of the argument but is not
consistently followed.
• Essay provides a balance between BOTH analyzing the major events of the
French Revolution and Napoleonic period that challenged the three
Enlightenment views proposed before 1789 AND the response to those
events at least briefly (response may also include the post-1815 period).
• Analysis of how previous Enlightenment views were challenged by events
that occurred between 1789–1815 are supported by at least one piece of
relevant evidence.
• Categories (Enlightenment views) may be conflated even at this level.
• May contain an error that detracts from the argument.
5–4 Points
• Thesis is explicit but not fully responsive to the question (may put more
emphasis on Enlightenment thought or how events challenged
Enlightenment views).
• Organization is apparent and effective in support of the argument but not
consistently followed.
• Essay shows some imbalance; mentions BOTH the events of the French
Revolution and Napoleonic period that led to challenges to Enlightenment
views proposed before 1789 AND the response to those events, but may
discuss only one (may address only two of the Enlightenment views).
• Most of the discussion of how previous Enlightenment views were
challenged by events that occurred between 1789–1815 is supported by at
least one piece of relevant evidence.
• May contain a few errors that detract from the argument.
3–2 Points
• No explicit thesis or a thesis that merely repeats/paraphrases the
prompt.
• Organization is unclear and ineffective.
• Essay shows serious imbalance and may completely ignore one of
the question’s tasks (analyzing the ways the events challenged
Enlightenment views OR the response).
• Only one or two major assertions are supported by relevant
evidence.
• May contain several errors that detract from the argument.
1–0 Points
• No discernable attempt at a thesis.
• No discernable organization; may attempt to answer the question but
fails to do so.
• One or none of the major topics suggested by the prompt is
mentioned (may suggest a challenge to Enlightenment thought but
supports it with evidence that is out of the time period).
• Little or no supporting evidence used.
• May contain numerous errors that detract from the argument.
How well did students
perform on this question?
Overall student performance on this question was
mixed. The mean score was 3.05 out of a possible 9
points. Some students did not clearly address
Enlightenment views on the three subjects in their
analysis, or they tended to conflate Enlightenment
views, especially when addressing human nature.
Many students discussed rather than analyzed how
Enlightenment views were challenged by the events
of 1789–1815.