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All the writing you do on the AP exam, and most of the writing you do in this course, will be in response to different types of writing prompts. These prompts give you a basic guide for what to include in your answer by telling you to write about specific topics, time periods, places, and groups of people, In other words, you're always going to be writing about some combination of who, what, when, and where.
On the AP exam, you will be asked to choose to answer three out of four total Short Answer Questions (or SAQ) prompts. These questions are much more open-ended and multilayered than those in the multiple-choice section of the exam. The tasks that SAQ ask you to complete are actually more like mini essay questions. While this means that you need to answer these question in complete sentences, you response should be one short paragraph rather than a multi-paragraph essay.
Another unique aspect of SAQs is that they have three parts, each of which is given its own letter label. Each part sets a limit on your response by asking you to complete one distinct task.
After quickly reading this question, you're probably wondering where to begin. It asks you to do a lot of things in a short paragraph--and, since the AP exam is timed, you're likely working with a short timeframe, too. Let's walk through one pre-writing strategy from breaking down a SAQ: annotating the prompt. This process is an excellent way to figure out what your response needs to include--and exclude. In order to succeed on the exam, not only do you have to understand what a prompt is asking you to do, you also have to know what falls outside of the task at hand. Reading the question closely and annotating it to distill each of the tasks you must complete will help you avoid writing something off topic. Responses that fail to adequately address all parts of the question will not earn full credit.
Breaking down the SAQ Prompts
Breaking down the SAQ Prompts
The following SAQ asks you to reflect on what you have learned in Topic 1.1.
Answer (a), (b), and (c), Confine your response to the period before 1600.
a. Briefly describe ONE specific historical similarity in adaptation to the environment made by two American Indian groups.
b. Briefly describe ONE specific historical difference in adaptation to the environment made by two American Indian groups.
c. Briefly describe ONE specific historical difference in the economies of two American Indian groups.
Step one: Read the instructions.
Step one: Read the instructions.
First consider the part of the question that comes before the three parts of the prompt. These instructions place limits that apply to all parts of the prompt. In this case, the question is telling you that everything you write will have to discuss the period before 1600. So, you should note "before 1600" as the time. You may also find it helpful to write "before 1600" before or after each part of the prompt so that it's fresh in your memory.
Step two: Read and annotate each part of the question.
Step two: Read and annotate each part of the question.
Next, read part (a) carefully and label the limits of the topic, task, and place.
the topic is how American Indian groups adapted to the environment
the task is to identify exactly one specific historical similarity.
the place is America
Continue to annotate for topic, task, and place for parts (b) and (c).
What do all of these annotations tell you about the answer you need to write? Your response to part (a) will describe both two American Indian groups and an adaptation to the environment they share before 1600. For part (b), you will also describe two American Indian groups-which do not have to he the same two groups you named in part (a)--and name a difference in their adaptation to the environment before 1600. Likewise, part (c) calls for you to select two American Indian groups and describe differences in their economies prior to 1600.
Step three: Respond to the prompt and support your answer with at least two historical facts.
Step three: Respond to the prompt and support your answer with at least two historical facts.
You may be wondering what it means to "describe" the historical similarities and differences specified by this SAQ. While each part of this prompt does call for you to state historical facts, a "describe" task signals that you need to include details to illustrate those facts. Think of it this way: When you simply state what something is--a chair, a desk, a book--you're not painting a picture of what it looks like. But when you describe something--a black leather office chair with wheels, an old metal desk that's been painted white, and an AP US history textbook with a top hat on the cover--you're pointing out several characteristics and prominent features.
Thus, a prompt that asks you to describe something is asking for a plural response, which means you need to provide at least two facts in your answer. An effective response to the SAQ may look something like this:
a. Both the Pueblo and the Iroquois lived in environments that allowed for agriculture, so both grew their own crops to help feed their people.
b. However, the Pueblo lived in an arid environment, so they used irrigation systems, whereas the Iroquois lived in a temperate zone with fertile soil and regular rainfall, and therefore grew crops without extensive use of irrigation systems.
c. Also, since the Iroquois lived in a temperate environment, they practiced hunting to supplement their food supply, relying on game such as deer and fish whereas the PUeblo did not.
This answer does everything parts (a), (b), and (c) ask for.
A.C.E. the SAQ Strategy
A.C.E. the SAQ Strategy
A.C.E. = Effective strategy for writing for AP short answer questions & CAASPP-SBAC short answer questions
A.C.E. = Effective strategy for writing for AP short answer questions & CAASPP-SBAC short answer questions
A = Answer
A = Answer
Answer the question being asked (include claim for CAASPP-SBAC)
C = Cite
C = Cite
Cite & describe specific, relevant evidence--PROPER NOUNS (2 = safety net) Cite means to use; it does not mean to quote. NO QUOTES!!!
E = Explain
E = Explain
Explain, explain, explain
An alternative to ACE is IDEA
I = Identify a proper nounD = Describe/define your proper nounE = Explain connection of your proper noun to the taskA = [then you have] answered the questionStrategic Value of ACE
Strategic Value of ACE
Keeps SAQ responses concise.
Increases likelihood of earning each point, particularly on interpretation prompts.
Develops ability to prove an substantiate claims and explanations.
Serves as scaffolding technique for DBQ and LEQ essay responses.
Encourages sophisticated historical writing.
Should be constantly and consistently applied with SAQ assessments.
Common application with other AP disciplines using writing as part of their assessments (i.e. C-E-R in sciences and English).
When you try to convince someone that your opinion is important, you typically use evidence to persuade them. Historians also use evidence to support their claims. However, not all evidence is equally strong, and no evidence can stand alone without commentary connecting it to a claim. The ACE steps make sure you provide effective support for your own interpretations of history. ACE is a powerful mnemonic device for remembering all of the components of an effective answer. This three-part writing technique is also a great way to structure a short historical argument in a timed environment.
Characteristics of Short Answer Questions
Characteristics of Short Answer Questions
Will always have three score points
Requires responses be in complete, thoughtful, well-developed sentences
Do NOT require development and support of a thesis statement
Requires demonstration of what you know best
Requires direct targeting particular historical thinking skills
Requires responding to general propositions about United States history
Requires responding to primary & secondary source texts or other stimuli (charts, graphs, tables, maps, or images)
Requires employing historical evidence or examples relevant to the source or question
Questions to Consider While Examining a Short Answer Question
Questions to Consider While Examining a Short Answer Question
If the question is based on a stimulus, would you find the stimulus material accessible? Why or why not?
Which skill is the item primarily addressing? What language in the question tells you?
What content would be viable in answering this question?
Read the directions and prompt closely. List the elements that you would expect to see in a good response.
Reminders
Reminders
Always answer the tasks in order
Always label your answers: a), b), and c)
Always stay INSIDE the box
Always write in pen
Don't panic....YOU GOT THIS!
Templates to craft stronger short answer responses.
_____ (Author's name) offers a(n) _____ (adjective) _____ (perspective/insight/idea/opinion) on _____ (subject they are writing about), _____.
In his/her _____ (genre), _____(title), _______ (name) explains, _____.
In his/her _____ (genre) _____ (title), _____ (author’s name) suggests that __________.
In _____ (author’s) perspective, __________
_______ (name), best-selling author, is most known for his/her _____ (year) _____ (genre), ______________ (title).
The _____ (year) __________(genre) __________________ (title), by ______________ (author) examines the issue of ______________________.
In _____(year), ____________(name) published and important _________ (genre), ________________________ (title).
Respond to a SAQ Using Categories
Respond to a SAQ Using Categories
Often, SAQs will ask you to focus your analysis on a specific topic category. [Examples: politics, economics, society/culture, interactions with the environment, technology]
Even if you do not have a specific task to complete, asking yourself questions about these topic categories is still a useful study and pre-writing strategy. Categorizing what you have learned will help you break the bigger picture of your historical knowledge into smaller, and more memorable, lists. Let's take a look at an AP style SAQ that asks you to think about causation. These kinds of prompts offer excellent opportunities to use the category strategy because they often provide you with the exact topic/s you will need to focus on .
Answer (a), (b), and (c). Confine your response to the period before 1607.
a. Briefly describe ONE specific economic effect of the Columbian Exchange in the Western Hemisphere.
b. Briefly describe ONE specific economic effect of the Columbian Exchange in Europe.
c. Briefly describe ONE specific social effect of the Columbian Exchange on the Western Hemisphere.
Step One. Break down the prompt then reflect on your historical knowledge of causes relevant to the topic.
Step One. Break down the prompt then reflect on your historical knowledge of causes relevant to the topic.
One of the first things you probably noticed about this question is that parts (a), (b), and (c) all ask about effects. This is how you know you are dealing with a causation prompt, even if the word "cause" never appears. Effects don't pop up out of nowhere--they are always linked to causes.
The SAQ prompts you are assigned are aligned to the topic (submodule), so a great place to start is simply to reflect on what you have read about the topic (i.e. Columbian Exchange), keeping causes and effects of historical events and developments in mind. At his point, if you aren't too pressed for time, it may be helpful simply to brainstorm as many effects as you can think of, regardless of the analysis category they fall under. What were the political effects? Social and cultural? Economic? Technological? Environmental?
If you are writing in a timed environment and are comfortable with your knowledge of the question topic, you should look for what categories the prompt has specified before you begin to brainstorm. In this case, the prompt asks you to discuss economic and social effects.
Step Two. Create a list of effects, broken our by categories for analysis.
Step Two. Create a list of effects, broken our by categories for analysis.
Create a list of effects that fall under each category. This will help you organize your thoughts and give you a blueprint for your written response to the question. The following example shows one way you might organize such a list:
Economics: Europeans use the forced labor of American Indians and Africans to obtain resources like gold and silver, as well as foodstuffs like sugar, maize, and chocolate. These resources were then sold in Europe. These new resources were part of the Columbian Exchange and generated great wealth for European nations.
Society: The Columbian Exchange also brought diseases like smallpox, which decimated American Indian populations. The high mortality caused by these diseases made it easier for the Spanish and Portuguese to conquer and control American Indian lands in the Western Hemisphere.
Notice how this list provides explanations for each of the three parts f the prompt in the example answer that follows.
a. Briefly describe ONE specific economic effect of the Columbian Exchange in the Western Hemisphere.
During the Columbian Exchange, Europeans use dht forced labor of American Indians to obtain resources, and also enhanced their wealth [answer] through the cultivation of staple crops such as sugar [cite] , which economically affected the Western Hemisphere by making American Indians subservient to European pursuit of profit [explain].
b. Briefly describe ONE specific economic effect of the Columbian Exchange in Europe.
During the Columbian Exchange, new resources form the Western Hemisphere were introduced to European markets [answer] , including silver and gold, as well as food such as maize and luxuries like chocolate for Europeans [cite]. The influx of wealth into Spain was distributed unevenly and created a surge of inflation in the country [explain].
c. Briefly describe ONE specific social effect of the Columbian Exchange on the Western Hemisphere.
The Columbian Exchange also brought diseases like smallpox [answer], which decimated American Indian populations [cite]. The high mortality caused by these diseases made it easier for the Spanish and Portuguese to conquer and control American Indian lands in the Western Hemisphere [explain].
Respond to a SAQ Continuity Prompt
Respond to a SAQ Continuity Prompt
Short-Answer Questions may ask you to make an argument about continuity and change--that is, which aspect of historical patterns, events, and developments are consistent across a span of time, and which ones evolved and morphed over time.
Let's walk through how you can use your historical knowledge to answer a continuity and change--focused SAQ on the period before 1607. The following prompt is one you might encounter on the exam:
Answer (a), (b), and (c).
a. Briefly describe ONE specific continuity in Spanish policy toward native peoples between 1492 and 1607.
b. Briefly describe ONE specific change in Spanish policy toward native peoples between 1492 and 1607.
c. Briefly explain ONE specific reason for the change in Spanish policy toward native peoples between 1492 and 1607.
Step 1: Break down the prompt and review your historical knowledge of continuities and changes relevant to the topic.
Step 1: Break down the prompt and review your historical knowledge of continuities and changes relevant to the topic.
This prompt asks you to think about continuities and changes over more than a century of Spanish incursions into the Americas. That's longer than a human lifespan, and it may be tough to know where to begin. In this particular case, a good place to start is by reviewing everything you have learned about Spanish colonization--which just . so happens to be what you learned about in Period 1. Focus your review by breaking it out into questions about continuities and about changes, making a list of the answers to them as you go over your historical knowledge. Remember, some good categories to consider whenever you catalog what changed and what remained the same include:
politics
economy
society/culture
interactions with the environment
technology
Step 2: Choose a specific category for analysis and divide the time period specified by the prompt.
Step 2: Choose a specific category for analysis and divide the time period specified by the prompt.
The next thing to do is choose a category for analysis. It's important to keep in mind that, on the exam, you will not have time to consider all of the categories in step 1--and even if you're not confined by a timed environment, it's still wise to keep the scope of your analysis mangeable in order to write a focused answer. In this case, a category that stands out is society. This is because the interactions between native peoples and the Spanish customs changed from being driven primarily by military conquest to a system of religious missions primarily concerned with converting native peoples to Catholicism.
Now that you've chosen a category for analysis that stands out, you should begin to think about how to address that long time frame specified by the question. Strong continuity and change responses often choose an event to divide the period into two parts. Splitting your analysis in this way gives you a way to compare and contrast the continuities and changes you have observed with evidence from throughout the time period.
This is where your review in step 1 of what you have learned will come in handy--you will likely already have thought of more than one major event or development that fits the bill. In this case, we'll take the shift to the missionary system in 1573 for all new settlements as our dividing event.
Step 3: Create a graphic organizer that connects continuities and changes to supporting evidence.
Step 3: Create a graphic organizer that connects continuities and changes to supporting evidence.
Now that we have decided upon a timespan to use for the earlier and later parts of the period and chosen at least one category to focus our analysis of continuities and changes, the next step is to develop a graphic organizer that will map out that analysis by bringing in supporting evidence.
To prove an example of continuity, you should cite evidence from both earlier and later parts of a given period of time. In this case, we need to show ongoing characteristics of Spanish colonization, and using evidence from both before and after 1573 will make a compelling case.
Likewise, to prove a claim that something changed, you should use examples from both earlier and later parts of a given time period. Here, this means collecting evidence that shows significant shifts in the characteristics of colonization bother before and after 1573.
Your graphic organizer can take a number of different forms--including lists, tables, outlines, or mind maps--based on whatever helps you see the connection between continuities and changes and your evidence. Your organizer should also leave space for you to provide evidence for your claims. These pieces of evidence are specific historical facts that support your claims for both before and after your dividing event--in this case, the shift to missionary control of new Spanish colonies after 1573. The following example uses a table to organize an argument about Spanish colonization:
SAMPLE: Non-text based prompt
SAMPLE: Non-text based prompt
Answer (a), (b), and (c).
Answer (a), (b), and (c).
a) Briefly explain why ONE of the following options most clearly marks the beginning of the sectional crisis that led to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Missouri Compromise (1820)
Acquisition of Mexican territory (1848)
b) Provide an example of an event or development to support your explanation.
c) Briefly explain why ONE of the other options is not as useful to mark the beginning of the sectional crisis.
Response
Response
a) The Northwest Ordinance marked the beginning of the nation's sectional crisis. The legislation, established under the aRticles of Confederation, prohibited slavery in the Old Northwest territory. The idea of a federal government enforcing its will over future states would prove controversial in future conflicts between Northern and Southern states.
b) The conflict between North and South began during the Early Republic period as evident with the Three-Fifths Compromise. During the Constitutional Convention, the Southern delegates demanded slaves be counted for more representation in the House of Representatives while Northern delegates criticized it since slaves did not vote. To avoid the Convention from collapsing, the Framers agreed to count slaves as three-fifths of a person.
c) The Mexican Cession certainly fueled the sectional conflict, but it did not initiate the crisis. The acquisition of the Southwest territories per the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo repeated sectional debates on slavery. Arguments over how to determine free and slave territories occurred during the Missouri Compromise in 1820 and the Mexican Cession only produced a similar situation with the Compromise of 1850.
Sample response provided by John Burkowski Jr.
SAMPLE: Prompt comparing two texts
SAMPLE: Prompt comparing two texts
NOTE: This question format is commonly used and most commonly missed because students misinterpret the excerpts AND do not address both authors [not answering the question].
"Most [Progressive era reformers] lived and worked in the midst of modern society and accepting its major thrust drew both their inspiration and their programs from its specific traits ... They prized their organizations ... as sources of everyday strength, and generally they also accepted the organizations that were multiplying about them .. The heart of progressivism was the ambition of the new middle class to fulfill its destiny through bureaucratic means."
-Robert H. Wiebe, historian, The Search for Order, 1877-1920, published in 1967
"Women's collective action in the Progressive era certainly expressed a maternalist ideology [a set of ideas that women's roles as mothers gave them a responsibility to care for society as well]. ... But it was also sparked by a moral vision of a more equitable distribution of the benefits of industrialization. ... Within the political culture of middle-class women, gender consciousness combined with an awareness of class-based injustices, and talented leaders combined with grass-roots activism to produce an impressive force for social, political, and economic change.
-Kathryn Kish Sklar, historian, "The Historical Foundations of Women's Power in the Creation of the American Welfare State," Mothers of a New World, 1993
Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c).
Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c).
a) Briefly explain ONE major difference between Wiebe's and Sklar's historical interpretations.
b) Briefly explain how ONE example from the period 1880 to 1920 not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Wiebe's argument.
c) Briefly explain how ONE example from the period 1880 to 1920 not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Sklar's argument.
Response
Response
a) Wiebe claims the middle class fueled progressive returns while Sklar argues women used grassroots initiatives to support progressive returns. Wiebe notes most progressive reformers were ambitious middle-class organizers whereas Sklar focuses on the maternal instincts of middle-class women. Wiebe argues middle class reformers used their means to enact reforms through legislation while Sklar claims middles-class women pursued reforms based on a moral obligation to society.
b) The Federal Reserve Act established a new national central system. It regulated the banking industry to prevent devastating economic panics and reform the credit and lending process. Progressives sought further government regulation to protect American consumers from corporate greed.
c) Jane Addams, a middle-class reformer, founded Hull House. She established the settlement house to help educate poor immigrant children. Her efforts helped immigrant families assimilate to American society and culture and lessen the burden on families to resort to having their children work in dangerous factories.
COMMENTS: Notice that quotes are not used. You can and are encouraged to "snag a word" but do not quote the excerpt since that wastes valuable, limited space for your response. Example: ...Sklar focuses on the maternal instincts of middle-class women.
Sample response provided by John Burkowski Jr.
SAMPLE: Stimulus based prompt
SAMPLE: Stimulus based prompt
Using the image which depicts the first half of the nineteenth century, answer (a), (b), and (c).
Using the image which depicts the first half of the nineteenth century, answer (a), (b), and (c).
a) Briefly describe ONE historical perspective expressed in the image.
b) Briefly explain how ONE specific event of development in the period from 1800 to 1850 contributed to the process depicted in the image.
c) Briefly explain ONE specific historical effect in the period from 1844 to 1890 that resulted from the process depicted in the image.
Response
Response
a) Manifest Destiny is viewed as a positive experience and expression of the American spirit. The unprecedented opportunities available to settlers in the West is portrayed, the artist presents the journey as one of ease, although there are hints at potential opposition with the existence of Tepees in the background. Overall the image presents a positive view that Americans should continue their westward march across the continent.
b) The California Gold Rush caused settlers to pick up and move west. The Gold Rush began in 1848 when gold was found at Sutter's mill in California. The news brought hundreds of thousands of people to California. The sudden influx of money reinvigorated the economy and brought a sudden population increase to CAlifornia resulting in statehood in 1850.
c) The Exodusters were African Americans who migrated west following the Civil War. Beginning in the 1870s as African Americans were freed, the west provided potential opportunities for former slaves looking for freedom and a new start. The taming of the west provided these individuals opportunities to leave the South, as a result, thousands of individuals headed for Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Sample response provided by Dr. John Irish
SAMPLE: Stimulus based prompt
SAMPLE: Stimulus based prompt
Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-3108
Using the 1883 image above, answer (a), (b), and (c).
Using the 1883 image above, answer (a), (b), and (c).
a) Briefly explain ONE the point of view about the economy expressed by the artist.
b) Briefly explain ONE development in the period 1865 to 1910 that could be used to support the point of view expressed by the artist.
c) Briefly explain ONE development in the period 1865 to 1910 that could be used to challenge the point of view expressed by the artist.
Response
Response
a) The political cartoonist suggests the Gilded Age businessmen exploit the hard-working and struggling laborers. The artist depicts the capitalists as lazy and greedy moneybags who rest on the backs of the various industrial workers. The workers keep the capitalists insulated from the waves of economic hard times showing the artist's sympathy for workers livelihoods while exposing the flaws of unregulated capitalism of greedy Goulds and Vanderbilts.
b) The Homestead Strike of 1892 pitted US Steel workers against owner, Andrew Carnegie. In response to worker demands for better pay and working conditions, Carnegie hired the Pinkertons to break up the strike. The resulting violence and use of private enforcers proved the resolve of industrialists to secure profits and weaken labor unions.
c) Andrew Carnegie wrote the Gospel of Wealth in 1889. He stressed wealthy industrialists had a duty to repay their success though philanthropy. Carnegie donated millions of dollars for libraries, schools, cultural institutions and challenged the perception of industrialists as robber barons.
Sample response provided by John Burkowski Jr.
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