Due Tomorrow Document Journals 1-8 Key Terms Chapter Questions 50 minimum Def., date, and significance Chapter Questions Theme Chart

Essay Writing

Writing is thinking on paper Writing is thinking on paper. It doesn’t matter how well you say nothing, it is still nothing. There is ONLY one best choice and arrangement of words to express a given idea You are writing to impress an AP reader who will have approximately 2 minutes with your essay. You must convince the reader that you are an intelligent life-form.

Read the question carefully and focus your discussion on directly answering that question. Emphasize the following Analyze or assess the DEGREE to which a statement is true Analyze or assess the IMPACT of an event or concept on some aspect of American society Analyze or assess the RELATIVE IMPORTANCE of various factors on an event or concept. Analyze or evaluate the EXTENT to which a historical stereotype is true for a given period or concept Analyze or assess the REASONS that cause a particular mov’t to develop COMPARING and CONTRASTING differing attitudes toward a general concept or policy or different factors over time. Analyze or evaluate the EXTENT to which a historical event contributed to change and continuity in a time period

Analyze or evaulate means: examine HOW and WHY Use the core structure (let me go over this with you)

Thesis Statement Begin with a well-developed thesis statement that does more than repeat the question. It should ANSWER THE QUESTION TAKE A POSITION ESTABLISH ORGANIZATIONAL CATERGORIES

I. Well developed thesis statement that directly answers the question, takes a position (interpretation), and establishes organizational categories. Your thesis statement should NOT be longer than two sentences. A. Most important topic sentence which introduces the category to be discussed, directly answers the question, and takes a position on this particular category. 1. Most important specific factual information (SFI) which demonstrates both knowledge of the material and an understanding of how this information supports the thesis (interpretive commentary). 2.Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 3. Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 4. Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 5. Clincher sentence which ties the paragraph directly back to the thesis. B. Next most important topic sentence which introduces the category to be discussed, directly answers the question, and takes a position on this particular category. 1. Most important specific factual information (SFI) which demonstrates both knowledge of the material and an understanding of how this information supports your thesis (interpretive commentary). 2. Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 3. Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 4. Next most important same as above. Interpretive commentary. 5. Clincher sentence which ties the paragraph directly back to the thesis. C. Next most important topic sentence which introduces the category to be discussed, directly answers the question, and takes a position on this particular category. Repeat A, B, and C as many times as necessary to completely answer the question. II. Conclusion which restates the thesis in different words.

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence which defends your thesis and directly answers the question and support it with as much specific factual information as you can. Do not merely list or describe information but use it to prove your thesis. Explain how and why the specific information supports your point of view (interpretative commentary) Avoid “vomit” essays in which you merely throw-up information in a random matter without relating it back to your thesis.

“Just Kill the Dog Already” Keep your essay focused on answering the question. The reader knows how this will turn out so just kill the dog This isn’t English class. Have you ever read a history book that reads like a novel or a screenplay? Example: Have you ever had a pet that you loved but lost the pet to soon to an accident ? I have, here is story of a nice dog named Spot and his young owner Bill. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. Bill was a five year old boy. Bill really liked to play outside in the yard. His mother always worried about Bill because he lived on a busy street with lots of traffic. Powerful highway machines raced quickly by the yard on a daily basis. His mother had petitioned the city to get speed bumps put in but was denied based on the lack of funding. His mother filed another petition but the city had year to meet to discuss the implementation of the speed bumps. Bill was playing with a large stick and was swinging it wildly. As Spot was running across the yard he was nearly hit by the stick. Spot was a dog that really enjoyed exercise and wanted to keep running but also wanted Bill to be able to keep swinging the stick around. While running across the spacious yard to avoid being hit by a stick that Bill was swinging Spot got dangerously close to the road. Spot was blinded by the morning sun reflecting off the dewy grass and accidently ran into the road, and then…..meanwhile in the vehicle of Mr. Smith as he drove quickly in front of Bill’s house and said to himself as his car shook, “I guess the city finally put in that speed bump.”

“Just Kill the Dog Already” Keep your essay focused on answering the question. The reader knows how this will turn out so just kill the dog Example: Have you ever had a pet that you loved but lost the pet to soon to an accident ? I have, here is story of a nice dog named Spot and his young owner Bill. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. Bill was a five year old boy. Bill really liked to play outside in the yard. His mother always worried about Bill because he lived on a busy street with lots of traffic. Powerful highway machines raced quickly by the yard on a daily basis. His mother had petitioned the city to get speed bumps put in but was denied based on the lack of funding. His mother filed another petition but the city had year to meet to discuss the implementation of the speed bumps. Bill was playing with a large stick and was swinging it wildly. As Spot was running across the yard he was nearly hit by the stick. Spot was a dog that really enjoyed exercise and wanted to keep running but also wanted Bill to be able to keep swinging the stick around. While running across the spacious yard to avoid being hit by a stick that Bill was swinging Spot got dangerously close to the road. Spot was blinded by the morning sun reflecting off the dewy grass and accidently ran into the road, and then…..meanwhile in the vehicle of Mr. Smith as he drove quickly in front of Bill’s house….. “I guess the city finally put in that speed bump.” Bill was swinging a stick. Spot ran past Bill to avoid him. The sun blinded spot. Spot ran into the road. Spot got hit by a car.

End each paragraph with a tie-in sentence that ties the entire paragraph directly back to the thesis statement.

Always focus on the complexity of history. Always be explaining why and how. Demonstrate that you understand the concept of multi-causation/ multi-effect. Bring as much depth into the essay as possible.

Essays must always be written in dark blue or dark black ink. Penmanship, spelling, and grammar make a difference because they subconsciously affect the ability of the reader to extract information from your essay and they interfere with the logical flow of the essay. Use only past tense and DO NOT attempt to make your essay relevant to today's world. Use only third person. No I or Me Avoid starting sentences with pronouns.

The question every reader asks themselves at the end of an essay is, "How sophisticated a knowledge of history has this student demonstrated in this essay?" The demonstrated level of sophistication will ultimately determine the grade. REMEMBER THE CORE STRUCTURE Rubric as you write!

Multiple Choice Effects of the Great Awakening Greater independence from church of England Expansion of evangelistic protestant religions Effects of the Columbian exchange Population decline of Native American groups Increase in population in Europe due to new food items Rise of slave trade Growth of mercantilism and capitalism in the world Silver and gold supply increase in Europe

What was native life like before European contact? Effects on settlement and colonial western expansion on native Americans Understand the differences between French, Spanish, and English colonization Explain the difference between the costal elites and the frontier settlers i.e. Bacon’s rebellion

The purpose and effects of the Navigation Acts on the colonies Why did eruopeans begin exploration? What were the charactritics of the pilgrims Who was Roger Williams How were New York and Pennsylvania similar in regards to population? What were the characteristics of the middle, new England, and Southern colonies

Oglethorpe of Georgia fame settled his colonies using this type of undesirable? What was the result of the second anglo-powhattan war? King Phillips war? Effects of tobacco on Jamestown? Why the shift from I.Serv. To slavery?