FRQ 101 AP EUROPEAN HISTORY

What is an FRQ? FRQ stands for Free Response Question You will be asked to write 2 separate FRQs on the AP exam in May

The AP Exam – Free Response Section Time Limit: 130 minutes Percent of Total Exam Score: 50% PART A: 1 DBQ (Document Based Question) Suggested Time: 15 minutes reading & 45 minutes writing Counts for 22.5% of total score PART B: 2 FRQs (Free Response Question) Suggested Time: 5 minutes reading & 30 minutes writing each Each essay counts as 13.75% of total score Standard essays chosen from two groups of questions each containing three choices (six questions total) MUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM EACH GROUP.

Format of FRQs The FRQ is your standard essay Typically, many students use the 5 paragraph essay template However, do not feel confined to that! You may write as many or as few paragraphs as you need to fully answer the prompt You will need to write a strong thesis statement in your intro paragraph Though a conclusion is the cherry-on-top, it is not necessary as long as you have proven your thesis throughout your essay I only say this because some students spend so much time writing the bulk of their essay & don’t get to the conclusion. If you run out of time, do not worry about not finishing – worry more about fully answering the question throughout the body of your essay

History Essay Writing Tips Always think of your reader Use black ink only Do not use contractions Write in the 3rd person First person = I, we, our, us, me, mine, my… NEVER. Second person = you, your…… NEVER. Write in the past tense, because it’s history. You may mark out mistakes. BUT… Do not try to be cute Use STANDARD ENGLISH! Use correct historical terms i.e. “normalcy” is not a standard English word, but it is a historical term Facts are names, dates, people, events, places, things

Terms Often Used in AP Essay Questions Account for the… Explain the changes of, explain the differences between Assess the validity of… To estimate, to appraise the value of Analyze the… Separate into parts or principles and examine each part Compare and/or… How much alike Contrast the… How much different Criticize the… Make judgments as to merit and faults Degree to which… One step or stage in a progression Define the… Say what something is; give its meaning

Terms Often Used in AP Essay Questions Discuss the… Talk about; write about; consider or examine Describe the… What does it look like; create a mental picture Extent: To what extent… The range over which something goes; how far Evaluate the… Ascertain or fix the worth of Explain the… To make plain, comprehensible, make clear by detail Illustrate… Explain or make clear by using examples

Terms Often Used in AP Essay Questions Justify… Use evidence to prove something is right, wrong, or just Prove… Establish the truth of something by providing factual evidence Reasons for… The motives for actions or inaction Relative importance of… Having pertinence; connected to Valid or validity… How sound, how well-grounded, how good is the stated premise

Understanding the Prompt FRQ prompts put a lot of responsibility on the writer. Some prompts can be very open. For example: “Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first half of the sixteenth century.”

Understanding the Prompt Read it carefully: “Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first half of the sixteenth century.” As with all FRQ’s, this prompt has MANY LAYERS. To address this prompt, the following must be answered: What time period is this? (Early-mid 1500’s) What were the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation? What does it mean to “discuss”?

Understanding the Prompt Some prompts provide clear time periods and more specific tasks. What are the LAYERS of the following examples? Compare and contrast the motives of Martin Luther in the German states and King Henry VIII in England in bringing about religious change during the Reformation. Machiavelli suggested that a ruler should behave both “like a lion” and “like a fox.” Analyze the policies of TWO of the following European rulers, indicating the degree to which they successfully followed Machiavelli’s suggestion. Choose two: Elizabeth I of England, Henry IV of France, Catherine the Great of Russia, Frederick II of Prussia.

General Scoring Guideline for APEH The 8-9 Essay Contains a clear, well-developed thesis that addresses all parts of the questions Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the complexity of the topic Provide substantial relevant information in support of the thesis Provides effective analysis addressing all parts of the question May contain minor errors Is well organized and well written The 5-7 Essay Contains a thesis that may be partially developed and addresses most parts of the question Demonstrates a general understanding of the topic Supports the thesis with some relevant information Provides some analysis of most parts of the question May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the essay Has acceptable organization and writing

General Scoring Guideline for APEH The 2-4 Essay Contains a thesis that may be underdeveloped or poorly developed. Demonstrates simplistic understanding of the topic. Includes minimal information relevant to the question. Provides little or no analysis, or contains generalizations. May contain major errors. May be poorly organized and/or poorly written. The 0-1 Essay Lacks a thesis or restates the question Demonstrates little or no understanding of the topic Has little or no relevant information regarding the question Has little or no understanding of the question May contain numerous errors Is poorly organized and/or poorly written The – Essay Is blank or completely off task

Before You Begin to Write: Carefully read the question to make sure you understand what it is asking you to do. Pay careful attention to the TASK WORDS in the question Look closely at the CHRONOLOGY (time periods) of the question Stick to the time period specified- don’t wander. Many students write great essays that unfortunately don’t answer the question that was asked! You must discuss those time periods, locations, and topics that apply to the question and only those! Take a few minutes to review what you already know about the question and develop a thesis statement. Write a brief outline of your essay before you begin to write. Refer to your sketch or outline as you write.

Before You Begin to Write Your outline does not need to be anything formal. A quick sketch, diagram, or key evidence points can be enough to keep you on track. To help organize information, remember GPERSIA! Geographic Political You don’t have to use every aspect of Economic GPERSIA. But refer to it if you get Religious stuck. Social Intellectual Artistic

The Introduction This is where you make your first impression on the reader. Therefore, it is important that you have a strong introduction that defines your thesis and your argument. Your essay should be clearly organized around a thesis statement. The thesis should clearly respond to the question, without directly repeating it. Should represent your own original interpretation or analysis of the information. Should make a clear argument. Does not need to be the first sentence of your introduction and, in fact, provides better essay organization if it is the last sentence in your introduction. Be specific! No “fluff” words, like “stuff”, “many things” “lots of”, etc.

The Introduction Define important terms (i.e. humanism, secular, absolutism) to demonstrate that you understand the question and the essay topics. Provide a concise statement (no more than 1 sentence) that places the essay topic in its historical context Clearly identify the supporting arguments that you will use in your essay. Again, make sure you are responding to all parts of the question After reading your introduction, your reader should know exactly what your argument is (your thesis) and how you are going to prove it (your supporting arguments) – sometimes called a “preview”

Other Tips Be sure to write with “voice” in your essay. In other words, pretend that you have some authority on the subject. Make sure to take a stand in your answer and not be wishy-washy. BE SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC!!!!!!! Be sure that your essay includes historical facts to prove your thesis. However, “data dumping” will not gain you any extra points and can result in a lowering of your score. It also runs the risk of you including incorrect data which would hurt your overall score. Avoid broad survey questions. They appear easy because you know a lot of information about them. However, they are often the most challenging because of the breadth required to answer them effectively. Writing a provable thesis can pose real problems for these types of questions Content is critical, but so is your presentation Be attentive to grammar, syntax, spelling, penmanship, etc. A well-written essay is much easier to understand than a poorly written essay