1. APUSH- Habits of Mind
Integrating historical thinking skills into the writing process. It’s an APUSH habit, of course.
Much thanks and credit to Kyle VanderWall of Grandville High School for this presentation.

2. General Rules
You are writing about a time period in history; not writing a history of the time period.
Avoid over use of indefinite pronouns it, they and you.
Avoid general pronoun problems that leads to ambiguity such as the reference he or she.
Past Tense / Present Tense
Disney Treatment-No need to glorify every event in American history; it doesn’t need to end well for it to be accurate.

3. Intro Background information Trace the topic to the roots of the issue
Easy, effective way to begin an essay
Thesis
Near end of the paragraph
Addresses the prompt and HTS
Answers the Prompt without repeating it
Complex
Split Thesis statements

4. Thesis Do NOT repeat the Question Address the elements
Novelty of thought
Complexity
More on thesis development in the next unit of study

5. Supporting Paragraphs
Effective Supporting Paragraphs
Topic Sentence that relates to thesis / introduces major concept of paragraph
Organized evidence with interpretive analysis that supports the thesis
Double-Punch: Evidence Analysis
“Clincher” sentence that ties the paragraph together and links to thesis (sometimes acts as a transition to next paragraph)

6. Conclusion
Intuition says synthesis point is here (although, the synthesis point could be found elsewhere)
We are not interested in…….
Restating the thesis
No need for Disney endings
We are interested in….
Tie in your thesis
Leave a Legacy

7. Structure for Essays in APUSH
Introductory Paragraph
*Background
*Thesis
Supporting Paragraph
* Strongest Category (social, political, economic)
* Second-Strongest Category (social, political, economic)
*Third-Strongest Category (social, political, economic)
Conclusion
* Tie in thesis without repeating the thesis
*Legacy
Basic set-up
Minimum Pieces to each paragraph
Skeleton to Essays in APUSH
Can I have more paragraphs? Yes.

8. Scoring the Response AP (Answers the Prompt) Elements of the Question
Stays in the time period given
Periodization
Analysis
Complexity of argument (elements of strong responses)
Contextualization
Regionalization
Sophisticated, novel approach

9. Historical Thinking Skills Foster Critical Analysis and Interpretation
Skill Type
Historical Thinking Skill
Chronological Reasoning
Historical Causation
Patterns of Continuity and Change over Time
Periodization
Comparison and Contextualization
Comparison
Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
The curriculum framework defines historical thinking skills that are central to the study and practice of history. Students who become proficient in these skills will be able to act as apprentice historians—using the cognitive tools of the discipline to master its subject matter.
The curriculum framework describes four categories of skills and nine unique historical thinking skills within those categories.
The skills chronological reasoning and comparison and contextualization pertain to “thinking historically,” or the habits of mind that historians use when they approach the past in a critical way.
The skills crafting historical arguments from historical evidence and historical interpretation and synthesis pertain to the tools used by historians when they construct and test historical arguments about the past.
Students best develop historical thinking skills by investigating the past in ways that reflect the discipline of history, particularly through the exploration and interpretation of a rich array of primary sources and secondary texts, and through regular development of historical argumentation in writing.
These Historical Thinking Skills will be identical in all three AP History Courses.
Historical Argumentation
Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
Interpretation
Synthesis

10. Starting with the End LEQs are linked to Historical Thinking Skills
Four types of LEQs:
HTS: Chronological Reasoning
Continuity and Change Over Time
Causation
Periodization
HTS: Comparison and Contextualization
Comparison

11. Continuity and Change
Evaluate the extent to which trans-Atlantic interactions from 1600 to 1763 contributed to maintaining continuity as well as fostering change in labor systems in the British North American colonies.
Some historians have argued that the American Revolution was not revolutionary in nature. Support, modify, or refute this interpretation, providing specific evidence to justify your answer.
Evaluate major changes and continuities in the social and economic experiences of African-Americans who migrated from the rural South to urban areas in the North in the period

12. Periodization
How did “republicanism” manifest itself following the Revolutionary War? Consider THREE of the following topics in your response: the Loyalists, state constitutions, women, freed blacks, slaves, and religion. Confine your answer to the period between 1780 and 1800.
Historians have argued that the Era of Good Feelings was a misnomer. To what extent is this true politically and economically?
Some historians have argued that the development of the policy of containment after the Second World War marked a turning point in United States foreign policy. Support, modify, or refute this contention using specific evidence.

13. Compare
Compare and contrast the New England colonies with the colonies in the Chesapeake. Be sure to address two of the three characteristics in your answer: political, economic, and social patterns.
Compare the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Which document did a better job of protecting civil liberties? How did the Constitution fix the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Confine your answer to the time period between and 1800.

14. Causation
Explain the major political and economic causes and consequences for the growth of big business in American society from 1870 to 1900.
How did the Revolutionary War affect the new nation? Consider TWO of the following in your answer: agriculture, trade, diplomacy, and finances of the new nation. Confine your response to the period between 1780 and

15. What do students need to be able to do?
Elements
Periodization
Analysis
SFI
Six specific points on the exam
Thesis: 0-1
Support for argument: 0-2
Application of targeted HTS: 0-2
Synthesis: 0-1

16. Support for argument:

17. Support for argument: Difference between a 1 and 2?
It’s not enough to have SFI.
You must link the SFI.

18. Historical Thinking Skill

20. HTS: Difference between a 1 and 2?
Analyzing specific examples linked to their thesis, the elements of the question, and the historical thinking skill.
Linked to thesis and elements?
Same as the old test
HTS?
Implicitly the same; however, we just need to emphasize the vernacular.
Put another way:
Tells vs. shows
Describes vs. analyzes
B. Polasky

21. Things we know about LEQs
4/6 points rely on students’ ability to pull SFI and link/analyze/illustrate/etc. the SFI to the thesis/question/skill
This test still requires students to write well.
Drilling the four skills
TS2
Thesis
Support
Historical Thinking Skill
Synthesis