1. Writing Free Response
Do’s and Don’ts

2. Overview 4 Questions in 100 minutes
Designed to evaluate your analytical and organizational skills
Brainstorm
Organize and outline
Re-read
Don’t leave points on the table

3. When you see the question
Take 5 minutes to organize and brainstorm
Underline the Directives
Identify
Explain
Identify and Explain
Describe and explain
Give specific explanations
Pay attention to the specific task after directive
You will always need to support your answer with examples
If you can’t remember some information, don’t panic, answer the parts you know how to answer

4. Do’s and don’ts Do’s Don’ts
Use correct grammar-they don’t count for grading purposes, but help the grader psychologically
Answer all 4 questions
Support your explanations with specific evidence
Write in your style
Edit your answer and make sure you have answered all parts
Try to sound sophisticated or use big words, keep it simple and concise
Editorialize, they aren’t interested in your opinion and won’t get you points
Data dump
Use historical examples, this is a contemporary US political class

5. An example from Chapter 1 and 2 (2006)
The framers of the United States Constitution created a legislative system that is bicameral. However, it is not just bicameral; the framers also established two houses of distinctly different character and authority.
Discuss two reasons why the framers created a bicameral legislature.
Identify one power unique to the House of Representatives and explain why the framers gave the House that power.
Identify one power unique to the Senate and explain why the framers gave the Senate that power.

6. Rubric (trade with someone else)
ository/_ap06_gopo_us_sg.pdf

7. Questions for Unit Test I
1. In The Federalist paper #10, Madison expressed concern over the possibility that both majority and minority factions would have too much power over government, and he presented ways of minimizing that danger.
a. Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closley tied to citizens and explain how it was tied to citizens.
b. Explain two ways the United States Constitution limited majority rule.
c. Choose two of the following 20th century developments and explain how each moved the United States from a less democratic system to a more democratic system.
Primary elections
The 17th Amendment
Expansion of suffrage